The Washington times., 1911-09-17
SPEED HAZARD N
AUTOMOBILE RACES
MARKED BY DEATHS
Oldfeld Syracuse Accident
Emphasizes Danger to
Drivers.
By HARRY WARD.

That automobile track racing 10 haz5
ardous sport as compared with relia.
bility tours IL shown by the tragedy
yesterday at Syracuse, when Lee Old
field, driving a high-speed racing car,
crashed into the fence, killing nine per-
Fons and injHing many others
Oldfeld will be remembered as the
driver Of. the pilot car In the Munsey
Historic. Tour last year. This tour,
which was the biggest automobile event
Of the year In the East, was run with
out a single accident. Tommy skeggS,
Lewis Strang. and Walter DonnelIy,
three men who drove cars in the Num-
scy tour, have since met violent deaths
while driving racing cars. and Old
fields accident yesterday may cripple
him for life.
That the American Automobile Assoc
citation, the governing body Of automo-
bile sports. will put a ban on automo-
bile racing on dirt tracks, Is expected by
many followers of the game. Yester-
days tragedy has stirred up IN the
minds Of the public q feeling Of antipa-
thy to this form of sport, and II the
automobile makers who support racing
and the association that makes and en-
forces the rules do not do something to
stop the slaughter Of drivers and spec
tators the Legislatures Of the various
States may take a hand in the matter.
1t Is known that almost a ma jority OF
the automobile makers are opposed to
these dirt track events because the re-
suits do not prove anything. Track
racing on mile and half mile courres
formerly used for horse racing has not
ranked high in the estimation Of the
public during the last year or two.
There have been too many dukes ana
fascos in connection with them, to say
nothing Of the loss Of life, and 1t IS
probable that automobile racing may
be restricted to the big road events ana
to the speedways, where the public
may be given protection.
W. S. Macdonald, Of Miller Brothers,
has returned from an extensive trip
through the West. during which he
visited the Velie factory at Moline, Ill,
and the Ford factory at Detroit Il
found both plants working overtime in
an endeavor to catch up with the flood
of orders pouring in on them from
dealers all over the country" said Mr..
Macdonald.
Bruce Emerson and James Orme, OF
Emerson & Orme. left yesterday for
Kokomo, Ind, where they will visit the
Apperson factory and arrange for
large shipment Of 1872 Apperson cars
They will also visit the Detroit electric
factory before returning.
Driven with consummate skill ana,
care by Howard Bauer. an Oakland 40-
horsepower runabout won the Enos
trophy, a sweepstakes prize offered for
the best score in the annual SOO-nille re- ,
liability run Of the Buffalo Automobile
Club. The score OF the Oakland, ac-
cording to advices received by the Pope
Automobile Company. agents for the
Oakland in this city, was perfect on
the road and received only eight points
penalty in the final technical examina-
tion. "Bauer won the most convincing
and complete reliability victory OF the
ysar said lanes run M0lSn; Mss oi tss uenRs IGRs
contest from start to finish and was
watched closely by the officials OF the
American Automobile Association. TO
have won a contest Of such magnitude
sentative class Of cars as participated'
reflects great credit on the Oakland
New automobile agencies are being
established in this city from time to
has been placed with w. P. Barnhart,
who has secured quarters at 1910 Four
teenth street. Mr.. Barnhart has had
wide experience in the automobile busi-
ness. He was formerly district man
eyer for the Metzger Motor Car COM
pany, makers of the Everitt, In New
England. He has also been identified
With a number of other leading automo-
bile concerns. Mr.. Bernhart Il en-
thusiaestic ever the 1912 Everitt line,
and is confident a big season is ahead
Of him. washington ID a particularly
inviting field" said Mr.. Barnhart, "and
With the. fine line the Everitt makers
are turning out this year, I am sure
my allotment Of cars will be disposed
OF with little trouble" Mr.. Barnhart
has the Everitt agency In the surround
ing States, and will leave tomorrow on
a trip around the circuit to arrange for
subagencies in the territory no con-
trolls.