The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-09-07
RACERS FACE TO
FACE WITH DEATH
(From Monday s Advortisey,)

W rum AluHudN AuNcTNlsSF)
Whizziug round the five.lap .to-the.
mile fiat track at tremendous speed,
viii Eldid and Bill Chiffon, on high.
powered motorcycles, raced one of the
most spectacular and dangerous races
ever seen here, at the Athletic Park
last night.
On the last lap of the sixteenth mile,
Chiffon s spark gave out. His machine
Immediately slowed, and Eldid, who
was overtaking him, crashed into the
machine in front so that only n mira Gle
saved both men from being killed.
This happened over by the third base
turn. Immediately the resounding foot
of the explosions of the four cylinders
stopped, the huge crowd present surged
over from the granostand and bleach.
ers and surrounded the two machines.
The police soon bore the crowd back
and then it was found that Chiffon was
sitting calmly in his saddle one foot
on the ground to hold his machine UP,
while the rear wheel was bent almost
| double and the steering bars were
turned at right angles to their proper
| position.
The race itself was spectacular in
/ the extreme. Although the argument
which started the race only came up
on Saturday afternoon and there was
only a small notice in the morning
! paper about the race, the Athletic Park
was crowded to the limit.
In the stanchion sockets that mark
| the track, torches had been set up to
mark the limits of the circuit and the
moving picture machine was turned ON
| like searchlight, sending broad
beam of bright light across the dia.
mond, while the rest of the track was
in darkness, save for the glowworm
twinkle of the torches round the track.
A Tremendous Speed.
The race was supposed to be over
a distance of five miles. The two con.
testants started at opposite side of the
track and it was agreed that, if neither
racer caught up on the other one before
the five miles was completed, it was
to be called draw.
The gun fred and they started Off
at speed that seemed simply incred-
ulous, considering the narrowness of
the turns and the unbanked condition
of the track. Mile after mile was
reeled off in lilo and 1:l2, but neither
rider seemed able to make any advance
on the other.
When the last lap of the fifth mile
was completed, Eldid had gained a few
yards on Chiffon but was still far from
catching him. The bell was rung con-
tinuously to notify them that the race
was over, but there was no such WORD
as "Stop" in their lexicons. They
kept ON going and it seemed as though
they would go ON for ever.
Eldid began to gain noticeably about
In NNNEN Il NJ. \ A
self horse when, at the home plate
turn, Eldid was within ten feet of his
opponent. But Chiffon merely gave his
throttle a twist and began TO open up
the space again.
A Terrible Skid
In the tenth mile, Eldid did an awful
skid at the home run. He clipped one
of the torches and then slid acros:
the track till it seemed that he must
surely knock hole in the grandstand
But he kept ON going as though all
the fends from Hades were after him
In the sixteenth mile, Chiffon IS spark
began to miss, and just before the
final lap of that mile was completed
his engine ceased to explode, his ma.
chine slowed down rapidly. Before
Eldid could cram on the brake he had
crashed into the machine OF his gal.
ant opponent.
A Plucky Exhibition.
What most appealed to spectators
was the innate pluck and daredeviltry
of the thing. Both men were taking
enormous chances, but they stayed by
it and, if gasoline and spark had held
out they would have been racing vet
Eldid is professional motorcycle
and trick bicycle rider. But Chiffon
is not by any means the kind of man
who would impress one as being capa.
BILE of such daring. He is a barber
and is more than trife corpulent.
Not satisfied with risking their lives
one time, these two riders have de.
termined to ride the race over again
tonight. They will go fifteen miles and
the rider who has clear lead over the
other at the end of that distance will
be declared the winner. Judges will
be selected this morning and announce.
ment of the selections made at the
baseball games at the Athletic Park
his afternoon.