The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-17
nine KILLED when
CAR LEAPS TRACK
r Gin G A uto m o b lie
Plunges Into Crowd
at Fair Grounds.
TRAGEDY CAUSED
BY Blu RST TIRE
In Fifty-Mile Race at Syracuse
Machine Driven by Lee Old
field Leaves Course and
Mows Down Spectators
Who Were Massed
Along Fence.
Especial TO The Times Dispatch. ]


Syracuse. \. y, September l6.-Nine
persons were killed and fourteen seri-
pusly hurt when Knox racing car.
driven by Lee Oldheld. leaped from
the track and plunged into the throng
OF spectators during the f.ftymile au
tomobile race al the State Fair
Grounds here late this afternoon. This
dead
Claude Hamil, Hnmmon. N. Y.
Fred 3. ArnuId, Ssrhcuse, y. Y.
Charles Bailnntync, Syrncuse, n. \.
Jane. Coin. Ale.andrin Bay, n. Y.
fnSctte Funk, Enrleyvilic, y. Y.
Leo Hnlpin, Syracuse. y. y.
Unidentified man. sixty years old.
Unidentified man, twenty-six years
Unidentified hoy. ten yenrs old.
Hurry Bradley, of Franklin, n. ",
In dying.
Lee OIdhcld, driver of tho car. In
fernnily injured and hns a. fractured
Peter Levnrdcs. Syracuse, n. T.,
bruised md cut
Charles Dooiey, Syracuse. n. ", In
jured hip nnd bruises.
william Minor, syratcusc. NY,
lawrence BnttemIer. Canton. o.,
siightly injured.
injured.
The accident occurred al the nrst
turn OF the track. after the speeding
autos had left the grandstand. on IN.
inside OF the oval the people were
damned against the fence. Tho racers
mad just completed the torty-third
nnne OF the race and De Palma was
leading. oldaeld was coming close
behind
Lenps From Trnck
On the FIRST turn his right t.re h,e,,
up. His machine ieaped from the
track. crashed through tho fence ana
plunged into the mass of people on the
other side. ''''
In the grandstand &c was at frs,
thought that no one had been hurt. An
announcement TO this effect was made
from the grandstand But in mo-
ment or two the shouts OF the crowd
that gathered about the scene told
the officials that the accident was a
tragedy
Calls were sent to Syracuse and
every Ambulance in the city was hur-
ried to the scene Doctors were sum
moned and score Of them and several
nurses gathered to ATTEND the injured
Vehicles in the grounds were pressed
into service as ambulnnces The in
jured We're taken to the emergency
hospital within the grounds and the
woman's building was turned into q
hospital ward.
President Taft had left the race
track less than an hour before, a fteI
witnessing the irst events.
After the twentyhfth mile in the
ffty-mile race spectators noticed that
the shoe OF tire that had burst W.
Tapping on Oldheld's big Knox car.
De Palma also was having tire
trouble and IT was thought that Lee
loldfeld kept in the race in the belief
that De Palma would be compelled to
stop. but De Palma did not stop UP
to the forty third mile 1t was noticed
that Oldheld had been shutting off his
power as he passed the grandstand
and taking the hrst turn carefully,
but on the lap before the accident &C.
Cured he opened his engine up in
passing. In this way he crept up on
De Palma
The track was not In good condi-
ton. President Taft had gone over
the track in an automobile just before
the fifty mile event vas called. II hao
been sprinkled for his trip After
ward De ralma and Burman had at
hrst refused to enter In the race be-
cause of the wet track. When the
track had dried to some extent the
race was called. Burman started With
the Others. but withdraw after few
miles.
shrieks Fiji the AR.
The race had reached the point whore
the spectators, thrilled by the perform
ances OF ths racers. crowded against
the fence De Palma and oldfeld
swept into the stretch, oldfieid trailing
the machine driven by De Palma. Sud
denly there was a sharp report Old
fields car was seen to leap into the
air 1t crashed through the fence.
Shriks filled the air as II plunged
into the crowd, One man was hurled
high in the air
People fiocked to tho scene from all
parts of the track
The dead and injured were picked
up and taken to the hospital. Priests
were on the scene and administered
the last rites to the dying. Seven per
sons died at the hospital after being
taken there.