The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-01

Up to the time that an accident in .he ninth and last event in the Sport Hill automobile climbing contest yes- terday cast the pail of calamity over the event and ended the record breaking. no finer motor car sports were ever held in this country. Au- tomobilists> who have attended sini- lar events were loud in their praise of the splendid management of the climb, the prompt announcement of the time made and of the able manner in which the one mile course in Easton, was kept clear.
 When J. H. Webb, the daring Yale man. and cousin of the Vanderbilts swept up the steep one mile hill in his 120 horsepower Panhard in 1:09 3-5 breaking all previous records Of the track there was a tumultuous ap- plause from the gay holiday crowd that came out to the course in the early morning of the most beautiful May day this section Of the country has seen in many years In the park ing spaces there were upward of 800 more in rubber tired rolling stock. Those who came behind horses tied them in the rear of the farm houses an5 sheepishly mingled with the thou sands, of pedestrians who lined the course, for the iron horse was king.
 Webb's Panhard car rode beautiful ly and despite the tremendous speed it was travelling at stuck to the road as though it was running in a groove. There was no evidence of the swerving which made the bystand- ers' hearts leap to his throat when many of the other cars came skim ming along toward the finishing line at the top of the hill.
 While the records in each of the nine classes were smashed with the excep- ton of the first event the best time and record of 1:17 made by Al Poole in a big ISotta car last year was smash ed to smithereens seven times, and the best of it all was that the time made with a big foreign car last year was broken six times by cars built in Yankeeland. The Panhard with its great power in excess of all other con- testing flyers was regarded by many as freak entry. In taking into consideration that the course had been banked in places and was in better condition fer speed than a year ago. it must also be considered that the course was longer this year in order that 1t might make flat mile. The ay- craze grade of the mile long hill, from the top of which Long Island can be seen, is twelve per cent. although there are many points where it is much sleeper
 The first event for 1850 and under gasolene cars was a tame event and a good woman driver could have won
 Go1dschwait won it with a Maxwell in 2:19 2-5. This was the event where last years record was not equalled, a Maxwell establishing the class record in POS 2-5 in 1908.
 Burman, who showed great class a driver, won event No. for gaso- line cars, s851 to s1,250 With an IS horsepower Buick he lowered the rec ord of 1:43 4-5 made with an Over land last year to 1:30 fiat.
 Maybe venerable Dr. G. M. Ham mond of New York was not going some when he broke the record in Class (gasohne cars s1,251 to $2,OO0). The record made by a Jackson last year was 1:39 4-5. The doctors time was 1:37. The physician is suffering from an ailment which prevents him from having the full use of his arms but his performance of yesterday showed that he was there with the ability to handle his Buick But Bur man, a professional driver with a Buick '30'' won the event in 1:201-5
 Lorimer, driving Chalmers-Detroit. won the event for touring cars (s2,0O0 to $3,000) in 1:20 2-4 after skidding at the start. Last year a riley won the event in 1:54 2-5. Everyone thought Cameron had the record of the course when he went up the hill in a ChaI- mere7Detroit "40'' in 1:16 2-5. Four