The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-07-21

A GROUP
II o you remember who it was who
made the American people sit up
and take notice that the automo-
bile was no longer g dream but real
ity? Probably you don't, although
there was a good deal of talk about 1t
at the time. That goes to show how
recent is the ancient history Of the mo-
tor car.
You have only to turn back fourteen
short years to find the first automobile
race in America. The man who made it
possible and successful was Hermann
II. KOhIsaat, the Chicago newspaper
owner and capitalist. That was IN the
''git-a-horse" era of the "horseless car
riage"-they called them motorcycles
then.
Not only the public but many in
ventOTs themselves laughed at the new
vehicle in 1895 But Mr. Kohlsaat didn't.
With an excellent nose for news he
planned the Chicago Times-Herald road
race from Jackson Park. Chicago, 20
Evanston and back for a prize OF FIVE
hundred dollars. Today the story of
that first race makes pretty funny
Teading-COmpared TO the Vanderbilt
Cup and the Savannah Grand Prize.
But in 1895 it wasn't so funny, after ALL
as 1t was heroic. It was one Of those
interesting bits of pioneering Ike Full
tons Clermont, one Of those milesJones
that mark the worlds progress.
Any Number
Of Contrasts.
There are any number Of picturesque
contrasts with the present to be found
i'm this first race. But none is more
striking than the time There wasn't
any nerve-racking, feveTish excitement
about IL then. The cars didn't cleaVe
the atmosphere like projectiles. and no
body would have developed the typical
automobile face from the speed of those
days. If autos had stopped with that
speed, no laws would ever have been
broken, no constables would ever have
enriched themselves with fines Of Sun
Gay tourists. For 1t took the winner, J.
f. Duryea, exactly ten hours and TWEEN
ty-thTee minutes to make the fifty-four
miles covered-an average speed of
about five and a quarter miles an hour.
Contrast that with Robertson's record
of 64.3 miles an hour oyer 25S miles in
the Vanderbilt Cup Race, last year.
which was broken later by Wagner in
the Savannah Grand Prize with an
average OF Col miles.
or take the great race for the Italian
FloTio Cup with It's winning average
of 74.3 miles.
Any of these racers could have COW
n Al
fifty minues and not have Dragged about
il; Oldheld has done t1fty-tour miles IN
less time than that Today, racer
would throw forty fits over a couple of
minutes lost with a refractory carbu-
reter, but ia the first race they calmly
lost I'VE or ten minutes on so simple
a thing as taking On d few gallons Of
gasolene.
Glad to Take
The Curves At All.
No self-respecting racer would now
adays think Of taking a curve other
than on TWO wheels: then they were
pretty glac to take I. turn az all.
Six cars oeg pardon. motorcycles
entered the race, 10 say nothing Of
those that broke down getting from
home to the starting point. They were:
Duryea Motor Wagon Co., OF Spring
field. Mass, a Benz motor. entered by
the De La Vergne Retrigerating Co.
of New York; Morris & Salem, of Phiia-
delphis, II. Mueller & Co., Decatur,
and Sturges Electric Motorcycle. Chi
cago. All were propelled BY gasolene
except the Morris & Salem and the
Sturges. which were electric.
Hundreds
Waited Patiently.
Tremendous interest was taken in the
race" said one of the reporters-per-
haps as many as 5000 people saw H.
Last year, some hundreds or thou
sands crowded the Vanderbilt Cup
course so that only the winner and the
second car were even able 10 finish
Hundreds waited patiently along
the course on that Thanksgiving Day,
November 20. 1895.
II had showed the night before. and
believers and tmbelisvers alike came
10 the race Ia dEshing cutters AMI
rigs. As matter OF fact, the racers
were followed D. uInp1res with teams of
horses that were relaysd. and often
beat the racers.
Ready" shouted one Of the Judges at
S.55 a. m. Co"
The only mH0nine that went was the
Duryea, with Mr. Duryea himself drIv-
ing IT, This wac the first of. A few
seconds later the Benz rolled away, fol-
lowed sedaIeIy By the Macy, and so on
in a lsisuIoly manner until the Mueller
started at 1O:08-only an hour and eleven
minuts late. Yet the Mueller came ia
second There wasn't any third. The
other uachi pes didn't finish
They had scarcely got started toward
Michigan avenue when the wheels Of the
Benz began 10 whir around without
budginK the machine an inch That was
on account of the light snow. So they
decided to quit at the start Like rhe
little Indians In the nursery rhyme.
Then there were five
Meanwhile the judges took a street
car. and thus got ahead Of the racers;
in fact they watched them pass the
Leland Hotel ANY good Marathon run
ner could have done the same
Smashes Into
A Horse Car In Street.
Tho Macy machine, which vas lead
Ing. pretty nearly got put out Of the
business at this point. II was being
paced by an Adams street horse-cHr;
that is, IL had taken the rails behind
tha car. But when the horse-car stop
| CONCERT RY THF C0I 0IFRS