The Daily Missoulian., 1909-08-22

lIhldIidI IbiiS, aug iiitE 4ti'A
lives were sacrificed today in the
speed carnival which has marked the
opening of the new Indianapolis
motor speedway. one mechanician
and two spectators Were today's death
toll, when a National car, driven by
Charles Merz, in the 300-mile race,
lost a tire and crashed through n
ferce into a group of spectators. TIL"
dead:
CLAUDE KELLUM of Indianapolis,
mechanicfan in the National car.
HOMER JOLLEFFE, Trafalgar,
Ind.
AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN.
Besides the three deaths there were
two serious injuries during the day.
Henry Tapking of Indianapolis suf-
fered Il compound fracture of the
right arm, a broken nose and several
scalp wounds in the wreck of the Ma
tional car. Bruce keenc, driving
Marmon. 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.
After the second accident. the Of
ficials decided to call off the race. Lee
Lynch. in a National, was leading at
the time.
Ralph DePalma. in a Fiat and Still
man. in Marmon. was third. The
race will be declared no contest and
the indianapolis motor speedway
trophy viii be raced for again.
Hardly a Scratch.
Merz miraculously escaped from the
wreck of his car with hardly "A
scratch. He fell under the machine
when il turned a somersaut through
the air and down into a gully near the
side of the track. He seemed in i'm
minent 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
away. The three deaths today raises
the speedway fatalities to seven. Will
liam A. Bourque and his mechanician,
Harry Holcombe, Of the Knox racing
team. were killed in an accident in
the 250-mile race Thursday. Cliff Lit
terrell, "A Stoddard- Dayton machan-
clan, was killed by a big racing ma
chine while on the way out to the
speedway. on Thursday Elmer
Champion. 6-year-old boy. was
killed by the automobile of DR.
Clarke +. Day of this city while the
latter was on his way to the races.
Glory D,mmed.
The meeting, therefore, has closed
in gloom, the glory of broken speed
records being dimmed by the tragic
attendant circumstances. 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 acci-
dent although they knew that one of
the cars had crashed through the
fence. \ few minutes later, Merz
was brought to the officials stand
and mighty shout went up when
it was seen he was safe. II was not
for some time that the majority of
the spectators realized that though
Merz had escaped, others lay dead or
injured.
After Merz finished more than 200
miles and was running fifth in the
race. the tires on the right front
WHICH, AtAlht olA anu tit va h'iN aHas
from the control of the driver
Turns Somersauit.
1t crashed through the fence near
the foot of a bridge across the track
and plunged into crowd there. The
car tore through the group and into
the gully. turning a complete somer-
sault before it reached the ground 10
feet below. Kellum Was thrown into
the water and was bleeding from in
Vulnerable injuries when he was pick
ed up. Great gashes were torn in his
bosom and the blood had begun TO
pour into his lungs and he was nearly
dead. He lived for some time with
out regaining consciousness. The un-
identified man was instantly killed
and toilette died as he was being
lifted into an ambulance. Quick work
by the physicians saved Tapkin's life
and he has a fair chance To recover.
Keilum had not started the first
race in the same car with Merz. He
had been Aitkens mechanician in an
other National. Aitken jumped into
the lead at the start. heading the 10
starters and remained there until a
cylinder head cracked after he had
covered 100 miles in 1;3l:i1 9-10. set
ting a new record for the track and
breaking the one made by Chevrolet
in the 250-mile race Thursday.
keIlum weeps.
Kellum wept like a cid when he
found the car would not be able To
continue the race MerZ's first me-
chanician. Robert Lyme. collapsed in