The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-30
Speed Manlacs Are Going Wild at
indianapolis and Are Fairly
Burning up the Beau
tlfuI Track.
Goes Mile In Faster Time Than Bar
ney oldfeld Even Did it
Story From the
Track.

&-NiSA]AAN1AA S1%A0s way OU.--IldC6-I1IdQI
Indianapolis and 100000 speed fans,
gathered here from almost every city
In the United States, are laying wa
gers on the probable death
toll OF the 500-mile race-the greatest
event OF it's kind in the history of the
utomobile-that Is being held today
on the indianapolis speedway. Forty
| cars have qualified for the race, in
which $4,000 in prize money has
proved alluring bait. to the fastest
| drivers known to motor racing.
The lowering of the speedway record
! from 1858 to 1886 for one mile by
wild Bob Burman, in his Bitten
Benz, and the subsequent burning of
his Benz "140" machine, were witness
ed at the track yesterday by 5000 en-
thusiasts who were early on the scene.
Accident Comes as Climax.
4 The burning Of Burman's machine
on the track directly in front of the
grand stand came as spectacular eli
max to the general feeling of uneasi-
ness that prevailed among the specta-
tors. The crowd assembled in the gi-
gantic stand and along the track had
witnessed series of hair-breadth es-
capes in the preliminary events and
they had seen wild Bob" streak
around the oval in his Bitten Benz.
Then 1t was that Burman wheeled
out to the track the 14O horsepower
sBnz machine which he had entered for
today's race. He was sitting in the
machine and his manager, Moross, was
standing at his side when suddenly
there was puff of white smoke,
which for moment enveloped the
racing car and its occupants The
, crowd leaned forward and as though
posses of one great voice, cried
: Fire"
5 Another moment and thousands
: were clambering over the ratings ant
!. onto the course. But Burman and hi.
h manager already were in action
n Cropping blindly about in the gasoline
+ smoke laden blanket they dug theil
t hands into the soft dirt at the side O
r the course. Assisted by Others gath
: cred about the machine they threw
heaping handfuls of earth on TIL,
blaze. One of the volunteer fire fight
ers partly demolished a garden ii
; front of the Judges stand, GOVERN,
the hood of the Benz machine Will
plants of various descriptions.
Damage VIII be Repaired.
carburetor, was extinguished only al
u ter the car had been so severel
Q crippled that Burman's manager pre-
. dicted 1t could not be repaired i
g time for the race Later, however
a. after four mechanicians had worke
y over the racer. it was believed tn
e car would be gotten into shape.
u So far as the mornings preliminar
u tests were concerned, Burman insiste
N on commanding the lime light, Hi
u smashing of the 1858 mile record fc
p the speedway, made last Memorial da
y in the same machine by Barney Oh,
field, was not received as a great SUI
t prise, though faster time was mad
t. by wild Bob than had been expec
IN ed.
v Since the Oldfield record the trac
IN has been tuned up a great deal b,
Id there were those in the crowd whe
at Burman awaited the signal in front
I'd the grand stand who thought he cou
ne not chop much off the Oldfeld re
ar ord
In his low. white machine, Burma
~ circled the track three times befo
Of the judges held their watches for Il
% one mile squirt Time was taken iu
Oh as the racer rounded death curve
ry and the machine with the speed
chain lightning shot down the cours
like a bullet from the muzzle of
high calber gun.