The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-20
FATAL TO TWO.
Big Race at Indianapolis Speed
way Full of Accidents.
BOurke and HOIc0mbe Crushed
Under Their Car.
CHEVROLET BLINDED
And Compelled by Dust to Quit
the Track.
Strang's Car Caught Fire on
the First Lap.
CHEVROLET BLINDED

Indianapolis, Aug. 20.-Two lives were
lost at the opening of the new Indian
apolis motor speedway. william A.
Bourque. driver of the Knox car in the
$50 mile race. and Harry Holcomb. his
mechanician, were killed by crashing
into fence.
Robert Burman, driving a Buick,
won the $50 mile race, the feature OF
the day. 1t was this contest that cost
Bourque and Holcomb their lives. The
winners time was 4:sS:57 4-1o-slow be-
cause of the many accidents that mar
red the race. The standardization
(Clements) was second, in 4:46:01 $40,
and the National (Merz) finished third
in 4:52:39 ITO. Another National was
the only other car of ten starters t"
finish. The death of the two meE
caused the American association to Is
sue an ultimatum to the owners OF the
track that certain changes must DC
made or sanction for the remaining
events will be withdrawn
The American Automobile assocla-
ton demanded that the track be freed
from the many dangerous ruts anu
that every inch of it be thoroughly
oiled and tarred. Only a short portion
in front of the grandstand was oiled
and the dust on the other parts Is
blamed for the collapse OF two drivers
Fred Ellis-who were blinded by the
dense white mist that covered the
major portion of the track.
The Fatal Accident.
The Knox car was in second place,
with Burman in his Buick leading, and
had covered nearly $50 miles when the
crash came. While coming down the
home stretch the car suddenly SWerved
and tore into the fence at the left Of
the track, turning completely over ara
pinning its two occupants Deneatn II.
Both men were alive when taken trorn
under the wreck, but BourQue died IN
the ambulance on the way to the
emergency hospital. Holcomb DIED
few minutes after he arrived at the
hospital.
Stories as to the cause of the acct
dent vary. According to one story,
something caused both men to sud :
denly turn and look behind. AS the5
did so the steering wheel slipped from
Bouroue's hand 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 LED to the advance
ment of the theory that the axle nuts
had not been properly frightened wncn
the machine had taken on a. new tire
shortly before. TheTnen probably felt
that wheel slipping off and after they
looked behind they realized their help
lessness to prevent an accident.
Bourque was 26 years old and lived at
Springfield, Mass. He had been rae
ing driver since 1907. He finished sec
ond in the recent Cobe trophy race at
Crown Point, Ind, and shortly before
he had been seriously injured when his
car overturned in a hill climbing con-
test near Worcester, Mass, in May.
Holcomb was % years old and lived
AZ Grandville Mass. He was consider :
ed one of the best mechanicians in tn :.
racing business. Both men were un-
married.
Chevrolet Compelled to Quit.
Albert Denison. the racing partner
of Bourque, collapsed after the acct
were required. The sight of the men
lying dead was too much for the
friend of both, who has been called
upon so often to face death in the
same manner.
Louis Chevrolet, the French driver
of the Buick, was led into the hos
blinded with the tar
and dust from the track-sh ortly af-
ter the two men had died.
The Frenchman, who had been
long race, was forced to give up. He
gazed for a moment upon the bodies
of his two former rivals of the track,
then overcome by emotion, staggered
to chair.
Knox company has withdrawn all its
entries for the next two days and it Is
said it will probably never again enter
its cars In race.
The 25O-mile race teemed with dra-
matte incidents and disappointments.
The following cars started in the con-
test: Knox (Bourque), National (Kin-
caid). National (Morse), Stoddard-
Dayton (Miller), Buick SBurman),
Buick (Strang), Buick (Chrevrolet),
jackson (Ellis). and Stoddard-Day-
ron (ClementSl. ~
Strang was the first man to come to
grief, as his car caught nre before he
had completed one lap. The fire so
injured his machine that he dropped
out after making a brief effort to re-
gain his lost ground. Chevrolet DASH
ed into the lead at the start and held
it for So laps, or more than half the
race, with the brief exception Of the
fifteenth and sixteenth laps, when he
it to his teammate, Bur-
man. the winner. When he was blind
ed by dust he was led from the track
and his car withdrawn. Miller and
also gave up his los
Ing race about this time
After Chevrolet had withdrawn
Burman again went to the lead, with
BourQue second and Kincaid In Ma
until the fatal accident to the Knox. |
tincaid then moved into second place |
and Ellis in a Jackson doomed as a |
contender in third place. Burman led
until the SIND lap. When the 2o5
miles had been covered ne dropped |
back to second. while Ellis. who had |
passed Kincaid. took the lead, with |
Burman second and Clements in a |
third.
Then the Jackson began to en- |
counter a string OF mishaps that fin |
ally put it out of the race. Finally |
Ellis fell from his seat in a dead faint |
and was carried to the hospital.
With the Jackson out of commits |
zion, Burman was able to regain his ]
cad with Clements second and Kin /
laid third. This order continued I'M |
III the finish.
Members of Lincoln Circle are re-