New-York tribune., 1909-01-17
Tbousands Upon Thousands Turn Out to See
High Powered Motor Cars AnnihHate Speed
FASCINATION OF THE FLYING MACHINE.
Exhibitions and Daring Emphasized in Automobile
Racing Draw Crorpds That Reck Not for Sleep,
FTnery the Comforts of Home

The shutter and crackle and roar Of the high
,,vered motor car, with its dust-covered ana
bseoreled driver and mechanic, detying death
snd aunihiating time and space as they ny
over the level stretches and skid around curves
ba6 q tremendous fascination for every per-
son with drop Of red blood in his veins
Strange as It may seem, there IS something IN
,ays competition Of the finest type Of machinery
which enthralls the sport loving populace even
more than game of baseball. horse race or
contest in the ait. In this age the world
r,nts TO see exhibitions Of skill and daring. and
m. racing driver furnishes more OF them than
cry other contestant.
Thirty thousand persons at baseDah game
is considered close TO q record crowd. Sixty
,boussnd. 5000 and even 10000 wildly excited
fDertators have thronged the course at the Dig
automobile races. stop ana think what TINS
means. If every man, woman and chhd were
Transported from the city Of Albany ana placeu
along tie course Of the flying cars they wouio
not make up as large q crowd as those oIIen
seen at these speed contests. The giant sldoi~il
where the Olympic games were held at Lohooii
would be entirely unable TO hold TINS nlgnly
throng. Grandstands five times the size u
those at the Polo Grounds would be heeueu-
The roar OF the racing car has lured three anu
e half times as many persons as ever nileo 'he
stands and swarued over the lawns OF the beau
tiful sheepshead Bay racetrack at the running
Of the classic FutuTity.
For various reasons i has been found neces-
a-y IN this part OF the country to hoid INC
great motor car races for the NandeTnit Cup
and the BriarcliT Trophy in the early noriliils'
or lust as the sun rises. As every one ol 'i''
Thousands who ever attended one OF these lHi M
ing contests well knows the courses are iaI re-
moved from the centres OF population one VI
them being twenty-five miles out on Long ls'-
and while the other Is far up in Wes'She7Iei
County To the vast majority the trip 10 these
courses is attended with unusual haroships' ou'
no obstacle IS too great to be surmounleo os
une who feels the magnetic attraction e1er'e"
By those roaring pieces Of mechanism win al
most human Intelligence.
Hours before daylight the pilgrimage '""aio
the Long Island mecca OF motor racing oes"H
on the dag Of the last Vanderbilt cup coh'e''
Al $50 O'Clock on an October morning d ioiie
train. one Of many pulled out Of Brooklyn WIN
every seat occupied by men and women aiiN
even children. Hlcksters moved through t
train peddling souvenirs Of the race pro-
srammes. peanuts. popcorn and sano"icles
Though the crowd had left its bed long oeIore
ne usual hour every one was in good huihof
and was always ready TO make room FOR one
more when the train stopped at station after
station along the route to pick up throng a1'er
hrong. until the aisles We're packed TO the last
'nch- Three-quarters Of the away out the trains
came 20 halt and the brakemen shouted: An
nut" Then there was a wild scramble out into
ne night and a drizzling rain.
Without a murunur of protest three thousand
Persons for a cold IDc-
ooer rain until another train arrived to take
1sn over the second stage OF the Journey.
sTery one for himself, and the divil take the
ahoermost" was the sentiment during the rush
oTsr car tracks and into the next train. but no
sae was hurt. and the only things that suffered
'ee few feathers on women's hats and
aupe OF hundred cigars which couldn't stand
as strain.
"6uy this train also slowed down ana
s9pfec And then there was a scene which
'ss than repaid for the gaslight breakfast, the
s~ q tedious trip. the tosting throng and the
nng rain. The train had stopped in the
:. u0'e OF broad plain. across which hundreds
a.. .lo'or cars with their powerful searchlights
,-''s IKE SO many f1refies- In the distance
a., Oe seen the immense grandstand, brightly
a. ,..Ahstec- much resembling Luna Park with
.n.. 0usanos Of lights at night. AS the racing
n. h.~sests, who did not own cars themselves
ere Just as ready to answer the call, moved
ssns across the wet plain. unmindful of the
bp,.' lo ram on every side could be heard the
srens. '''e pOotihg horns ana the shr1H
ssr~ zane the dash for advantageous places
s.~ hs cement course. over which the racers
ssoy speeding on the way to the grand