The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-08-20
Wonderful Speed is Shown
By All the Cars But Every
Race Was Tinged With Elk.
element and Danger.

AhNiahdpOliSi aug. GU W. lives
We're lost and two records broken
during the Inauguration of the In
dianapolis motor speedway yester-
day. William A. Bourque, driver of
the Knox car in the 25O-mile race,
and Harry Holcomb, his mechanician,
were killed In the frenzied carnival
of speed.
The Knox car was in second place,
with Burman In his Buick leading,
and had covered nearly $50 miles
when the crash came. While coming
down the home stretch the car sud-
denly swerved and tore into the
fence at the left of the track, turn
ing completely over and plnning its
two occupants beneath 1t. Both men
were alive when taken from under
the Inflated machine, but Bourque
died in the ambulance on the way
to the Mercy hospital. Holcomb
lived a few minutes longer, but was
dead soon after he arrived at the
hospital.
Stories as to the cause of the acct
dent vary, and no one will ever know
what really caused the car of death
to swerve from the track. Accord
ing to the story told by Private
Frank Brander, Company H, Second
Regiment, Indiana National Guard,
who was nearest to the scene of the
accident and had a narrow escape
from injury, something caused both
men to suddenly turn and look be-
hind. AS they did the steering wheel
slipped from Bourque's hands and he
threw his arms hopelessly in the air.
Then came the crash.
One of the rear wheel was found
few hundred feet from the scene
of the accident, and this has led to
the advancement of the theory that
the axle nuts on It had not been
properly frightened when the ma
chine had taken on a new tire, short
ly before.
The men probably felt that wheel
slipping off, and after they looked
behind they realized their helpless
ness to prevent an accident.
Bourque was &c years old and
lived at Springfield, Mass. He had
been in the employ of the Knox com.
pany for seven years and had been a
racing driver since 1907. He raced
second in the recent Cobe Trophy
race at Crown Point, Ind, and short
ly before he had been seriously in
jured when his car overturned in a
hill climbing contest near Worcester
Mass. in May.
Holcomb was 22 years old and
lived at Granville, Mass. He had
been with the Knox company for two
years and was considered one OF the
best mechanicians in the racing bust
ness. Both were unmarried. Albert
Denison. the racing partner of Bour-
que. collapsed after the accident and
the services of physician were re-
qulred. The sight of the two men
lying dead was too much for the
friends of both, who had been called
upon so often to face death in the
same manner.
Louis Chevrolet. the French driver
VI tue bulck team, WAS leu iHtO VhV
hospital-almost blinded with the
tar and dust from the track-shortly
after the two men had died. The
Frenchman, who had been leading
during the early part of the long
race. was forced to give up. AS he
gazed upon the bodies of his two for
mer rivals of the track, he muttered
TOO bad Too bad" and then stag
gered 10 a chair, too weak to stand
both the physical and emotional
strain of the moment. AS the result
of the two deaths. the Knox company
has withdrawn all its entries for the
next two days. and II is said 1t will
probably never again enter Its car
in a race.