Evening star., 1911-08-27
DEATH IN AUTO RACE
Buck and Mechanician Killed
When Car Turns Over.
TRAGEDY ON ELGIN TRACK
Accident Caused by Front Wheel
Throwing Tire.
LEN ZENGEL WINS CONTEST
Covers 3O5.O5 Miles in 4 Hours
35 Minutes 80 Sec
onds.
EN- zENGEL WINS CONTEST
Elgin National Trophy.
Distance, 3O5.OS miles.
First, Len Zengel. 4.35.39.
Second, p. r. Grant, 4.41.5S.
Third, Hugh Hughes, 4.42.O9.
Zengel's average, 88.45 miles an
hour.

ELGIN, ILL.,, August 26.-The 305-mile
road race today, won by Leon Zengal In
a National. with Parry Grant second
and Hugh Hughes third, was not accom-
plished without its toll of death and in
juries.
Dave Buck. the veteran Chicago auto
mobile racer. was within eleven laps of
the finish and going at the rate of sixty
four miles an hour on the back stretch,
when his right forward wheel threw
tire. The machine turned a complete
somersault. and Sam Jacobs. the
mechanician. was killed instantly, his
neck being broken.
Bucks back was broken. He was taken
to st. Joseph Hospital, where he died
tonight.
The body of young Jacobs was taken
to an undertaking establishment in the
city of Elgin.
Thirty Hurt When Seats Fall.
Another accident In which thirty per-
sons were injured, mostly slightly. oc-
CURED shortly after II o'clock. while the
first lap of the race was on, several sec
tions of the insecurely built circus seats
giving way. thousand or more per-
sons were precipitated to the ground.
When the stringers by which the seats
were supported gave way the boards
spread out like a pack of cards care
lessly thrown on a table apd the spec
tators were shunted into huddle at the
| bottom. Four of them sustained broken
| legs, among these being a daughter of
| Senator Lorimer. but the others escaped
| with cuts and bruises. The injured were
cared for at the field hospital.
From time to time during the remain
der of the day warnings were shouted
| through megaphOneS to the remaining
spectators not to jump to their feet in
moments of excitement to avoid possi-
| BILE repetition Of the stand accident Many
| left the grounds after the accident, fear
| ing to trust themselves further.
| The ten cars on the course were stopped
| soon as they reached the repair pit, but q
new start was made fifty minutes after
the hour at which they originally sped on
| their way.
Mulford Sets Hot Pace.
Ralph Mulford, whose Lozier was the
last away and who won the race last
| year, set a terrific pace at once. For
| fifty-nine miles he drove at the rate of
sixty mine miles an hour, leading the field
| by a good six minutes. On the next lap,
however, he went out of the race with a
burnt connect1ng-rod bearing
This placed Len Zengel in first position.
with Parry Grant two minutes behind
him. 1t was in this relation that they
| finished. although Grant lost two minutes
when he stopped to change tires. Zengel
made but two stops. both for gasoline and
| oil.
Hugh Hughes, the Mercer driver. who
won the Kane county cup yesterday, ran
another consistent race finishing third
| He stopped but once for gasoline and was
closely pressing Grant for second place at
| the finish. He lost by eleven seconds.
| Zengers time averaged for the race four
miles an hour faster than that set by
Mulford last year. Grant and Hughes
also averaged nearly that much faster.
Mulford secured the Prize for The fastest
| lap, covering the eisat and cne- half mlieS
in minutes IA seconds.
Forced to Withdraw.
Ralph De Palma and Spencer Wishart
Simplex drivers, went out of the race
early, the former in the second lap with
| a broken fly wheel, and the latter in the
fifth with a broken connecting rod. Ait
| ken, who was at the steering post of a
National, retired in the third lap with
cylinder trouble. Buck had tire trouble
| from the start and dropped steadily be-
hind for this reason until his accident
| put him out of the running for good.
Summary:
Elgin national trophy for cars under 900
| inches displacement; prizes and cash valued at
| {6 500 to- winner. Distance, 305.O5 miles, lap
| Sla miles.
| Position. Driver Car. Time.
First, Len Zengel, National ..... .4:35:J9
Second, P. r. Grant,. Alec 4:4l :5S
Third, Hugh Hughes, Mercer ....-. .4:42:O3
Fourth, Frank Lee, Alec (2I1
| miles, ..4:45:45
Fifth, Dave Buck Pope Hartford
| t203 miles,. B 1926
Sixth. II. Hartman, Alec q69