New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-17
MILE DASH
OLDFIELD HURLS CAR
OYER BEACH.
COUers Distance an e. S5-lOO
Seconds in Setting Ne5c Rec
ord 7cith automobile.

Daytona. Fla. March 16.-Barney Old
field. driving against time with flying
start. in a 2OO-horsepOwer Benz car of
special design. dashed over the fastest
mile ever travelled by human being on
the beach here this afternoon His time
was - 33-1OO seconds. Nothing pro-
jected into space by man save a bullet
has ever travelled $3.50 feet at equal
speed. The previous record was set here
four years ago by Marriott, who drove a
special Stanley steamer one mile in
2S 10 seconds. al an average speed OF
12T6 miles an hour. Oldheld's average
to-day was 131.72-
Returning TO the starting line between
files Of cheering spectators. Oldheld
launched his great car from a standing
start against time. and again crossed the
line with a record He covered the dis
tance this time in 4O j3-1OD seconds. as
against Al 2:i-1OO seconds. made with
the same car by Hemmery on the Brook
fields track. in England, some time ago
OIdfield came down the rOcklike sur
face of the beach to the starting line an
indistinguishable blur Of roaring flame
and smoke. Before the Overtaxed
mechanism of the eye had adjusted
itself To- the changing perspective OF his
approach he was already dwindling into
the distance. and before the brain had
translated the impressions of sense into
Thought ne had crossed the finish line
The timing for both races was done by
a.. "A. Warner. official timer for the
American Automobile Association. with
the same mechanical device he used at
the Atlanta and Indianapolis speed
WAYS. and which has beer officially
adopted by the association.
RaIph de Palma. Oldfeld's rival, who
WAS unable 10 start against him in a
speciaI race because Of a broken piston.
acted a. representative of the contest
board of the American Automobile As
sociation. \ surveyors certificate has
been fled for the distance posts. and
only the formal acceptance by the con-
test boa-d is necessary before the rec
ord passes OhiciaIly into the history Of
automohiling.
In the preliminary trials George Rob
ertson. guiding Walter Christie's front
drive car shot away first. but made a
false start and was recalled The car
balked for a second start. and, after
twenty minutes OF tinkering. Robertson
withdrew David Bruce Brown came
next. and covered the mile in 80 1S-1OO
seconds. OldheId followed with his two
records.
The fastest time recorded heretofore
from a flying start by a gasOlene car
was two miles in 5S 2-5 seconds. made az
Ormond Beach, Fla. in a 20O-hOTsepOweT
car driven by DemOgeOt IN 1906. He
drove at an average speed OF 1888 miles
an hour
The best speed ever made BY loco
motive vas hve miles in minutes 80 sec
onds. over the Plant system. I'm March
1901 Glenn II. Curtiss. the aviator COW
cred a mile from a flying start in an
eight cylinder motor cycle in 46 2-5 Sec
onds. i'm 1897
Barney OldficId has been establishing
automobile records off and on for the
last five or six years. and long has had
his eye on the straightaWay beach mark
Largely with this end In view he pur-
chased the Benz racer last month for a
fancy price. lie is as happy to- night
as child with new toy. but predicts
that the end is not yet. and that more
power and more speed are stored away
ia hig new net