The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-08-20
Car Crashes Into the
Fence Crushing Out
Liues of TwoMen
RECORDS BROKEN
Barney Oldfield Breaks Worlds Mile
Record While Chevrolet Makes
Fastest Ten Miles Ever Ridden-Au-
tOmObiIe Association Demands That
Danger Shall Be Eliminated.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Aug. 19.-
William A. Bourque, driving a
Knox car in the 250-mile race,
and Harry Holcomb, his mechanican,
were killed when their car crashed
into the fence near the grand stand.
Bourque lost control of his car which
swerved from its course, crashing in
to the fence and overturned pinning
both occupants to the ground. Bour-
que died as he was being lifted into
the ambulance and Holcomb died a
few minutes after he arrived at the
emergency hospital.
The car had covered nearly $50
miles of the 25O-mile race at the time
of the accident The crash took place
on the west side of the course and
about 800 yards north of the grand
stand.
Bourque had been in the employ
of the Knox company for five years
and for four years had been a rae
ing driver. He finished second to
Chevrolet in the recent Cobe trophy
race at Crown Point, Ind.
Just before the Cobe race he was
seriously injured in hill climb at
Springfield, Mass. Holcomb had been
in the employ of the Knox company
for two years.
Louis Chevrolet, driver of Buick
machine in the 250-mile race, has
been taken from the race. He is
blinded by the dust and tar thrown
up from the track but is not seriously
injured.
Two records were broken. Barney
Oldfield driving a high power Benz
covered a mile in :43 10, breaking
De Palma's mark of :51, and Louis
Chevrolet in a Buick made ten miles
in 1856 4-10, cutting Oldfield's time
of 9:12.
Robert Burman won the 250-mile
race, the feature of the day. 1t was
this contest that cost Bourque and
Holcomb their lives. The winner s
time was 4:36:57 4-10-slow because
of the many accidents that marred
the race. The Standardization (Cle-
ments) was second in 4:46:01 $40
and the National (Merz) finished third
in 4:52:39 ITO. Another National
was the only other car of ten start
ers 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 tomorrow or sanction for the re.
naming events would be withdrawn
The association demanded the track
be freed from it's many dangerous
spots and that every inch of it be
thoroughly oiled and tarred. Today
only short portion in front of the
grand stand was oiled and the dust
on the other parts is blamed for the
collapse of the drivers in the long
race-Louis Chevrolet and FREQ
Elds-who were blinded by the dense
white mist that covered the greater
portion of the track.
The Knox car was in second place
with Burman in his Buick and hat
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 completely
over, pinning it's two occupants be
meath it. Both men were alive wher
taken from under the wreck, bu
BourQue died in the ambulance OF
the way to the emergency hospital
Holcomb died few minutes after ht
had arrived at the hospital.
According to the story told by
Private Frank Brander of the In
diana national guard, who was near
est the accident, something caused
Bouruue to turn and look behind him
AS he did so the steering whee
slipped from his hand. Then came
the accident. Bourque was rs years
old and lived at Springfield, Mass
Holcomb was 23 years old and liveC
at Grandville. Both men were un
married.
Albert Dennison, racing partner o
Bouruue, collapsed after the accident
The sight of the men lying dead wa