Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-08-22
Three Lives Sacrificed When
Flying Car Loses Tire; Me-
chaniC and Two Spectators
Instantly Killed. Two Hurt
RACES ABANDONED AFTER
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE
Glory Of Broken Speed Records
Dimmed by Triple Tragedy
Fatalities Since Carnival
Commenced Now Total Seven


indianapolis. Aug 21-Thrcc NOR,
lives were sacrificed today in tn,
speed carnival which has marked the
opening of the new indianapolis mo-
tor speedway one mechaniclan and
two spectators were todays death toll
when a National car driven by Chas
Merz in the three hundred mile race.
lost a tire and crashed through Il
fence in to group of spectators The
dead
CLAUDE KELLUM. Of lndianap-
oils mechanician in the National ear.
ORA JOLEFFE. Trafalgar. Ind
JAMES WEST, aged %, meat cut
ter Indianapolis.
Besides the three deaths there were
two serious injuries today Henry Tap.
King, of indianapolis spffcred a COM
pound fracture of the right arm, a
broken nose and several scalp wounds.
in the wreck of the National ear.
Bruce Keene, driving a Marmon in
the same race rashed into "A post
shortly after the wreck of the Nation
al car ana was badly cut about the
neck and head
After the second accident the Of
dcials decided to cali off the race. The
leading car, jackson. with Lee
Lynch at the wheel. had then covered
255 miles. Ralph de Palma in Fiat.
was second and Stilman in Mar
mon, third. The race VIII be declared
40 contest and the Indianapolis motor
,trttI
again.
Merz miracuIously escaped from
the wreck Of his car. with hardly a
scratch. Tie fen under the machine
when it turned IA somcrsault through
the air and down into a gully near
the side of the track. He seemed IN
lnnent danger Of being burned to
lcath, but managed TO shut of the
nginc and thus save himself kel-
,um was hurled out Of the ear and
andcd in the gully some distance
way. The three deaths today raises
thc speedway fatalities to seven VIM
v Bourquc and his m"chincian, Harry
lulcumbc, Of the Knox racing tcant.
we're KILLED IN an accident. in the 250
nile race Thursday CiG Littercll,
lillcd by being hit by a big racing MA
hiue. while on the way out to the
speedway. ON Thursday Elmer
''rampton six year old boy, was
killed by the automobile of Dr Clarke
Day Of this city while the latter was
on his way to the races.
The meeting therefore has CLOSED In
gloom, the glory Of broken speed rec
ords being dimmcd by the tragic cir
cumstanccs.
The fatal accident today occurred
on the south turn of the immense cl-
lipSc ana near the open stands that
moro than 5000 people. Tho
thousands in the grand stand did not
see the accident although they know
that one of the cars had crashed
the fence. \ few minutes
later Mcrz was brought to the officials
stand ana mighty shout of joy went
up when it was seen ne was safe II
was not for some Time that "a majority
Of the spectators realized that though
Merz had escaped others lay dead or
injured
After Merz finished more than 200
miles ana was running hfth in the
h'tf tiif iiif ON tH' AibHN ii'i''
,ame off and the car tore away from
thc control of tho driver. IT crashed |
the fence near the foot or
bridge across the track and plunged |
into Il crowd there. Tho car tore
the group and into the gully |
turning complete Somcrsdult be- |
fore it reached the ground ten feet
below. Kellum was thrown into thr
water ana was bleeding from tnumcta
Bile injuries when hc WAS picked up. !
Great gashes were torn in hts apdo-
men and head The blood had begun |
to pour into his lungs and he was
nearly dead H. lived for some time
without regainug consciousness.
The unidentified man was instantly 1
killed aud Jolcne died az he was
lifted into an ambulance. quick Work |
BY physicians saved Tapkins life auc |
ne has q fair chance to recover.
Kellum had not started the race
N the same car with Merz. He had |
oeen Aitken's mcchanician in an-
,thpr National Aitkcn jumped into
he lead AT the start heading tho nine
cen starters and remained there tiil
1 cylinder head cracked after he had |
covered los mites when he was forced
% drop out. Aitkcn covered 100 miles
n 1881: Al $40 setting new record
or the track and breaking the one
tCoutincd on page =, column 81