Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-24
Completes 259 Miles Over Diff
cult Course in 5 Hours, IL
Minutes, 13 1-2 Seconds
AMERICAN CAR COMES IN THIRD
Italian Car Wins Second PIaee-'m-
mense Throns Witnesses Road Race
and Several Accidents occu-Forty-
six Miles Per Hour Maintained by
Machines.
M Machines.

Briarcliff, N. Y. April 24.-Twenty-
two automobiles of the finest Ameri-
can and foreign types, started at dawn
today in the 25s mile race over the
most hazardous course ever chosen for
motor car speed contest. Almost ev-
cry turn of the 32-mile course Is
danger spot, and there had been many
predictions of serious accidents before
the race was run.
Long before the hour scheduled for
the start the course was lined with
automobiles filled with spectators. AS
early as o'clock this morning it was
estimated that not less than 1900 au-
tomobiles were parked along the
course. Thousands of persons crowd
ed the vantage points, and when the
first racer was sent away he entered
a course lined with humanity on either
side from end to end. At exactly 5:O7
o'clock the starters pistol rang out,
and an Italian car, with Sartori at the
wheel, shot across the line. The other
cars followed at intervals of q min
ute.
High Speed Maintained.
1t became apparent within a very
few minutes after the start that despite
predictions to the contrary, tremend-
ously high speed was to be made over
at least some portions of the course.
Forty-two minut' had been re-
ported as the best over the thirty
two mile course in the trials and many
believed no better time than this could
be expected during the race. Strang.
Italian, was first to complete the cir
cult and crossed the line in 80 min
utes, AZ seconds. He was leading
Lytle, American, by only seconds. He
maintained the lead until the end Of
the fourth round, when half the dis
tance had been covered. AT that time
he had lead of 21 seconds in elapsed
time over his nearest competitor. Up
to this point the leader had averaged
As miles per hour.
Watson, American, was the first to
come to grief His machine collided
with a post at East View, and was so
badly disabled it was three hours aft
er the start before he had made re-
pairs and finished the first round.
Strang Comes in First.
Louis Strang, driving an Italian car,
today won the Briarcliff trophy for au
tomobiles. His elapsed time for 259
miles was five hours, fourteen minutes
and thirteen and half seconds.
Cedrino, Italian, was second; time,
five hours, 81 minutes, 2-5 seconds.
Guy Caughan, American, was third, 5
hours, % minutes, 29 2-5 seconds.
The finish of the fourth round fur
nished one of the prettiest sprints Of
the race up to that point. AS the cars
judges stand, Barny Oldf1eld and Hill
lard, both driving American cars.
were fighting it out side by side They
came on along the narrow course at
frightful speed, the sides of their
cars separated only by an inch. AL
most in front of the judges stand, Old
field forged to the front, and in an in
stant flashed away we'll ahead of Hill
lizard. While the leading cars were in
the fifth round Murphy, of the Austri-
an car, met with an accident between
Valhalla and Eastview. One of his
front wheels collapsed and his
mechanician was thrown out Fortu-
nately neither was injured, but Muir
ply was officially declared out of the
race. Several other cars met with
mishaps, rendering them unfit to con-
tinue. AS the race progressed the
crowds along the course, particularly
at the finish, gave the special police
men much trouble in their efforts to
keep the course clear. Near the
judges stand, where there is a dan
gerous curve, the crowd constantly
pressed forward into the stretch and
it was only with the greatest difficulty
that a clear space was maintained for
the cars, which skidded around the
curve at express train speed.