The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-25
William Nelson's High Powered
Roadster Throws Wheel and
Plunges From Track
YOUNG DRIVERS LIFE
MAY PAY FOR SPEED
MeChanician Hurled 20 Feet,
but Escapes With COmpar-
atively Slight Injuries
ACCIDENT AT INGLESIDE
WITNESSED BY THOUSANDS

IN the last event of the two day
| automobile race meet at Ingleside
yesterday, and in full sight of over
10000 spectators, William Nelson,
driving high powered four cylinder
roadster in the FIVE mile handicap for
members of the Mystic Shrine,
crashed through the heavy wooden
fence bounding the outer edge of the
second turn on the mile track and
sustained injury that may cause his
death. His wife was watching from
the grandstand as the "a year old
driver met with his all but fatal mis-
hap His father, Fernando Nelson,
was driving in the same race.
Mechanician Thrown 20 Feet
The auto dished a wheel on the
turn, and, after tearing the fence away.
shot down steep embankment, piling
up in ditch A. B. Bright, Nelson's
mechanician, was thrown 20 feet as
the machine struck, but was tossed
into marshy spot. His left wrist
was badly sprained and his right knee
torn and bruised.
Ben kerscher, a famous driver, also
went through fence in the 10 mile
handicap, when the steering knuckle
on his big 100 horsepower Darracq
broke, but as a cloth fence had been
substituted at the place for the heavy
wooden affair, the driver was not even
scratched.
The accident to Nelson and Bright
cast shade of gloom over what will
go down in motor history as the great
est meet ever held on a circular track
in the west. meet in which new rec
ords have been set and many close con-
tests between speedy cars witnessed.
New Record Made
Barney OldfeId. "the speed king"
himself hung up new mark yesterday
in the mile, devouring the distance in
the time of 81 56-1OO seconds. a second
better than his record Saturday. when
he set new coast record by shattering
the time of 5S seconds made by him
here some six years ago in the Winton
Bullet
Nelson, whose father Fernando is a
wealthy contractor. and himself the
holder of speed records. was removed to
the city and county hospital. in the
Ingleside grounds. with Bright. the
mechanician.
Mounted police. always on the alert
during the two day meet. were quick at
the scene of the disaster. and the crowd
was driven back. Dr. r. F. TOmlinson
took charge of the two injured men and
discovered that Nelson's most serious
injury was deep cut. extending to the
bone, that completely encircled the
right eye, caused by a board from the
fence flying up and striking the autoist
The physician found 1t necessary TO
close the circular wound with 13O
, stitches.
Internal Injuries Feared
At a late hour last night Doctor
TomIrnson announced that, aside from
the possibility of internal injuries. Mel
son was not dangerously hurt. His
body is badly bruised and lacerated in
numerous places
When the accident occurred the
young man was driving his car at
speed of about 40 miles an hour Given
place some seconds behind w T.
Warren. in his Matheson, Nelson was
down the backstretch at terrific clip
his mechanician pumping busily and
nursing every inch of speed out of the
machine The turn was taken without
pinching down. and as the auto swung
into the tangent the strain upon the
ourter front wheel proved too much
and it caved In wink the flying We
hicle was through the fence and over
the bank, while heavy cloud of dust
obscured the details of the accidea:
from the spectators
Fernando Nelson, driving his record
breaking Columbia in the same race.
passed the scepe of the mishap with
out noting it. in the tense excitement
of the race, but on the second round
he stopped. George Nelson. the young
amateur driver whose work with his
Oakland during the two days meet
has made him locally famous. was on
the scene Immediately, and the two
accompanied the injured men to the
hospital
Heavy Outer Fence Left
Both inner fences on the two. turns
were taken out and light cloth fences.