Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
AND
MECHANIC ARE
AUTO VICTIMS
RACES AT INDIANAPOLIS MARR-
ED BY TRAGEDY AT CLOSE OF
FIRST DAYS EVENTS; AccI-
DENT CAUSE UNKNOWN.

indianapolis, Aug. 2o.-Ateempts
to lower the worlds track rec
ords for mile and a kilometer
were added attractions at the sec
ond days automobile speed carni-
val The track was in better con-
dition than It was yesterday, as
largo force Of Isborers worked all
night on the rough spots. The
course was oiled all over, accord
ing to instructions issued by the
American Automobile association.
The bodies of William A. Bour-
que and Harry HoIconb, members
Of the Knox racing team, who
were killed in the 250-miie race
yesterday, were taken to Massa-
chusetts today for burial.
indianapolis, Ind, Aug. 20.-Two
lives were lost during the races which
inaugurated the indianapolis motor
speedway yesterday.
William A. Bourque, driver of the
Knox car in the 25O-mile race, and
Harry Holcomb, his mechanician, were
killed in the frerzied carnival of
speed.
Bourque's car lost rear wheel,
crashed into fence, and pinned it's
helpless occupants beneath it within
200 yards Of the grand stand.
Paralyzed with horror, the great
crowd stood in silence while the two
inert bodies were lifted from the
wreckage. Not cheer greeted the
victorious contestants who finished
in the race. and the hush of death
hung over the track until the spec
tators dispersed.
Bourque died in an ambulance on
the way to the speedway emergency
hospital. Holcomb died within a few
minutes after he had reached the
place.
Bonrque had both legs broken and
his skull fractured, and the physicians
say that he was drowned in his own
blood. being unable to breathe on &C
count of the blood pouring down his
throat. Holcomb had three holes in
his skull and both arms broken.
Burman Wins Long Race.
Robert Burman won the 250-mile
race, the feature of the day, and the
contest that cost Bourque and Hol-
comb their lives. The winners time
was 4:38:57 4-10-slow because of the
many accidents that marred the race.
The Stoddard-Dayton (Clements) was
second in 4:46:01 $40 and the Nation
al (Mertz) finished third in
4:52:39 ITO. Another National with
Kincaid at the wheel was the only
other car Of ten starters to finish the
long grind.
Knox in Second Place
The Knox car was in second place,
with Burman In his Buick leading, and
had covered nearly 150 miles when
the crash came. While coming down
the home stretch the car suddenly
sweryed and tore into the fence at the
left Of the track, turning completely
over and pinning the two occupants
beneath it.
Both men we're alive when taken
from under the ill-fated machine, but
Bourque died in the ambulance on the
way to the emergency hospital. Hol-
comb lived a few minutes longer, but
was dead soon after he arrived at the
hospital
Stories as to the cause of the acct
dent vary and no one will ever know
what really caused the car of death TO
swerve from the track. According 10
the story told by Private rank Bran
door, company H, Second regiment,
Indiana national guard, who was near
est to the scene of the accident and
had narrow escape from injury,
something caused both men to sud-
denly turn and look behind. AS they
did the steering wheel slipped from
Bourque's 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 led to the adj
vancement of the theory that the axle
nuts on it had not been properly tight
ened when the machine had taken on
new tire shortly before. The men
probably felt that wheel slipping off,
and after they looked behine the rea-
lized their helplessness to prevent an
accident.
The Races Today.
IN the races today Barney Oldfield
In a Benz car covered mile in 43 1-1O
seconds, but failed to equal his record
Of yesterday by a tenth of a second
Zengel in a Chadwick covered a mile
In 49 4-10; D. E. Palma in Fiat made
1t in 48 86-10
The five mile stripped chassis, 2s1
to 300 cubic piston displacement re-
suited:
Buick, (Strang), first; Buick, (Chev-
rolet), second. Time-4:4S.
Ten miles stripped chassis-Nation-
al (Merz), first; Buick, (Chevrolet), !,
second. Time: 16 3-1O.
Ten miles National, (Aitken) first;
Apperson, GytteD, second. Time 80
9.26 6-10.
Stoddard- Dayton. (Wright), won the
atty mile race Time-59: :23.