Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-06-01
Thrills Attend 500 Mile Event
in indianapolis.
DEATH, DEMENTIA AND PANIC
Spectators in Grandstand and Around
Course Witness Several Horrors
During Seven Hours Racers
Whizzed by Before Them.

1ndianapolis-The international $780,
mile automobile race was won by Ray
Harroun, in q Marmon 32
When Starter Joe Wagner waved
the flag over Harroun as he passed
under the wire, thus declaring him
victor, the crowd went wild, rushed
out on the track, took the driver from
the car and carried him about the
course on their shoulders
Ralph milford, in a Lozier, No 80,
was a close second, and David Bruce
Brown, in a Fiat, was third Wishart.
i'll Mercedes, was fourth, Dr. Palma,
in a Simplex, fifth, Charles Merz, in
a National, sixth, W. H. Turner. in an
Amplex, No. ~, seventh, Harry Cobe,
in Jackson No. %, eighth, Fred Belch-
er, in Knox No. Is, ninth, Hughie
Hughes, in a Mercer, No. 26, tenth,
Lee Frazer, in Firestone No 80,
eleventh, and Gil Anderson, in
Stutz No. 10, was twelfth.
The time for the 500 miles was
6:41:8, an average of close to seventy
as figured by the official scorers.
Collision, sudden death, dementia,
serious injury and panic were features
of the race. Car drivers of national
reputation struggled for the aggregate
of $4,000 in prizes, and a crowd Of
stand, or sweltered in the sun around
the course as the grind continued for
more than seven hours.
Notwithstanding the horrors of the
day the race is pronounced to have
teen great success and around the
theme of all conversation.
The first accident occurred as the
thirtieth mile of the race was being
turned by Arthur Greiner, in an Am
rleX No. A, both rear tires exploding
at the same instant. The car skidded
twenty-five feet, both rear wheels were
torn off and the car turned over, crush
ing S. P Dickson, the mechanician, to
death under the wreckage and throw
ing Greiner some distance on the
brick pavement. He was seriously in
jured. Greiner is millionaire from
Chicago and Dickson is the son of a
Chicago newspaper man.
The most sensational accident of the
day occurred in front of the grand
stand when four cars were wrecked
and Harry knight and John Glover
were injured. The Case No. s, coming
oh, r.
ersberger and his mechanician, L. An
derson. broke a steering knuckle and
crashed into cement wall. The car
rebCunded to the center Of the track
with crushed wheels and Anderson fell
directly in the roadway.
Harry knight, in his Westcott, who
was the closest to No. s, turned out
toward the judges stand to avoid
striking the PROSTATE mechanician,
and his car skidded sideways at great
speed.
At the pits, near the south end were
Lytle's car and Eddie HeGrne's Fiat
No. IS, which had stopped because of
tire trouble Knights car crashed
into them with such terrific force that
No IS and 50 were dragged along to
the roadway opposite the gate.
The impact caused No. to turn
over, throwing knight and his mechan-
ician, Glover, some distance. In the
meantime Starter Wagner was risk
ing his life in the center of the track
checking the flyers. However, when
it was seen that all the wrecked cars
were free of the course, he waved the
others ahead and the drivers were
once more tearing around like mad,
trying to make up for the time lost,
The accident to the AmpleX that re-
suited in the instant death of S. P.
Dickson, mechanician, wrought up the
crowd, and when LoZier car No. 81,
driven by Teddy Tetzlaff, was seen to
yeeT in front Of another car the specta-
tors gasNed. There was a crash and
the Lozier was overturned Tetzlaf's
mecEanician, David Lewis, suffered a
broken leg, but Tetzlaff was only
bruised.
Bob Evans, a relief driver, in charge
of Jackson car No. %, was thrown out
and had an ankle broken when his ma
chine skidded over the edge of the
track He became crazed from nerve
collapse.