Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-11-09
GREATEST RACE
Is COMPLETED
LOS ANGELES-PHOENIX EVENT
WONDER OF SKILL
TWO CARS ONLY ARE OUT OF
THE CONTEST
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Some Wonderful Evidences of Skill
of Drivers and Mechanics Are
Shown, and Endurance Of
Cars Marvellous
by d. w. sEMPLE

The greatest race of the Pacific
coast between the best automobiles
known to the trade ended yesterday In
the city of Phoenix, capital of the ter
ritory of Arizona. The wonderful forti-
tude and endurance of cars and their
crews will stand in automobile history
unparalleled.
There are but few who can for mo
ment understand the conditions that
these magnificent specimens of the
workmanship of American mechanics go
up against on such a racking trip as
that between Los Angeles and Phoenix,
when the object Is to cut to pieces the
past record between those two points
fully In ten hours. Added to this is the
ever present fact that when accidents
happen, as they may well occur on
such roads, there is no repair shop at
hand that the broken or injured part
may be remedied and the car proceed
as usual when within the realms OF
civilization. The time Is then when
the ingenuity and skill of the drivers
and mechanics are tested as they never
are elsewhere. The story of what
these brave and hearty and loyal fell
lows have done with their charges on
the gruelling grind they have just COM
pleted reads more like fairy tales than
the word of actually. Imagine IL you
paired and on her way again within
an hour and quarter. Another break
Ing its steering knuckle and the ready
attendants get out and trail through
the hot sands of the desert for miles,
obtain the necessary articles and walk
back, fix up their injured part and
are off again and complete the juorney
and figure in the finish. Think of the
Elmore losing every tool she carried,
I..IA -. No..
stripped Of her transmissions and yet
the faithful men stand by II and get
the car away again on the terrific pace
over those sand and rocky roads. An
other breaks her radiator. Nothing
daunted the crew get that fixed and
away they go, forgetful Of their ex-
periences.
When the Buick wheeled into the fair
grounds at 1906 yesterday afternoon
the vast assemblage that had gathered
there to receive the arriving cars knew
that the silver cup and the prize money
in the Los Angeles-Phoenix road race
had passed this year into a new claim
ants hands for the honors that come
to the victorious. The Bucks running
time clips the record OF the White
steam car by II hours and 20 minutes.
Fred c. Fenner, who won the race
last year, encountered rock at
QubTtZslIet SlTlklnB CdTDuIeltfs anu
ran at n reduced rate OF speed to
within a mile and a quarter OF the
goal. where he died. and the Isotta on
her maiden trip was 'out OF the race
within sight of the flag.
The big Kisselkar of Leon r. Shelter
broke her steering knuckle Joint near
llecca and lost four hours there. Har-
ris Hanshue. her driver. walked five
miles, phoned his accident, returned to
ma 10 10 nd All
until he hit a chuckhole near Salome,
which bent the axle. and had to slow
down to twenty miles for the rest of
the way. At that the Kissellsar made
the best time to the river.
The Buick. the winner of the contest.
driven by Nilkrent, who had never be-
fore ! anticipated In road race, at
Vicksburg struck a high center, broke
an oil tank and leaked gasoline for
several miles until repairs could be
made and a new supply of oil procured.
But one of the most noted things OF
the race was the wonderful record
made by Harold Stone OF the little
Columbia. and lis mechanician, G. P.
Illingworth. The facts have just been
ascertained that the Columbia broke
her frame this side OF San Bernardino.
Arriving at that place she was re-
paired with. steel brace and bolts and
hobbled along to a finish in second
place. Be II remembered, however
that all of the cars had passed this
car while she was under cover maxi
ing repairs, and yet with the knowl-
edge that he was running under
broken frame, clever Stone and H.
iingworth' pegged ahead, and again
passed all OF the cars that had passed
him, and all that had started ahead of
him and arrived In Phoenix with the
second place theirs. 1t was an evil
dence Of the stuff that was in the car
and the ability of the crew that
manned her. To keep the car strictly
a stock car too. the owners had not
equipped the Columbia with either
shock absorbers or bumpers.
1t will be remem bered for a long
time what the little Studebaker did
too This little "30'' car met with but
little misfortune of a serious charac-
Ter, but enough to delay her and cut
her time down, but when II is consid-
cred that she was in a race with cars
of so much greater power and size,
her actions in this contest will stand
as a marvel of the ability, capacity
and endurance of the car.
Altogether, the Los Angeles-Phoenix
race of 1909 was one of the greatest
events known to the automobile his
tory of the Pacific coast, and all are
entitled to the credit that is due them
for their parts therein.
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HAtAII tAtA NnHA,a. -