Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-27
FOUR HUNDRED Alo TWO GILES
Hemery, in a German Flyer, Takes
Second Place-Winner's Average
Speed 65.5 Miles an hour-Audi-
cree Has Period Of Anxiety Be-
cause Of Doubt at Finish.
nv Associated PresS).

power or SIX score or ltallan n, rScS.
crashing and roaring in the cylinders
Of a Fiat car. sent plunging through
changing fog and sunshine over i"2
miles of lilac oiled roadways by the
experienced hands OF Louis Wagner,
today wtn the most spectacular. tn"
longest and the fastest international
artonDbik, race ever held in this
country.
Fate played game CT hide and
seek with three grim and grimy
hooded figures that sat behind hlg
steering wheels and throttles and
fought with skill and daring for an
advantage of seconds at the finish
of the more than six hours of driving
for the honor OF a trophy cup and
purse of gold.
Three Chung Together.
The three drivers. who chung to-
gether from the very start were
shuff1ed about like so many cards.
For a time there was a fourth
figure in the leading column until a
caprice Of fortune sent one pitching
from the road. Out of the mass OF
wreckage Fritz Erie, who had been
driving the German benz No. 10, was
taken with a broken nose and
broken jaw.
It was not until the last minute
Of the last lap that the tide of VIC
tory turned TO Wagner.
Navarro, the wonderful Italian
driver, holder Of the worlds record
and winner of countless contests, who
had chung tenaciously to narrow
margin CT lead for more than a hum
bred miles. hesitated long enough at
the supply pits to change weaken
ing tire and lost. The treacherous
rubber tubing burst as he was about
to enter the home stretch and the
three minutes Of delay sent the grant
prix winner OF last year and his FIAT
No. 6 from first to third position.
German Was Second.
Hemery in a German Benz No. 8,
took second hOnOrS.
II was not until the Official time
was announced that the actual WIN
ner was known, that Wagner mad
hurled himself to victory by the slen-
der margin of IS seconds.
Hemery was the first to finish the
sixteen laps Ct the race and enthn'-
astic thousands hailed him as WIN
ner without heed of the six minutes
grace which Wagner held. Hcmery IS
ing sent away at the start at ?:'2
and Wagner not getting the word TO
go until 9:3S.
The minutes of waiting after Hem
ery had driven the big RenZ car over
the finish line seemed like hours 10
the adhcrents Of the missing car ana
like fractional seconds to the men
who had already made the journey.
Al on Edge.
II was jus; as the fifth OF the ny
ling minutes was ticking itself away
blast Of bugics and the waving Oh
red watchmen's flags set up the roar
NJ car coming" from the most wildly
excited throng OF spectators ever
gathered at a racing course.
Eycs were strained 10 tho @rctch
not half a mile away around which
The coming car would fash into view
A. last il came and il was rcd.
Cry Of 'Wagner."
wagner. Wagner. Wagner" cried
the crowd. and pitching down tn
straight away. the red car tore TOT
the fa;cfsl line.
The big white number 10 Sfo~inc
from the radiator and froEl the size
Of the hood.
Wagner drove a remarkably steady
race.
He stopped several times for SUP
plics and once seemed TO be in SOFT
Gus trouble right in front az inc
grandstand.
Something was wrong beneath inc
car and down under the maze OF
cranks and wheels the mcchanic'an
plunged. In a fifty ne vas through
Wagner meantime had been pour
ing RssoIinc into one tank with his
rich, hand and Iubricating oil into
another With his left II vas THIS
DELAY that took Wagner from the lead
In u Of the Is laps and gave II 70