Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-26
Two Deaths and Two Records
Broken Inaugurating New
Motor Speedway.
MILE DRIVEN IN .&1-1O
barney OldGcld Did II while Chcyro-
let Cut Formers 1O-NIilc Record
to S:o0 4-1O-Duicl8 Chr Won
the 25O-Miic Race in which
Accident Occurred.

wrrc lost and two records broke, dur
Ing the Inauguration Of the INDIANAPOLIS
| motor speedway to-day William A
| Eourque. driver OF the Knox car in the
| 20 milo race, and Harry IInlcor,b. hts
| mechnnician. were killed in the frenz,ed
carnival OF speed.
Barney Oldfeld, driving a high power
ed Benz car. covered a mile IN :is Lilo
breaking De Palma's mark of Isl. aud
| Louis Chevrolet In Buick negotiated
10 miles in the marvellous time Of $50 4
10, cutting Oldields time Of e1o. Both
| of these are new American track
| marks.
| Robert Burman In n Buick chr wor
| tho 250-nlile race. the feature OF the day
and the contest which cost Bouruue and
Holcomb their lives. The winners time
was 4.3s:57 4-lo. slow because OF the
many accidents that married the race
| The Stoddard- Dayton elements, was
second In 4:+601 $40 and the National
! tMerz) finished third IN 1929 40. An
other National with Kincaid at tho
wheel was the only other car of ten
starters TO finish the long grind
| The death Of the two men caused the
American Automobile association to is
sue an ultiratum to the owners of the
| Dig truck tnat the Track he freed from
It's many dangerous ruts and that every
/ Inch OF It be thoroughly oiled and tarred
tomorrow or the associations sanction
Of the races will be withdrawn.
CAR TORE THROUGH FENCE.
| Two records had been broken and the
/ first day Of racing over the immense
track bade fair to be an unqualified sue
cess when pail was cast over the crowd
of 1900 excited spectators by the
/ Bourque and Holcomb accident.
! The Knox car was in second place
with Burnham In his Buick leading. lie
! had covered nearly 80 miles when the
| crash came. Coming down the home
stretch the car suddenly swerved and
tore into the fence at the left of the
track turning completely over and pin
ming its two occupants beneath It, Both
men were alive when taken from under
the Inflated machine but Bourque died in
the ambulance on the way to the Elmer
gency hospital. Irolcomb lived few
minutes longer but was dead soon after
arriving at the hospital.
Theories ms to the cause OF the acct
dent vary and no one will ever know
what really caused the car to swerve
| from the track According to witness
Of the accident something caused both
men IN suddenly turn and look behind
| As they did so the steering wheel slipped
! from Rourque'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 has led TO the
/ belief that the axle nuts had not been
| properly frightened
! RACING PARTNER COLLAPSED.
Albert Denson, the racing partner Of
Bourque collapsed after the accident and
the services Of a physician were re-
quired.
Louis Chevrolet. the French driver Of
the Buick team was led into the hospital
! almost blinded with the tar and dust
from the track shortly after the two men
had died. Tho Frcnchman who had boon
leading during tho early part OF tho long
race. was forced to give M.
| As the result OF tho two deaths the
Knox company has withdrawn all its
entries FOR the next two days and 1t Is
said It will probably never again enter
its cars In a race
| Aside from the deaths. the 25o-mile ra CO
tocmed with dramatic incidents and dis
| appointments. The following cars start
ed;
Knox. CBourquc): National. (Kinknid);
National, (Merz): Stoddar Dayton,
tMller); Buick. (Burman,; Buick.
| tStrang); Buick. ChevroleU: Jackson
(1!l!s). and s.oddnrd- Dayton, (Clements)
A CAR CAUCT FIRE.
Strang was the first to come to grief.
as his car caught fire before he had
completed one lap. He dropped out after
making a gallant effort 70 regain his lost
ground.
| Chevrolet dashed into the lead at the
start and held it for 80 laps or more than
half the race with the brief exception OF
the 18th and 10th laps when he relin-
| pushed II TO his team mate, Rurinan,
the winner. Burman led Until the send
lap when trouble with wires and ignition
caused him to drop back to second. while
Ellis in Jackson took the lead.
! Then the Jackson began to encounter
| n string Of mishaps that finally put II
ont Of the race. G. j. House the me-
| chanican, was taken IN and forced to
leave the car and go to tho hospital.
DRIVER FELL IN A FAINT
Ellls's eyes began to MI up with dust
and oil but he remained gamey at the
wheel. Finally his car encountered ieni-
| ton troubles after he had once stopped
| to have some effort made to relieve Ais
eyes. The failure OF his car to work af-
ter this stop caused him to lose heart
and finally he fell from his seat in a
| dead faint and was carried to the hos
| pital.
With the Jackson out of commission
| Burman was able to regain his lead with
| Clements, second, and Kincaid, third.
This order continued until the finish
| BOURQUE A SKILLED DRIVER.
Springfield. Mass, Aug. I9-Wilfrid
Bourque, killed In Indianapolis to-day.
was 26 years old and had been In the
| automobile racing game three years
representing the Knox Automobile com
pnny OF this city by whom he was con-
sidered one OF tho most expert drivers
In the country. He was born In West
| Farnham. Canada.
He raced successfully at Richned