The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-08-27
TWO KILLED
IN AUTO RACE
sAuRoUE, KNOX DRIVER. AND
HoLcoMs, MEcHANicaAN,
CRUSHED UNDER CAR.
CAUSE NOT ASCERTAINED
oidfield and Chevrolet Break and 10
Miles Records.-severai Ora
matte Episodes Mar Open
ing Of the Auto Races.

lndianapolis.-Two lives were lost
and two records broken during the
Inauguration OF the Indianapolis mo.
Tor speedway. William A. Bourque.
iriver Of the Knox car in the $50 milo
race, and Harry Holcomb. his me.
chanician. were killed In the frinzied
.ernival OF speed.
Barney Oidfield. driving high pow.
cred Benz. covered mile In 43.1 sec
seconds. and Louis Chevrolet, in a
Buick. negotiated ten miles In tho
marvellous time OF 1855 40. cutting
oldfelds time of 9:12. Both Of these
are new American track marks.
Robert Burnman. In n Buick, won
the $50 mile race. the feature Of tho
day. and the contest that cost Bour.
que and Holcomb their Hives. Tho
winners time was 4:33:57 4-10-slow
because of the many accidents that
married the race. The Stoddard- Day.
ton tClcments) was second In 4:46:0l
$40 and the National tMerz) finish.
ed third In 4:52:39 ITO. Another Ma.
tional with kincaid at the wheel was
the only other car Of ten starters 10
finish the long grind
The death of the two men caused
the American Automobile Association
to issue an ultimatum to the owners
Of the big track thnt certain changes
must be made or the sanction for tho
can Automobile association demands
that the track be freed from the many
and dangerous ruts. which are said to
be unavoidable In a new track. and
that every inch OF II be thoroughly
'iled and tarred.
Only a short portion in front OF
the grand stand was oiled and the
dust on the other parts is blamed for
the collapse OF two drivers In the
long race-Louis Chevrolet and Fred
Ellis-who were blinded by the dense
white mist that covered the major
portion OF the track.
Two records were broken and tho
irst day of the immense track proved
lair to be an unqualified success, when
q pail was east over tho crowd OF
10000 speed-mad spectators by the
sudden death Of Bourque and Hol.
romb.
The Knox car was In second place.
with Burman. In his Buick. leading
and had covered nearly 100 miles
when the crash came. While coming
down the home stretch. the car sud
ieniy sweryed and tore into the fence
ut the left OF the track. turning COM
pletely over and pinning Its two oc-
cupants beneath II. Both men were
Alive when taken from under the H.
iated machine. but Bourque died In
the ambulance on the way to the
emergency hospital. Holcomb lived
few minutes longer. but was dead
,oon after he arrived at he hospital.
Stories as TO the cause OF the ac-
cident vary and no one will ever
know what really caused the car Of
death to swerve from the track. Ac.
rording to the story told by Private
Frank Brandoor. Company II. Second
regiment, Indiana National Guard.
who was nearest to the scene OF tho
1 accident and had a narrow escape
from injury. something cansed both
men to suddenly turn and look be-
hind. As they did so. tho steering
wheel slipped from BourQue's hands.
and he threw his arms helplessly In
he air. Then came the crash.
One OF the rear wheels was found
few hundred feet from the scene OF
the accident and this has led to tho
advancement OF the theory that the
axle nuts on II had not been properly
frightened when the machine had TAX
en- on new tire shortly before. Tho
men probably felt the wheel slipping
on and after they looked behind they
realized their helplessness to prevent