The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-08-20
TWO KILLED in
Big AUTO RACES

were lost at the opening of the new In
| dianapolis motor speedway today VIII
| liam A. Bourque. driver OF the Knox
/ car in the 250.mile race, and Harry
| Holcomb, his mechanician, were killed
by crashing into fence.
Two records were broken Barney
| Oldleld. driving a high power Benz.
covered mile in :i3 40. breaking
DePalma's mark of 81; and Louis
Chevrolet, in a Buick. made ten miles
In S Sc 40. cutting Oldfield's time of
9:12.
Robert Burman won the 250-mile
race, the feature of the day. II was
this contest that cost Bourque and Hol-
comb their lives. The winners time
| was A. SO: 81 4~10-Slow because of the
many accidents that marred the race.
| The rd-Dayton-Clements was
second In 4:46 10 $40. and the Ma
| tlonal (Mcrz) finished third in
4:52.S9 40. Another National was
the only other car of ten starting TO
! finish
The death of the two men caused
the American Automobile association
to inform the owners of the track that
| certain changes must be made by to-
morrow or sanction for the remain
ing events Will be Withdrawn. Tho
| association demands that the track be
| freed from It's many dangerous rutS and
that every inch Of 1t be thoroughly
! oiled and tarred. Today only short
portion In front of the grandstand
was oiled and the dust on the other
parts is blamed for the collapse of the
drivers In the long racc-Louis Chew
rolet and Fred Ellis-who were blinded
| by the dense white mist that covered
the major portion of the track.
The Knox car was In second place,
| With Burman In his Buick leading,
and had covered nearly $50 miles when
The crash came. While coming down
the home stretch the car suddenly
swerved and tore into the fence at
the left of the track, turning COM
pletely over and pinning its two oc-
cupants beneath it, Both men were
alive when taken from under the
wreck, but Bourque died In the ambu-
lance on the way to the emergency
hispital. Holcomb died a few min
utes after he arrived at the hospital
Wheels Slip From Hand.
According To the story told by Pri-
vate Frank Brander of the Indiana
national guard, who was nearest the
accident. something caused both men
to turn and look behind As they did SO
the steering wheel slipped from
Bouruue's hand Then came the accl
dent
Bourque was twenty-Six years old
and lived at Springfield. Mass Hol.
comb was twenty-five years old and
lived at Grandville, Mass. Both men
were unmarried.
Albert Dennison, racing partner Of
Bourque. collapsed after the accident
The sight of the men lying dead was
too much for the friend of both. who
was called upon so often 10 face death
In the same manner.
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. The French
man. who had been leading during the
early part of the long race, was forced
TO give up. He gazed upon the bodies
OF his former rivals. then, overcome
bv emotion, staggered to a chair. AS
a result OF the two deaths the Knox
company has withdrawn all its en-
tries for the next two days and 1t Is
said it probably will never again en-
ters its cars In a race.
Many Cars Start.
The following cars started in the
250-mlle contest. Knox tBourque);
National (Kincaid) National (Morse);
Stoddard.D Dayton tMiller); Buick
(Burman): Buick (Suang); Jackson
(Elhs): and Stoddard-Dayton (Clem-
ens). Buick tChevrolet.
Strang was the first to come to
grief. as his car caught fire before
he had completed one lap. He was
delayed some time by this. and the
officials first refused to allow him to
continue. as his mechanician had been
aided by n track volunteer fire COM
pany in extinguishing the blaze. After
a long discussion Strang was allowed
TO continue. but the remainder of the
field had then gained about fifteen
miles on him and he dropped out.
Chevrolet dashed into the lead at
the start and held 1t for fifty-two laps
or more than half the race, with the
brief exception Of the fifteenth and six
teenth laps. when he rellnquished it
To his teammate. Burman, the winner.
When he was blinded by dust he was
led from the track and his car with
drawn. Miller. In a Stoddard- Da yton.
Also gave UP.
After Chevrolets withdrawal Bur-
= man again went into the lead, with
Bouroue second, and Kinkaid. In a
National third This order continued
, until the fatal accident to the Knox.
Kinkaid then moved to second place
; and Ellis. In a Jackson. loomed up
} as contender In third place,
Has Much Trouble.
Burman led until the eigthy-second
Ian. or about 2O5 miles. had been COW
cred. Continual trouble with the tires
and ignition caused him TO lose his
; once commanding lead and drop back
/ TO second. while Ellis. who had passed
, KInkaId some distance back. took tho
lead. with Burman second and Glenn
enis. In standardization. third.
Then the Jackson began TO encounter
. Its string Of mishaps that finally put
I It out of the race A. J, House. the
mechanician. was taken III and forced
l TO leave the car
With the Jackson out OF commission.
4 Rurman was able TO regain his lead.