The searchlight., 1911-09-22
AUTO KILLS TEN.
Lee oloelEIp's KNOX CAR
LEAPS THE TRACK At
SYRACUSE.
De PALMA wins THE RACE
TAFT Had Left the Spot Only Hail an
Hour eefore-PeeuIiar Hydro
plane Accident at
Buffalo.

Syracuse. New York. Ten per-
sons are dead and at least fourteen
are seriously injured as the result of
an accident during the fifty-mile auto.
mobile race at the fair grounds, when
Knox car. driven by Lee Oldfeld,
leaped from the track and plunged
into the throng of spectators on the
ten persons were killed outright and
the four others died soon after.
the three others died soon after.
DePalma, in a Simplex. broke two
worlds records. In the fifty-mile race,
DePalma made the record for both
twenty-five and fifty miles. the times
respectively being 23:15:15 and
41:2l:65. He also won the ten-mile
event for cars under GOO cubic inches
piston displacement. Burman broke
the state fair track record. going a
mile in 4S:S2.
The accident occurred at the first
turn OF the track after leaving the
grandstand. On the inside of the oval
the people were jammed against the
fence. The racers had just completed
the forty-third mile OF the race and
DePalma was leading. Oldfeld was
close behind.
Right Tire Blows Up.
On the first turn his right tires blew
up. His machine flew from the track.
crashed through the fence. and plunged
into the mass of people on the other
side. The injured were taken to the
emergency hospital within the grounds
and the women's building was turned
into hospital ward. President Taft
had left the race track less than an
hour before, after Witnessing the first
events.
For nearly twenty miles snectators
declared Oldfield had been driving his
car with one Of the shoes tapping in
the hope OF beating out DePalma.
However. ii is said, his manager. in.
stead OF stopping him. had urged him
to increase speed. In spite OF the fact
that II quickly became known that
many had been killed and injured, the
officials in charge refused to call Off
the race and the last few miles were
run while hundreds thrOnged the track.
oldfeld, who is in a city hospital.
soon as he RECEIVERS will be arrested.
Boat Leaps From Water: Hurts Three.
Buffalo. n Y. - Dixie w. Freder-
ick X. Burnham's speedy hydroplane.
which defended the Harmsworth cup
at Huntington, l.. l., and won the
championship of the United States,
lies wreck on narrow ridge OF
rock between the Niagara river and
the Erie canal of Riverside park. The
Dixie was leading in a race for the
Great Lakes championship and was
speeding at the rate OF thirty-nine
miles an hour when the accident oc.
CURED, which resulted in the wreck
and the serious injury Of three spec.
tators.
The Dixie was rounding the upper
stake boat when something went
wrong with her steering gear. She
careened for a moment and then
headed for the shore. When Mr.. Burn
ham saw the boat was beyond control
he shouted warning to his crew. but
chung to the wheel, striving to bring
her about.
The Dixie leaped entirely out OF the
water and dashed into the crowd on
shore which was slow to scatter when
the boat headed toward them.
The Dixie's bottom is shattered and
her engines apparently are badly dam.
aged. The race for the Great Lakes
championship was won by the Gretch-
en- II, owned by John II. Hubbard of
Pittsburg. The Courier, ii. the prop
erty OF William ]. Connors OF Buffalo.
finished second. with La Truda, owned
by Harry T. Var Of Buffalo, third.