Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-04
NOTED MOTORCYCLIST
IS SERIOUSLY INJURED
GEORGE KREAMER THROWN ON
NEW SAUCER TRACK
Left Leg Fractured and Knee Split
Open-Surgeons Believe He Will
Not Regain Free Use
of Limb

George Kreamer, one of the best
known motorcycle riders in America,
who arrived here recently from the east
to take part in the opening races of
the new saucer track at Sixty-third
and Main streets, was seriously in
jured at the track late yesterday after
noon by being thrown from machine
he was trying out.
Kreamer was testing a new N. 5. U.
motor and at the same time trying the
track. The machine had been adjusted
and tuned and he was advised to
leave it, as it needed oiling with every
round of the saucer.
After the first round Kreamer
reached for the oil plug, and, not be-
ing able to get at it, turned to the
other side and started to shut off the
compression in order to reduce the
speed of the motor.
At this iuncture his wheel was appar-
emily Just passing from the highly
banked curve at the end of the track
into the fatter stretch of straightaway,
which caused his position to veer con-
siderably in order to strike new equi-
librium. With his one hand thus en-
gagged in working the oil pumps, and
with but one hand on the handle-bars'
the machine evidently started on diff
ferent tangent than it should have done
in following the straightaway In
quickly trying to head the machine in
the proper direction it is probable that
Kraemer turned his handle-bars too
suddenly, causing the machine to wob-
BILE and finally to go out from under
him entirely.
What happened no one who was even
watching the accident could describe
accurately. Kraemer was travelling at
a clip of about a mile in 90 seconds at
the time, or about ninety-five feet a
second. All that the eyewitnesses did
see was a hihht of machine and rider
toward the bottom OF the saucer at a
terrific speed. A deep scar in the board
surface shows where one pedal gouged
it's way on its downward course, but II
is doubtful whether machine or rider
again struck the surface of the track
until the bottom was reached. krac-
mer had instinctively pulled himself a.
closely together as possible, and WheN
he struck the bottom he ploWed through
q nile of dirt which had been throwt
I'm during the course of some eXcaVa-
ton work, and passed on over patch
of rough ground which had been ploweo
un and later hardened He was hurled
forty or fifty feet before finally coming
to a stop.
The machine meanwhile went
through a series of gyrations which
would have been ludicrous had it not
been for the serious injuries that mad
befallen Kraemer Striking the same
pile of dirt at the foot of the saucer
that Kraemer had struck, the machine
bounded into the air and turned a COM
plete somersault, the hind wheel going
over. and in allghting the machine
struck souarely on both wheels again.
Kraemer had not succeeded in shutting
off the engins, and for about five sec
onds the motorcycle went through a
lone pantomime not unlike a rooster
kicking out its life after its head has
been ruthlessly severed from its neck
with q hatchet. Running for few
feet on both wheels, the hind wheel
would again jump into the air as a
result of the great driving force direct
ed against that wheel by the powerful
recina, engine with which the machine
Is equipped. Given this motion, the
hind wheel would continue on its circle
OF the arc, compelling the machine to
describe another complete somersault,
and to again alight squarely on both
wheels. And again the machine would
go through the same performance, run
ming a few feet and turning another
somersault, until it had cavorted
around a patch of ground measuring
about 200 feet.
No one dared go near the machine
so long as it continued its antics, and
indeed it was a second or two before
anyone noticed the machine the horri-
fled spectators rushing to the rescue or
Kraemer. Finally the machine fell
upon it's side, where it puffed ana
snorted like an enraged animal, but its
power was soon shut off. Strange as 1t
may seem, after the severe fall and the
pounding of the machine, so little dam