Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-31
FAST Time. UP HILL
Johnston, in Buick Car, Beats
Mile a Minute.
WINS FREE-F0R-ALL RACE
Remarkable Exhibitions ct Automo-
bile Clubs First Annual Hill Climb.
SANJEN Is A CLOSE SECOND
Less Than Four Seconds Behind in
Most Sensational Event Ever
Witnessed Here.
WINS FREE.F0R.ALL RACE
sANJEN Is A CLOSE sECoN1

With the woodside echoing and re-echo-
ing from the exhaust OF his racing ma
chine. Ted" Johnston. plotting a Model
16 Buick, and travelling faster than a
mile a minute. won the free-for-all event
In the first annual hill climb, un<er the
auspices Of the Automobile Club of Wash
ington, yesterday afternoon on Naylor's
hill. Randle Highlands. amid the cheers Of
thousands OF spectators who had gather
ed to witness Washington's initial event
OF the kind. He covered the seven
tenths OF a mile, with an average grade
OF about IL per cent. with several sharp
turns, In 40 Is seconds, defeating Henry
Sanjen. his nearest ompetitor, driving a
big four-cylinder Matheson, shipped here
from the factory especially for the occa-
sion, who covered the course In 53 sec
onds nat. w. B. McBurney Of this city,
also driving Matheson car. finished third
In ssh seconds. 1t was the most sensa-
tionai motor event ever witnessed in this
city.
When Sanjen crossed the tape line and
his time was announced the crowds
cheered to the echo. as IL was the best up
to that time of any machine contesting.
spectators he fairly startled the official
timers, and 1t was several minutes before
the cheering subsidized He drove q mag
nifcent race. holding his big machine
steady to the road. and never swerving
for a second.
Unmarried by Accident.
A feature OF the affair was that not
single accident marred the pleasure Of
the afternoons sport. which started at
$50 o'clock and continued for three hours
Nnt $fxA -
which took part in the contest. which was
fortunate. considering the sharp turns.
where skill was required Of the drivers in
negotiating the turns without too much
skidding. On several casions 1t looked
as II some Of the cars would be ditched
while taking the turns with the throttle
wide open. w: B. McBurney had the
closest shave of the afternoon. but by his
skill at the wheel he managed to get out
Of the tight place without injury The
course was we'll policed and. while the
spectators insisted on stepping out onto
the course. they usually scampered to a
place of safety by the time q car arrived,
which could easily be heard several hun
dred feet away. Telegraph operators were
stationed with instruments at the starting
the time of the contestins cars was veri-
fed on both ends before announcing to
the public.
The first event Of the meet was for
small cars SeIln8 Tor $SUO and under,
honors going to a Knit car. driven by
T. w. Cadick. a hupmobile. driven by H
C. Hamilton. being second. Time, Ibis.
A Warren-Detroit, Tom Berger driver,
cleaned up things In his own fashion on
event No. 2. doing the course In 1.o3 As.
with Howard Bauer, driving an Oakland,
second and a Ford third, with Charles
e. Miller at the wheel
Buick Again Winner.
In event No. 3, for cars selling from
81, 201 to 81 900, Ward Angle. at the wheel
Of Buick 10. took first honors. with I.
C. Barber driving a Parry, q close Sec
ond. Time, 100 2-5 Event No. brought
out a good field and supplied the specta-
tors with some excellent sport. II was nip
and tuck between the drivers and notsun-
til the last car had crossed the tape line
was there any certainty as to who was
the winner. The best time. however, was
made by Willis Cronkhite in a Buick, who
completed the course In l 90 is, with his
nearest competitor. Howard Bauer, driv-
ing an Oakland.
In this event two Washington cars were
but the cars had just finished In