The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-10-04
A DARING MOTORIST
IS KILLED IN CRASH
DAVID BRUCE-BROWN LOSES LIFE
AT MILWAUKEE.
Tire Blews Out While Car is Making
Speed of 80 Miles an Hour
Nechanician Injured.

Mechanician Injured.
Milwaukee, Oct. david Bruce
Brown, wealthy young New York
sportsman, lost his life. and his
mechanician, Tony Scudalari, was IA
tally injured as the result OF an &C
cident on the new WauWatosa automo-
bile race course today on the eve OF
the eighth running of the VanderDllt
cup race
Bruce-Brown was driving his high
powered Fiat car 80 miles an hour
when a rear left tire blew out. The
heavy car swerved into a ditch and
then men and machine were cata-
quilted diagonally across the road and
into a field. The men were thrown
clear of the car which was hurled
high into the air. 1t fell tangled
heap of wreckage.
Bruce-Brown's skull was fractured,
his lett leg was broken and he suffer
ed internal injuries. The top OF Sou
6alari's skull was crushed, his right
arm broken and his body seriously
torn.
Died in Hospital.
The daring young driver died at
Trinity hospital of hemorrhage of the
brain three hours after the accident,
having only partly regained conscious
ness for a few minutes. Surgeons had
trephined his skull on both sides in
an effort to save his life.
Caleb Bragg, Bruce-Brown's close
friend, Ralph De Palma, Teddy Tetz-
laff and other well known drivers
stood weeping in the hospital corridor,
as Bruce-Brown was wheeled from
the operating room to private ward.
The hospital authorities withheld news
of his death for an hour.
According to Bragg, an experienced
automobile race driver, the narrow
course here was partly responsible
for the death of Bruce-Brown. He
says that on wider road the young
driver could have righted the car af-
ter it had sWerved when the tire blew
out.
Was Terror on Turns
Much of Bruce-Brown's fame came
by his ability to take turns at speed
other drivers feared and was to a
large extent responsible for his rise
from helper in the Fiat camp during
the first running of the Grand PriX
race at Savannah to pilot of the win
ming car in the renewal of the same
race two years later over the same
course
Exceptions to the statements that
the narrow course was largely re-
sponsible for the accident were taken
by officers of the Milwaukee Auto
mobile Dealers association under
whose auspices the races here are TO
be run. Referee A R. Harrington
also declared the blame for the ac-
eident could not be placed on the
course.
"The accident was unavoidable, ="
said Mr.. Harrington, "and the track
is nowise to blame. 1t is in excel
lent condition The casting Of the
tire would have upset any machine
travelling at that speed no matter how
excellent the course was"
Had Set Record.
The accident occurred while Bruce
Brown was few yards behind Teddy
Tetzlaff in another Fiat car. Bruce
Brown had just driven the fastest
lap of the days trials and had set a
new record of five minutes, SO $40
seconds for the 7.S mile course. He
was endeavoring to better this record
and had just attempted to pass Tetz-
laff when the crash came.
Tetzlaff declared he did not hear
the tire explode but missed Bruce
Brown behind him as he slowed down
to take the graveyard" turn. TetZ-
laff at once reported browns out" to
patrol judges at the stands. Mean
while Geo. Clark, one Of the Mercedes
drivers, discovered the plight of
Bruce-Brown and Scudalari and tele-
phoned for an ambulance from near
by farm house, after giving first aid
to the injured man.
Send for Mother.
While the surgeons were working
over Bruce-Brown at the hospital, a
half-dozen friends of the young driver
were making repeated efforts to reach
his mother by long distance telephone
at Mrs. Bruee-BrowR's country place,
Islip, Long Island, and at her town
house in east Seventieth street, New
York. Messages were sent to Browns
brother in New York, and to other
relatives. Tonight advices were re-
ceived here stating that Mrs. Bruce
Brown, accompanied by other rela-
tives, had started for Milwaukee.
Bruce-Brown had been in Milwau-
kee only two hours and 20 minutes
when the accident occurred. He ar
rived from New York, accompanied
by his manager, w. W. Kliesrata, and
Caleb Bragg. Today was the first time
he had gone around the course since
the early trials more than 2 week ago.