Norwich bulletin., 1909-08-20
Auto Racing Game,
Two Men Killed
DRIVER OF THE KNOX CAR AND
HIS MEcHANIcIAN.
FATAL $50 MILE RACE
Pail Cast Over Crowd of $4,000 Exeit-
ed spectators-stserins Wheel Slip
ped from Drivers Hands.


were lost and two records were broken
during the Inauguration of the Indian
apclis motor speedway today. William
A. Bourque, driver of the Knox car in
the 200 miles race, and Harry Hol-
comb, his mechanician, were killed in
the frenzied carnival of speed
New American Track Records.
Barney O1dfeId, driving a high pow
cred Benz. covered mile in .43 LILO.
breaking DePalma's mark of 81, and
Louis Chevrolet in Buick negotiated
4-10, cutting Oldfield's time of 912
Both these are new American track
records.
ESQ Mile Race Won by Buick Car.
Robert Burman in a Buick car won
the 250 mile race, the feature of the
daJ and the contest which cost
Bourque and Holcomb their lives. The
winners time was 43S.57 4-10-slow
because of the many accidents that
marred the race. The Stoddard Dayton
(Clements) was second in 4.46.O1 $40
anc the National (Merz) finished third
in 4.52.39 7-10. Another National with
other car of ten starters to finish the
long grind.
Dangerous Ruts on Track.
The death of the two men caused the
American Automobile association to
issue an ultimatum to the owners of
the big track that certain changes
must be made by tomorrow or the
sanction for the races will be with
drawn. The association demands that
the track be freed from its many dan
gerous ruts, Which it is contended are
unavoidable in a new track and that
every inch of it must be thoroughly
oiled and tarred Today. only a short
portion in front of the grandstand was
oiled and the dust on the other parts
is blamed for the collapse of the two
drivers in the lenC race-L3uis Thevro-
let and Fred Ellis, who were blinded
by the dense white dust which covered
the major portion of the track.
The Accident.
Two records had been broken and
the first day of racing over the inn
mense track bade fair to be an un-
qualified success when a pail was cast
over the crowd of $4,000 excited spec
tators by the sudden death of Bourque
and Holcomb.
The Knox car was in second place.
with Burman in his Buick leading He
had covered $50 miles when the crash
came. Coming down the home stretch,
the car suddenly swerved and dashed
into the fence at the left of the track,
turning completely over and pinning
its two occupants beneath it, Both
men were alive when taken from un-
der the Inflated machine but Bourque
died in the ambulance on the way to
the emergency hospital. Holcomb
lived a few minutes longer but was
dead soon after he arrived at the hos
pital
Steering Wheel Slipped from Drivers
Theories as to the cause of the ac-
cident vary and no one will ever know
what really caused the car to swerve
from the track. According to Private
Frank Brandoer, Second regiment. In
diana National Guard, who was near
est the scene of the accident and had
a narrow escape from injury. some
thing caused both men to suddenly
turn and look behind. AS they did so
the steering wheel slipped from Bour-
guess hands and he threw his arms
helplessly in the air. Then came the
crash. One of the rear wheels was
found a few hundred feet from the
scene of the accident and this has led
to the theory that the axle nuts on
1t were not properly frightened when
the machine took on now tire shortly
before. The men probably felt the
wheel slipping off and after they look
ed behind realized their helplessness
to prevent an accident.
Albert Denison, the racing partner
of Bourque. collapsed after the acci-
dent and the services of a physician
were required. The sight of the two
men lying dead was too much for the
friend of both, who had been called
upon so often to face danger of death
In a similar manner
Buick Team Driver Blinded with Dust.
Louis Chevrolet. the French driver
of the Buick team. was led into the
hospital almost blinded with the tar
and dust from the track shortly after
the two men died. The Frenchman,
who had been leading during the early
part of the long race, was forced to
give up. AS he gazed upon the bodies
of his two former rivals of the track.
he muttered TOO bad. too bad' and
then staggered to a chair, too weak
to stand both the physical and emo
tional strain of the moment.
Knox Co. Withdraws All Its Entries.
AS the result of the two deaths the
Knox company has withdrawn all its
entries for the next two davs and it is
said it will probably never again en-
ter it's car in a race.
Dead Driver Belonged in Springfield.
Springfield, Mass. Aug 19.-Wilfred
Bourque. killed in indianapolis, was
nearly thirty years old and had been
in the automobile racing game three
years. representing the Knox Automo-
bile company of this city by whom
he was considered one of the most
expert drivers in the country. He was
born in West Farnham. Canada He
came to this city twenty-five years
ago and had ever since made his home
in West Springfield. He was an anna
telur bicycle rider of local note ten or
more years ago He entered the en-
ploy of the Knox company six years
ago as an assembler, later being a
tester. inspector and demonstrator.
Bourque's entry into the racing game
was made as a hill climber and he at
once came to the front as a driver of
note. Knox company officials assert
that he has won more hill climbs than
any other man in the country in the
time he had been racing. He raced
successfully at Richfield Springs. N.
", last week, winning four prizes.
which were presented to him by Vice
President Sherman. Bourque possessed
great physical strength. lie was to
have been married this fall.
Harry Holcomb Bourques mechan-
company for two years. this season
being his first in racing. lie rode
with Bourque in the Crown Point race
this summer in which Bourque fin
ished second to Chevrolet. That
event was Holcomb's first race. He
was married and leaves family in