The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-08-20
Monster Racer, Rushing Is
Miles an Hour, Turns Som
ersault and Plunges Into a
Fence, Ditching Occupants.
; FAMOUS DRIVER DIES
BEFORE HELP ARRIVES
Two Fast Records Are Broken,
Barney 0IdfieId Covering a
Mile in a Little More Than
\43 Seconds
COMPLAINT OVER COURSE

Indianapolis, Ind, Aug. 10.
William Bourque, known the
world over as an automobile
racing driver Of the first rank,
and Harry Holcomb, his me-
chanic, were killed today on
the new Indianapolis speedway
when their monster Knox ra-
Ger, rushing along at the rate
of seventy-tive miles an hour,
dashed into a ditch, turned a
somersault and plunged into
the outer fence.
Bourque was thrown against
a post and terribly mangled,
dying before the automobile
ambulance reached the spot.
Holcomb was thrown high
into the air and over the fence,
landing on his head. He died
at the Emergency hospital.
Twelve thousand persons
witnessed the fatal accident. -.
The accident was of the most horrible
kind imaginable both driver and mech
anician being battered almost beyond
recognition and the car crushed abso-
= lutely to pieces. BOurque had both legs
NbrOken, his skull being fractured
against the post. The physicians stated
that he died from his own blood, being
unable TO breathe on account of blood
pouring down his throat. HOlcomb's
head was fractured i'm three places and
both arms were broken
Just how the car took its mad plunge
Awill never be known, as the only two
men who saw II were killed. The ac-
Cident happened On the fifty-fourtb lap
of the 250-mile race for the Presto
Light trophy which was the feature
event of the first day OF the automO-
bile carnival marking the opening of
the two and a half mile Indianapolis
speedway.
Car Strikes Small Ditch.
With a little more than half the race
completed and with BourQue leading by
a short margin over Burmau and Chev-
rOlet in the Bucks and kincaid in the
National. he came into the stretch with
no other ear in front or behind him
In some manner unknown. as there
were no spectators at that point, he
landed into small ditch. The car
-verved, both front wheels and axle
6 lay and the driver and car We're
sent-into the air toward the outer fence.
When officials and military men ar
Ti~-ed on the scene BOurque was lying
against a post several yards behind the
car which had apparently shot on, and
HOlcOmb was found several yards to
the side over the fence. The mechan-
Sicism could not have been more COM
NpleteIy smashed if it had been smash ed
with a train. Both front wheels were
torn off. being found 100 feet ahead.
Bourque was 20 years old and a resi-
dent Of Springfield Mass. He was one
of the best known drivers in the cOun-
try his latest achievement being his
performance in the CODE trophy race
at Crown Point. when he finished a
close second to Chevrolet. He has been
with the Knox company since 1903 and
was promoted from the testing room to
the racing team in 1908. HOlcOmb was
% years old. hailing from Grandviile,
Mass. He had been mechanic for
BouTQue for a year and aided him in
the CObe event Arrangements were
made tonight by Sales Manager Crane
Of the Knox company to have the
bodies shipped to Springfield for burial
Knox Company Quits Racing.
Bourque had probably more friends
in the automobile game than any one
driver He was uuaSSuming and made
friends wherever he went. His death
cast a gloom over all the star drivers
who are here for the races. The Knox
company has Withdrawn all cars en-
tered here and viii probably withdraw
from the racing game
In the same lap that Bourque made
his fatal plunge. Chevrolet. winner OF
the CODE and driving a Buick, narrow
" escaped death after being blinded
Continued on Page 7.