Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-31
ACCIDENTS CAUSE THRILLS
Auto Hurtles Into Air and Falls Upon
Walter Smith, Driver.
FREDRICKsoN LOSES MECHANIC
Fredrickson Wins Grand Trophy
without MechauIcinu. Assistant
Fearing to Go with Him
Chalmers Takes First.

meath the heavy machine when il landed /
thirty-five feet from the track in the ten
mile race for the automobile dealers
trophy on the Omaha motor speedway yes
terday afternoon. The car tumbled ahead
twenty-five feet from the unconscious
driver. On the way to the Wise Memorial
hospital Smith regained and lost conscious
ness. At the hospital he again regained
consciousness. He was reported at the
hospital that though severely bruised about
the body and the back Of the head and
slightly bruised and scratched on the fore
head and the face, Smith IS not seriously
hurt. The Chadwick won the race.
The sensational finish Of the womens
three mile race, In which Mrs. II. IL.
Blodgett overlook Miss Bessie Amos and
beat her by less than a yard, the winsing
Of the speedway grand trophy by II. r.
Fredrickson with his Chalmers and the
burning Of the Chadwick IN the race for
the speedway trophy were other features
Of the last racing card Of the season under
the auspices Of the Omaha Speedway asso-
citation.
First Event Thrilling.
Thrills were numerous IN the first event,
ten miles, for the automobile dealers
trophy. Early in the race the Henry 80,
the lead, the Chadwick, owned by Arthur
Storz, who acted as mechanician, and
driven by Merrill, pressing close behind.
At the turn for the second quarter the
Cadillac, Chalmers and Lexington cars
drew closely together that their wheels
locked and # appeared that a wreck could
not be averted Without stopping the
drivers extricated their cars and went on
At the second quarter in the eighth mile
II. E. FredrCkson drove the Chalmers so
closely to the inside of the track that his
wheels struck the mounds OF soft dirt
The car lurched violently, Walter Peter
son, Fredrickson mechancian thinking the
car was about to crash into onother,
jumped and went head over heels into the
ditch lie was cut on the back of the
head 80 that tufts of hair could be lifted
away, but was not seriously injured The
tumble did not render him unconscious.
He remained to witness the other races.
Policeman Harry Timer rushed TO Peter
son and helped him up. As the two men
walked toward the track the Henry rs"
came pounoing down to the second quarter
Hurry Car Turns over.
Suddenly the car swayed, then leaped
twenty toet in the air with a sort of side
somersauit and came hurting toward them.
Almost blinded by the dust they stepped
aside and through the haze dimly saw the
car turn upside down and land 1t bounded
and tunbled on. leaving Smith, the driver,
on the spot where he first had landed. the
car on top Of him.
Smith was unable to tell lust how the
accident occurred. Policeman Ulmer said
that as nearly as he could tell the steer
ing post came out. making the car un-
manageable and causing the wheels nat
urally to turn in, the power behind
breaking the left front wheel from the
axle. Examination Of the car showed that
the post was out and tine wheel broken.
Dust flew 80 thickly that the crowd in
the grandstand did not know what had
happened until Smith was being carried
away. Then 100 or more spectators ran
over and watched until he was loaded
into an auto truck and whirled away
In the women's race for the Hugo
Brandels trophy Miss Amos, driving
Hudson, took the lead, followed by Mrs
H, H. BlOdgett with a Cadillac Mrs.
Eugene Silvers, with a Velie, was third
at the start and kept the position to the
close OF the race, three miles. Mrs. Otto
Nestman, with Nelle, and Miss E. Wolfe
driving a Hupmobile, followed closely.
Mrs. BIOdEett speeds Fast.
At the beginning of the second mile Miss
Amos was leading Mrs. Blodgett by fifty
yards and the latter was driving her ma
chine for all there was In II. When the
cars passed the stand the beginning
OF the third mile Mrs. Blodgett gained on
Miss Amos until only car length SEN
arated them. The crowd roared. As they
came down the home stretch it was seen
that Mrs Blodg?ett had eaten up the ear
length and still was gaining. In the very
last seconds OF the race she forged ahead
while the crowd leaped to it's feet and
cheered. Mrs Blodgett had won in 8:5l&,
with just a quarter OF a second to spare
Mrs. silvers was third, Mrs. Nestman
fourth and Miss Wolfe fifth
II. +. Fredrckson, who has been pur-
sued by hard luck in the last several
meets held on the speedway, was unable
TO secure a mechanician in the final event
the big race for the $500 Speedway Grand
trophy one mechanician having jumped
from PREDECESSORS car when he thought
1t was about 70 crash into another in the
first race, and all knowing his supreme
desire to win the grand trophy would
make him drive with absolute fearless
ness they refused to work with him
Lacking the needed weight Fredrickson
the left side Of the car would not stay
on the ground,
FFcdrickEOn in Hard Drive.
In the grand trophy race the Chadwick
held the lead against Fredrickson's ChalL
mers until the fifth mile, when Friedrich
son forged ahead amidst deafening cheers
Merrill, driving the Chadwick. forced his
car to its limit to regain the lead. but
he worked in vain. for In the eighth mile
the car caught fire ana the flames shot
back into the face Of the driver The
spectators cries filled the air and I'm a
few minutes a crowd OF men and boys was
gathered round the burning car Il was
dragged from the track and the fire ex-
tinguished. The fire did considerable
damage to the machinery and the wood
work Of the forward part OF the car
Fredrickson won the race I'm 1850, the
fastest fifteen-me time Of the speed way.
not equaled even by the Firestone- Column
bus.
In the test for the one-mile track record
for the Rome Miller cup held by the Fire
stone-Columbus, the Cadillac and the
Chadwick tied at .O6. The tie was run
off, all entrants being given opportunity
TO race. The Chalmers won in los the
Cadillac taking second, but the time did