New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-20
TWO KILLED BY AUTO
rsT4L ACCIDENT MFRS
BIG RACE.
indianapolis Speed7cay Meet May
Be Stopped by National Body
Which Demands Changes.

TrSfa
- .v.o records broken on the first days racing
hHu M. 1,dianapolis Motor Speedway to-day Will
Rouroue driver Of the Knox in the
90 vile race a famous driver, and Harry Hol-
- his ,,,echanician, were killed in the fren-
"a carnival Of speed. after they had been
,s.,sn by less than a second in shorter race.
rarnev Odfeld. driving high powered Benz.
.asred a mile in 43 l-l0 breaking De Palma's
-s-k Of 0.51. and Louis Chevrolet, in a Buick.
rsrotiated ten miles in the splendid time Of
S564lO. cutting Oldhelds time of 9:12 Both
- these are new American track marks
pobert Burman. in a Buick car. won the 30
nile race the feature Of the day. ard the con-
,ss, which cost BourQue and Holcomb their
lives The winners time was 4:3S:57 40. slow
because OF the many accidents that marred the
-,ce The Stoddard-D Dayton CClementsl was sec
ons in 4:4G0l $40 and the National CMerz)
snisbed third in 1929 7-10. Another National
with Kincaid al the wheel. was the only other
car Of ten starters 10 finish the long grind.
The death of the two men caused the Arneri-
,,r Automobile Association TO issue an ulti-
r,sruun 10 the owners Of the big track that
,sin changes must be made by tomorrow or the
ss,cfion for the races will be withdrawn. The
American Automobile Association demands that
N. track be freed from its many dangerous ruts
vbch are said 10 be unavoidable IN new
,-sck and that every inch OF il be thoroughly
oied and tarred- To-day only short portion in
'front.' Of the graldstand was oiled. and the dust
IN the other parts is blamed for the collapse Of
,vo drivers in the long race-Louis Chevrolet
spd Fred EIis-w-ho were blinded by the dense
White dust that covered the major portion Of
the track.
The Knox car was in second place. with Bur
man in his Buick leading, when the accident oc-
CURED He had covered nearly one hundred and
the homestretch, the car suddenly swerved and
tore into the fence at the left Of the track. turn
ing completely over and pinning its two occu-
rsuts beneath it. Both men were alive when
taken from under the i'll fated machine, but
Bouroue died in the ambulance on the way
tbe emergency hospital Holcomb lived few
minutes longer. but was dead soon after he ar
rived al the hospital
Theories as 20 the cause Of the accident vary,
sss no one VIII ever know what really caused
me car 10 swerve from the track. According 10
me story told by Private Frank Brandoer, OF
Company Il. % Regiment, Indiana National
Guard who was nearest TO the scene of the ac-
cdsnt and had a narrow escape from injury.
suuething caused both men suddenly 10 turn
and lock behind. AS they did so the steering
Vhse slipped from Bourques hands and he
threw ms arms helplessly in the air. Then came
liz crash
REAR WHEEL OF CAR LOST
One q the rear wheels was found few hun
Cred FEET from the scene Of the accident. and
this has led 10 the advancement OF the theory
thar the axle nuts on IL had not been properly
ishiened when the machine had taken on a new
ire shortly before
bonrque was twenty-six years old and lived al
Springfield, Mass. He had been in the employ
q ne Knox company for seven years and had
been racing driver since 1907 He finished sec
ono in the recent Cobe trophy race al Crown
Foirt Ind. Shortly before that he had been
seriously injured when his car overturned in a
MI climbing contest, near Worcester, Mass, in
May He made q good showing IN the Wander
bf Cup race last year being forced out by
gns trouble
hocomb was twenty-five years old and lived
r Grandvilie Mass He had been with the Knox
company for two years and was considered one
q the best mechanicians in the racing business.
soih men were unmarried.
Albert Denison, the racing partner of Bourque.
collapsed after the accident, and the services
Ola physician were required. The sight Of the
tRo men lying dead was too much for the friend
both, who had been called upon so often TO
Ace danger OF death in a similar manner
Louis Chevrolet, the French driver Of the
suick team, led into the hospital almost
hnoeo with the tar and dust from the track
shortly after the two men had died. The
frenchrnsn. who had been leading during the
eSrg part Of the long race. was forced 70 give
up As he gazed upon the bodies Of hts two
'orner rivals OF the track he muttered: Too
'ao TOO bad" and then staggered TO a chair.
90 weak 70 stand both the physical and emo
uohal strain OF the moment.
As the result OF the two deaths. the Knox
"nlpsny has Withdrawn all its entries for the
nsn Two days. and II is said il will probably
never again enter its cars in a
s'rsng was the first 20 come 10 grief in the
w rare, as his car caught fire before he had
'npheteo one lap. Chevrolet dashed into the
'sn al the start and held IL for ffty-two laps.
more than half the race. with the brief ex-
'puon OF the fifteenth and sixteenth laps. when
u ieineuisheo IL 70 his team mate. Burman.
winner Then he was blinded and was led
W me track and his car withdrawn. Miller
s'oooard-Dayton also gave up his losing
'o' about this time
Aier chevrolet's withdrawal Burman again
g. r. INTO the lead. with Bourque second and
"a National. third This order
until the fatal accident 10 the Knox
sn hincaid moved into second place and
49, IN jackson. loomed up as a contender in
Geo., paoe' 10 be put out by a series OF acci-
~ ief ne had held the lead for few laps.
M Nosesi race Of the day came in the five
'ppeo chassis event. won by Burman in
AFTER a fierce struggle with Bourque.
cars tore around the track with wheels
"oching throughout the five miles. The
,,,s margin Of Eine-tenths OF a second sepa-
nourque from victory in the last race
ever finished.