New-York tribune., 1910-10-02
THRILLS At WESTBURY
Fleming Shows Iron Nerve "SkI-
I1ooting" Into Stretch.
YING TIRE AWES CROWD
chevrolet, in Forcing Passage by
-Endicott, Endangers Gasp
ing Throng.

Those who T vent TO the i'll fated West
,.,rr 4r-n in TIE Vanderbilt race yesterday
a. the expectation Of seeing thrilling acct
senfs had their ill. for it was near here
,bst Harold stone the driver OF the ColUm-
20 car No y. was seriously injured. and
,,fs r1echanician. Matthew r Bacon, killed
when their machine plunged over the
Meadow Brook bridge and landed at the
socr Of thirty foot enlhankment as told
elsewhere in The Tribune.
>cexr 20 the fatal accident 70 Bacon. the
s7ysdent that sent nervous rrenncr through
she great crowd Just east Of the Meadow
Prcok soil gate was the throwing of
isbee and the exploding Of a tire by Jack
Fleming's Pope Hartford car. No. J.. as II
uas "szihooting' down the straight stretcn
p the beginning Of the cement parkway
Full7 = hundred persons who were slttlns
m the grass within few feet OF the
course were In non1entary danger "f IN
slant death as the great machine swerTed
,-,55arlv 70 the left throwing ND a cloud
Of dust and threatening to turn over.
r1a--inR vas Just entering his eighteenth
ssr A. the time and was sending his ma
chime a. its full power in an effort 10 over
--.as,1 tho flying leaders. As he lert t7
-a-ro1y ribbon Of dirt road before entering
chs nar}wav he opened wide ms throtu"'
and the car Iespe6 almost clear OF the
,-r,rd as II felt the added impetus Down
qbe level 6a- Of cement the Pope-it-r'l loEI
-as-ad and ri0o-heted like giant FN''''-
g sreu Fleming found II almost i'm
.,.s5,,ls - teer the powerful machine in
- centre Of the rosdbed. and IT NeeTed
-. s45, ~ side like 4 drunken thing.
Inst ss he was nearing the foot OF me
tv3sre Fleming felt the car jerk up ana
80, en5 ro knew that he vas losing
.ira Although he applied the brakes WIN
~ his strength and shut or his power. Le
.,-ae ,,,abis 10 control t1e machine Tor
.,-,s-- The monster Of steel and IRON
-,-,x eating I'D SPACE a. the rate Of more
-, seventy miles an hour, and continued
tsrs smpetUous rush
As The spectators watched fhe actions oI
.spra automobile with alarm, not knowing
%-1-sr moment il might plunge toward the
side Of the track where they were seated.
the left front tire OF the machine suddenly
began 10 fix of the rim Of the wheel in
Eusu fragments. This was accompanied pY
= series Of sharp reports and bg humping
Of The front wheels Of the machine SeV-
ersi large pieces Of the heavy. steel-bound
rubber tire few of at Q tangent. one OF
them knocking over a rsilbird and throw
snE the others into a panic.
Fleming was exertinE all O. his hrawn
and muscle in the attempt 70 hold the car
70 the track and he finally succeeded IN
going so. bat not before he had skinned
70 close % the edge as 10 tear of several
aenEths of The wooden railing alongside
-gt--vyas considered a miracle Ihat nobody
was injured ~ this time, as more than a
hundred persons had been grouped there a
minute before shriIl shrek of terror
went up from The crowd on the opposite
side of the track as they expected TO see
the machine dashed over The side Of the
steep enbanknent. IS was the case with
Stones.
The Pope-Ha-tford finally drew up TO
flow halt however. and Fleming and his
rlechanician leaped from their seats and
began 70 take Of the old tire and adjust
aew ore. The two mon worked with re
Fsarza hle .swiftnass. and within the space
OF one minute and Eve seconds they we're
OF on the chase again.
scsr-e1v had the excitement OF this
glimpse of death died down Then the crowds
banked along the straight stretch Of coun-
~ roads south Of The Westbur.- turn were
treated 70 = new thrill. Spencer Wishert,
s. his Mercedes. 10 4. had been forced
- slow down because of magnetic trouble
F5is machine had stopped 50 suddenly that
y lay 50 that II ohs1ructed more than half
The narrow roadvaT. While Wishart and
his r7eclaricis1 were trying 10 got tho
car started again Harry E0dicott. in the
Cole car. No o. came tearing down the
road On his ninth lap Just a. his heels
skinned Louis Chevrolet, making one Of
his fastest trips around the course It
CID not seem possible 10 the persons watch
ing that there was room enough for two
cars 10 pass esch other much less three.
Neither of The spproach ching cars would
slsckea speed. however. and tho outcome
looked ominouz.
When the TWO machines arrived along
side the Mercedes with a rush and roar
the little cole had half length lead.
Chevrolst would not he denied, however.
and drove With daredevil reckless speed
between an opening scarcely wide enough
70 permit Or Tho passage Of 2 mans body.
PiU Endicotj. in tho cole. saw the danger
- hich the Frenchmsn would not heed. and
sWerved his car up tho side Of tho grass
space on tho left just in time 10 allow
o'7evrclet TO dash through. his face scr
ln determined rrov-n. The spectators
squeezed against thc turn were covered
With dirt and pebbles, - iC il had been
snoveiied upon them, and another accident
had been narrowly averted.