Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1911-09-22

I At $50, as De Palma and Oldfield
rounded the turn into the forty-third
mile, Oldfield had crept up upon his
opponent until his car was nosing the
rear of De Palma's machine. De Pal
ina swept around the first quarter Of
this mile. Scarcely a yard behind
came Oldtield, and as the latter ran
well into the quarter there as loud re-
port. The spectators saw Oldfield's
machine leap into the air for a few
feet, then settle back on its four
wheels. continue its mad pace, and
then crash squarely into the fence,
which separated dense crowd from
the course.
Men, women, and children struggled
to get out of it's track, and some were
successful, the car speeding past
them at distance of less than a few
inches. Those unhurt We're piled one
on top OF the other heap Of scram-
bling, screaming humanity, fanking
the wrecked car.
The screams Of the injured and the
cries Of the terrified people who es-
capped were heartrending Doctors
from all parts of the great crowd,
which was estimated at $4,000, the
largest that ever paid it's way into a
Syracuse fair, hurried to the scene to
give aid to the injured. There was
plenty of work for all to do. The in
jured We're taken in hand and as fast
as ambulances arrived We're hurried to
the Emergency Hospital on the fair
grounds.
The car ran twenty feet before it
stopped. Oldfeld was thrown out and
he was unconscious when help reach
ed him. The car, when its progress
was checked, turned on it's side. One
mans body was hurled into the air
and landed in the crowd some feet
from the place where it struck A boy
was decapitated.
Unaware that the accident had been
serious De Palma, who had been start
| led by the explosion as Oldfield's car
left the track, kept on racing. Though
the officials We're aware that specta-
tors had been killed they refused to
call off the event, and De Palma fin
ished the fiftieth mile. Police arrange
| ments were inadequate, and after the
accident the crowd broke bounds and
many crossed the track while De Pal
ma was still speeding on That no
one was killed in doing so was a mira
Gle
1t is the general impression that the
disaster will sound the knell of motor
car racing on the State Fair tracks
That De Palma did not figure in the
smash-up is regarded as remarkable
Almost Immediately after crossing the
finishing line, one of his rear tires eX-
ploded, but no damage was done
In the absence of Lieut.. Gov. Con
way, Mr.. Pearson, the State Commits
sioner of Agriculture, is acting as
President of the Fair Commission, and
he presided at a meeting held at the
Fair Grounds.
Was Attorney General Carmody
asked to rule as to the liability of the
State for damages to the injured and
to relatives of those killed?" Commits
sioner Pearson was asked.
He was asked to consider the ac-
cident in all its phases" was the re-
| ply.
! Asked if the accident would result
in the elimination of motor car racing
as one Of the attractions at the State
Fair, Commissioner Pearson said he
should imagine that it would stop al,
such races on circular tracks.
Donald Davidson of this city, an eye
witness of the catastrophe, said:
THE last time Oldfeld circled the
track before the crash came | noticed
that something was wrong with his
steering gear When he went past us
it was evident that the wheel and post
were loose, as they would jump sew
eral inches, and he had difficulty in
hanging onto the wheel. After he
went past on the last lap / told the
man next to me that it would be
strange if something didn't happen"
when the three cars made the
turn, almost in front of us, Odfield, |
think, was nearest the inside fence,
but all three We're punched. When he
came into sight the right front wheel
did not respond to the steering wheel,
but remained at an angle pointing to
4 the right while the left front wheel
turned as it should Just then the car
slowed across the track and hit the
fence at an angle, tearing right
through into the crowd"