Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-22
Two Spectators and Mechanician
Kellom Are Killed.
ONE NAN IS FATALLY HURT
Marmon Machine Runs Into Fence
and Race is Called Off.
RESULTS OF EARLIER CONTESTS
Kincaid, In a National Car, Wins
Ftfteen-Milc Handicap - Old
field wins Tvventy-Five-
Mile Race.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Aug 2l.-Three
more lives were sacrificed today in the
speed carnival, which has marked the OPP
ening Of the New Indianapolis motor speed
way One mechanician and two spectators
were today's death roll when a National
car driven by Charles MerE, in the three
hundred mile race. lost a tire and crashed
through a fence into a group OF spectators.
The dead are:
CLAUD KELLUM OF Indianapolis, me-
chanician in the National car.
ORA JOLLEFFE, Trafalgar, Ind.
AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN.
Besides the three deaths, there were two
serious injuries during the day. Henry
Tapking of Indianapolis, was injured in
the wreck Of the National car. He has
compound fracture of the right arm.
broken nose and several scalp wounds.
Bruce Keene, the driver of Marmon car
in the same race, crashed into a post
shortly after the wreck of the National
car, and was badly cut about the neck and
head. James Schiller, the mechanician
with Keene, suffered a slight fracture of
the skull, but the physicians say he is
in no danger
Rnce IL Called Off.
After the second accident, the officials
car a Jackson with Lee Lynch at the
wheel, had then covered 235 miles. Ralph
De Palma in a Fiat, was second and Still
man. in Marmon, was third The race
will be declared no contest and the Indian
apolis speedway trophy will be raced for
| again.
! Merz miraculously escaped from the
wreck of his car with hardly a scratch.
He fell under the machine when it turned
sommersault through the air and down
| into a gully near the side of the track.
He seemed in imminent danger OF being
burned to death. but managed to shut off
the engine and thus save himself. Kel-
lum was hurled out OF the car and landed
in the gully some distance Eygay.
Total Death List seven.
The three deaths today raises the speed
way fatalities to seven. william A. Bou-
| que and his mechaniCian. Harry Holcomb
of the Knox racing team were killed IN
an accident in the 25O-mile race Thursday.
| Cliff Literal. Stoddard- Dayton Mechani-
| clan, was killed by being hit by big rae
ing machine while on the way out to the
| speedway. On Thursday, Elmer Champion,
a 6-year-old boy was killed by the Auto
mobile of DIR. Clark f. Day of this city
while the latter his way to the
| speedway for the first days races.
The meeting that was expected to be one
of the most brilliant in the history of au-
tomobile racing has closed in gloom, the
glory OF broken speed records being dim
med by the tragic attendant circumstances.
How Accident Occurred.
The fatal accident today occurred on the
south turn Of the immense ellipse and
near the open stands that contained more
than 5000 people, The thousands in the
grandstand did not see the accident al
though they knew that one OF the cars had
crashed through the fence and had gone
off the track. A few minutes later Merz
was brought to the officials stand and
a mighty shout of Joy went up when II
was seen he was safe 1t was not for
some time that the majority of the spec
tators realized that though Merz had es-
capped others lay dead or injured. After
Merz finished more than 200 miles and was
running fifth in the race, the tire on the
right front wheel came off and the car
tore away from the control of the driver
II crashed through the fence near the foot
of a bridge across the track and plunged
into a crowd there. The car tore through
the group and into the gully, turning &
complete somersault before It reached the
ground about ten feet below. Kellum was
thrown into the water and was bleeding
from innumerable injuries when he wal
picked up. Great gashes were torn in his
abdomen and head. The blood had begur
to pour into his lungs and he was nearly
dead when picked up. He lived for som,
time without regaining consciousness.
The unidentified man was instantl,
killed and toilette died as he was beinl
lifted into an ambulance. At first IL wa
thought Tapking would die before he coult
2 be taken TO the emergency hospital [,
, be operated upon, but quick work by tn
physicians saved his life, and il is be
lieved he has fair chance to recover.
Kellum had not started the race in tn
LCnntinuaa On sannnA r,n.aA