The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-05-26


I r. r.. Hooper, president of the Ameri
can Automobile association Is the hon.
orary official in that capacity. Judges
and other officials have been chosen
from among the most prominent man
ufacturers and automobile men in the
middle west.
The method. which would be EN-.
ployed to start this event, has been
difficult for the promoters to decide.
The speedway management finally ad-
outed the plan of firing daylight bombs
which explode $50 feet in the air and
give forth a dense cloud of smoke. One
of these will be fired every minute for
five minutes before ten o'clock and at
the stroke of ten special starting
bomb will give the signal that will
send the entire field into one of the
greatest races ever known. After the
start the contestants are signalled
along the course by means of colored
flags each of which bears some spe-
cial meaning which the drivers un-
derstand. The cars will be started in
nine lines of five cars each, placed at
intervals of 100 feet back of the wire.
Scoring and timing of forty-six fast
cars on course but two and half
miles in length means the devising of
an entirely new system. In order to
score and time the race accurately
more than 100 men will be used
throughout the seven hours, with so
others as relief men to the regular
The eye is the only part of
man depended upon to aid in this task,
while mechanical and electrical devices
have been called upon to perform the |
greater part of the work. An electri- !
cal timing machine, which divides the |
into hundredths, will catch !
each car as it passes the wire on every
lap, while battery of four adding
machines will be used to record the
than $80O,000.
number of cars as they pass. Two
will carry the record of
The car numbers in the order in which
hey fit by the stand. This last record
will have the story of the entire race
n human voice, the first time this has
ever meen attempted
Reinforcing this squad of mechani-
,al workers will be four score boards.
Zach 100 feet in length and each en-
'loying more than 20 men to operate
t. These will catch each car as it
'asses the wire and credit it with a
ap each time it crosses. A telephone
ystem, which has more than twenty
Instruments attached, will convey in
ormation to score of announces in
il parts of the grounds and the visit :
ng throng will be informed of the
tatus of the race every ten miles of
is progress.
Preparations have been made for :
andling a crowd of 100000. Parking /,
pace for 10000 automobiles has been
rovided.
In order to prevent accidents to the
pectators, 300 men are employed. A !.
Military organization, known as the
peedway guard is composed of 200 :
len, These militiamen guard every +
oadway and gate so that the track :
as been termed fool proof" In adj :,
ltion, 100 police and plain clothes =
zen watch the throng throughout the
ay. A mounted squad aids in direct :,
g the crowds to their proper places. :,
known as ''the greatest race course =,
the world" the speedway has been :,
great center of attraction for motor.
is even when there was no event in =
'ogress. The grounds contain 323 !
res, all enclosed within a high board :,
nee, and every corner attended bv
ndscape gardeners. There are 49 :,
lildings on the grounds, including "a,
RACES and grandstands. Flower gar !
ms and shrubbery dot the entire y,
ict. The track is two and one-half =
lies in length and required six
)nths to construct, at cost of more
an $15O,0OO The entire racing 90
INT, as it stands today. cost more n.
all
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