The Washington times., 1911-11-25
WORLDS GREATEST
SPEED KINGS MEET
IN THE VANDERBILT
Pilots to Enter Motor Classic
Are Noted for Their
Daring.
BY HARRY WARD.

some OK the greatest automobile driv.
ers the world has ever produced win
take part In the big racing carnival
which begins Monday at Savannah.
Ihey are noted for their daring exploits
nj the wheels Of the speed monsters
ana nave faced death on many occasions
while plotting their machines in long
road races before cheering thousands.
Among the foreigners are Louis Was.
ner ana Victor Hemery The former.
VINO ID one Of the best Of the French
drivers. first achieved prominence by
winning the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup race.
In lSS ne won the st. Petersburg TO
Moscow race, and the same year won
the grand prize race at Savannah, de-
feating Hemery by less than half a
minute. Hemery is also Frenchman
and first became known as a racing
driver when he captured the Vanderbilt
Cup race In 1906. He won numerous
events In Europe and finished second in
both the 1908 and 1910 grand prize races
At savannah. This year he won the
French grand prize race.
Erwin Bergdoll, the PHILADELPHIA am
ateur driver, sprang into prominence by
winning the Fairmount Park race. Da-
vid Bruce Brown, another millionaire
amateur pilot, was born in New YORK
In 1887. He first raced in 1907 and thai
straightaway record at Daytona, Fla,
covering the distance in 80 3-5 seconds.
He won the grand prize race last year.
Ralph De Palma, the circular track
champion. began driving in 1908 and has
probably had the most meteoric career
OF any of the famous drivers. He has
won more than 100 races on tracks all
over the country; Although unlucky in
road races, he has driven most bril-
liantly and is dangerous factor in
the Vanderbilt.
Other famous drivers who will be seen
IN Ina action at Savannah next week are
whom competed in the first Munsey
Tour two years ago; Louis Disbrow.
! holder OF many records; Charles Basic,
anIS French ds,t. driver; liver; Harry F. Grant, the
Vanderbilt Cup race twice in success
sion; Ralph Mulford, the hero of many
contests. who was acclaimed the road
Ger Wishart. Calen Bragg and Eddie
Hearne.
The Vanderbilt cup race this year
marks to the day the sixteenth anni-
versary Of the first American automo-
bile competition-the "horseless carriaGe
contest" held in Chicago on November
81, 1895. 1t was an Interesting occasion,
that first run; amusing In some ways
to look back upon from these days of
tremendous power and speed, but most
remarkable from any point of view.
The winner, ''Duryea motor wagon
the ancestor of the Stevens-Duryea of
today, was acclaimed wonder ana
ering the fifty-four-mile course in ten
hours and twenty-three minutes. Tho
second contestant at the finish, mo-
| torcycle, was an hour and thirty-five
| minutes behind the Duryea. Two Of the
|
| circuit at all, one breaking down on the
| return trip and the other-which was
| called by the curious name Of electro
bat"-not even attempting the race. but
spin.
/ In a soggy, slushy November snow
last minute. Ave Of the eleven original
entries for that first American motor
contest. is very different proposition
from the grand prize course at Savan-
neer Duryea wagon" and its horse
less companions were really much
more marvellous than anything modern
races show.
yea himself. who had perfected the de-
sign and built the car with his own
hands, was said to have been the first
prastisai Easoisns power vehicle deXa,. siTh
wheel. ''hose-pipe" tire, rangey-looking
] open buggy with a two-cylinder gasolene
| motor In the body. One OF the unique
features of the engine. which was com.
I mented on admiringly, was the way II
| was operated by the explosion OF a
| single drop Of gasolene at a time, there
by eliminating the risk Of fire."
Upon the conclusion Of the good roads
congress in Richmond a delegation of
prominent highway officials Of various
cities and States came to Washington
| Thursday as guests Of the officers of
| the Bureau of Highways of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture and inspected Dis
trict streets and roads. They were
taken around the city in a Cadillacs,
| furnished by the Cook & Stoddard
| Company, and a Buick. furnished by
the Buick Motor Company.
In the party were A. N. Johnson. State
highway commissioner of Illinois; w.
H. Connell. of the Bronx. New York;
J. A. Johnston. district engineer of the
Massachusetts, highway commission; E.
II. Thomas, assistant engineer Of the
borough of Queens. New York; W. c.
Thomas of the Pennsylvania State
highway commission r. B. Gage, F.
w. Schmidt, I. w. Workman. and e. z.
Reed, Of the New Jersey road depart
ment, and Paul d. Sargent, B. NJ.
Pierce. and Capt. Mark Brooks Of the
Federal office of good roads.