Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-11-13
Only one Minor Accident
Marked Last Day Of
Big Meet
Many Thrills Afforded Spec.
tators During the
4l5 Race
By Associated Press.

B., Associatsd Press.
Savannah Ca, Nov. 12.-David
Bruce-Brown, the New York boy who
four years ago ran away from home
to become driver of a racing auto
mobile, today saved the reputation Of
American drivers from obliteration
at the hands of foreigners in the big
grand prize race, the blue ribbon
event of the automobile contests.
Speeding faster and farther than
man ever went before in an automo-
bile road race, this young man won
the grand prize by barely more than a
second at the end of 4l5.2 heart
breaking miles. He dashed across the
electric timing wire l 42-100 seconds
ahead of Victor Hemery, the French
man. His time was five hours, So
minutes and GIT seconds, setting a
new American world record of 70.55
miles an hour.
Both he and Hemery drove Benz
cars, so that foreign machines tri-
umphed.
The consolation in having an Amer
ican at the wheel of the winner was
increased by the feat of wild Bob"
Rurman, A!-ivic5 tho maddest race lef
his career In ,no American car,
Marquette-Buick. which finished third,
getting not only third money, but an
additional thousand dollars for the
first American driver to finish In an
American car.
Before the race it was said the
American team planned to set the
pace in the early stages which would
burn the tires off the big foreign ma
chimes, thereby securing an advan-
tage over them. Apparently the
Americans tried this trick and it near
ly succeeded, for most of thVforeign-
ers were either stalled or worked
before the finish. The winning Benz
machines, however, remained on the
track.
All other finishers were American
cars
Behind Burman were the derelict
cars of some of the warld's most ia
nous drivers, who hau failed to make
their speedy machines last through
the terrific strain of twenty-four laps
of curving roadway. These foreign
ers went to defeat fighting gamely
and in some instances recklessly.
Wagner, in his big Red Fiat, was
one of the grittiest. His daring nearly
cost him his life and that of his
mechanican. On the back stretch
while coming down a small hill at
top speed, Wagner lost control of his
car for a fraction of a second, one
of his front wheels striking stone
culvert, crushing wheel and throw
ing the car on it's side for a slide of
fifty feet into the trees bordering the
speedway. Ferro was literally shot
into the top branches of twenty
foot willow, which caught him and
broke his fall He ran to the car be-
side which Wagner was lying with
machine oil pouring about him from
a broken tank The driver got up
with the aid of his mechanican and
later was taken to hospital, where
it was reported he was not seriously
hurt.
Willie Haupt, one of the Benz driv-
ers, skidded off the road at the end
of a long straightaway, side swiped
a giant live oak, and then plunged
with his car and his mechanican into
a clump of bushes so thick and tall
that they apparently swallowed him
up, hiding him from view Of the |
breathless spectators. He and H. Fey
hle, his mechanican, emerged from |
the woods with reassuring expedition
though somewhat bruised and also I,
scratched. Fifteen cars started in |
the race.
Fully 10000 spectators saw the race, !
about $4,000 of them at the grand !
stands and others lining the tracks
in a fringe about twelve miles long. /
One portion of the track, running
through swamps, was inaccessible to
spectators.
The militia with loaded rifles, kept
every foot of the course clear from
an hour before the race until thirty
minutes after the finish.
Bruce Brown won the grand prize
gold cup and about $4,000 in cash.
Hemery won about $4,000 in cash.
Burman also won about $4,000, which
includes the $1,000 for being the first
American to finish in an American
car.
It was learned tonight that Wagner
had two ribs broken when his car
overturned.