Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-16
NARROW ESCAPE
IN NIGHT RACES
RIDER ESCAPES DEATH BY A
SEEMING MIRACLE
CONTESTANT is THROWN WHILE
GOING AT HIGH SPEED
Mitchell Arises Uninjured After Spill
at Fiesta Park Saucer Track.
Races Under Electric Light
Are Successful

Fiesta park opened last night in full
blast with eight high-class events OF
night racing, consisting of professional
and amateur bicycle and motorcycle
races A large crowd was on hand 10
witness the opening performances, ana
the enthusiasm ran high during the
whole evening.
Lights had been strung all the way
around the track, and although the
saucer could stand a little more lllun-
ination, the racers were distlngulshaple
at all times, and judging from the IN
terest shown by the spectators thls
feature will be success,
The great excitement of the evening
came in the last event on the program,
a dual five-mile motorcycle race pc
tween Mitchell riding two-cylinder
Indian and Agraz on a single-cylinder
machine of the same make. Mitchell
had undertaken the task of tapping
Agraz three times before the finish.
Just as Mitchell had half way rounded
the south curve on the fifth lap, ana
was about fifty yards behind the flying
Agraz, his machine skidded from be-
meath him and both rider and motor
shot to the top of the railing and then
slid to the bottom of the track in a
heap.
The spectators held their breath in
anticipation of seeing the lifelesS body
Oh IuE Ilu6I PlChCd up DUS ~
little rider got up and stumbling hair
way across the field announced to the
judges that he was uninjured. How
ever he was so-dazed that 1t was nee
essary for the judges to jerk him out
of the way Of the flying Agraz, VINO
had circled the track again by this
time.
MitcheI's Narrow Escape
Mitchell's escape from death was
- ,f .xra1O
riding at a better rate than 65 miles
an hour when the accident happened
Mitchell announced that it was no
fault of the track, but gave as reason
for his fall that he rode too high on
the curve and had to turn suddenly
to make the straightaway again. The
nervy little rider stated that he would
be back on the track tonight again and
make a new record At the time of the
accident he had just completed a mile
in 81 seconds and was increasing in
speed.
M. ]. Graves, riding an Indian
against Frank Lodge in the open anna
teur f1ve-mile race, made new track
record for Fiesta park by turning off
the twenty five laps in the fast time Of
four minutes and fifty-one seconds.
He Tapped Lodge early in the race,
but the latter found himself and pre-
vented Graves from duplicating the
performance twice in the same race.
In the professional three-mile han
dicap F'urman, who started at scratch,
came in first in rousing finish, win
ming from Agraz by length, the
latter having a handicap of forty
yards on tn elongated winner. Fur
man made a big hit with the crowd
and was roundly cheered when he
crossed the line a winner.
Agraz Is Big Winner
Agraz was the big bug of the even
ing, annexing to firsts and a second.
Tommy Tompkins, the one time peer
less cyclist, also was out for honors,
but failed to finish in the money in
any of the races he entered.
Berryesa showed his class in the
amateur bicycle races, winning both
the mile and two-mile races, the latter
a handicap, in which he overcame the
lead of Smith and finished a wheels
length in front.
The sport is to be continued tonight
and every night this week. Mitchell
will be seen tonight matched against
Graves or Agraz and an exciting con-
test is looked for.
Results
One mile novice bicycle race-Won by Ray
Amos; time 2;3S:3
Professional three-mile handlcap-Furman,
scratch, won; Agraz. 40 yards. second; Duer,
90 yards, third; Gerber, 200 yards fourth. Time
T:17.
Amateur nve-mile motorcycle. open race
Won by Graves, Lodge second; time 4:51.
Amateur two-mile handicap bicycle race-Won
by j. Berryesa, Smith second, Long third,
Monnier fourth; time 4;4S:3
Five-Inile professional motor race-Won by
Agraz: time 6:19.
Amateur mile bicycle race-Won by Berryesa
time 2:30:2.
Amateur two-mile motor cycle race-Won by
Graves, Bake second time 214:1.
Two-mile professional bicycle race-Won by
Agraz, Furman second, Hoffman third Duer
fourth; time 4:30.