The San Francisco call., 1909-03-29
DRIVERS SHOW lHE
TERRIBLE STRAIN
Auto Racing Face Indicates
Anxiety of Men Guiding
Automobiles
Spectators at Hill Climb Inn
pressed With Power OF
Competing Machines

Looking at the automobiles from
seohnioal point OF view as they went
racing I'D Nineteenth avenue hin yes
1erday. one had to stop and ponder over
the great power OF these machines.
Never before in the history OF the mo-
tor cars had san Franciscans viewed
such a. spectacle. From tile finishing
line as the judges would announce the
car coming. one could see a speck a
mile away darting along the road.
AS the seconds passed the speck
grew larger resembling d swaying
ball Then IT grew still larger. growing
in size with d rapidity that made one
wonder. With a roar. accompanied by
e sound like the rattle OF musketry,
the huge mass Of steel shot by at
speed faster than the average express
train. Ii was study to watch the
faces Of the drivers as they ciung TO
the wheels, for at times when they
struck bad pieces Of the road they
would be thrown OF the seat It was
an expression that must be called the
auto racing face. Every line told the
terrible strain that the drivers were
under.
Promptly at / o'clock William R.
Johnston. the starter. announced over
the telephone TO the judges at the fin
lshing lire that the hrst car was at the
line, and the next second word was
given that they were of The warning
cry was at once taken up Of scar COM
ing" and all eyes were focused down
The hill There a little white speck
was seen speeding its way up the HILL
Nearer and nearer Il came until il
could be discerncd that 1t was a White
streak" Buick setting the pace. The
,ar had hardly started when the judges
! telephoned TO stop the ear and send it
back. as there had been d false start
+ II seems that in the excitement OF the
,ars getting away one of the officials
fixing the cord for the next car to
start had pulled it too hard and
stopped the watch. This was the only
lime during the day that a car had TO
o. recalled. except when the White
started in the free for all. when some
3ne caught hold Of the string after
The steamer had started and pulled il
three times This stopped the watch,
reset Il and started ii again. But the
thing was seen in time so that the
White was recalled.
In the frst event. which was for
stock cars costing $1,000 or less. the
mile hill in 1924 4-5. Frank Murray
was at the wheel The Mitchell with
A. E. Hunter driving. made second best
time. in 1875. and The Auburn. with
Eordan Murray at the wheel came in
.hird in 200 2-5
The next contest was delayed to
await the arrival OF late comers in the
automobiles who We're held up back of
the starting line The second event
was the one the spectators were most
interested in. il being the match race
between the White steamer and the
standardization. When the steamer
left the starting line there was a cloud
Of steam that could be seen a mile
away, and about the same time the
whistling Of the engine could be hear
Il was q killing pace that it made up
The hill. and with a howl it plunged
Dver the finishing line in the fastest
time Of the day covering the mile in
I:122-5.
The third event was for cars costing
more tn IA $500 and less than $4,000.
The Thomas Forty. driven by Ivan L.