New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-03
NE PALMA WINS THE
VANDERBILT CUP
Darjnu Driver HurIS His Car
Over Course at Sixty-nine
Miles an Hour.
NO ACCIDENTS MAR RACE
Hughes and Wishart Finish
Second and Third Before a
Cheering Crowd of Sixty
Thousand Persons.

Wauwatosa Race Course. wis, Oct. D.
Ralph De Palma, driving true TO the
form and luck which he exhibited at
Elsln q month ago, with Mercedes car
VOL the eighth running of the classic
vanderbilt Cup automobile race from a
deld Of eight starters over the new Wau-
,Tatosa road course here to-day. His
tir1c was hours 90 minutes :54 Sec
onds for a distance of 299 miles 2,764 feet.
This represented a speed of sixty-nine
miles an hour, or FIVE miles per hour
slower than last years Vanderbilt Cup
race AT Savannah.
DE- Palma won by 40 40 seconds from
Hughie Hughes. driving a Mercer Special
after Teddy Tetzlaff had led through the
first half OF the race and then had been
forced 10 withdraw because of engine
trouble. Spencer Wishsrt, with Mer-
cedes car. was third and Gil Anderson,
driving a stu;z. fourth. Only these four
cars finished the race.
Ralph Milford was eliminated early IN
the struggle by broken magnetic. Tetz-
iaY went out after he had acted as pace
maker for the first one hundred and fifty
miles. because OF the breaking OF the
bearings in the driving shaft Of his Fiat
car Gil Anderson, driving a Stntz. and
Harry Nelson, with a LOzier car, never
had chance 20 win, Barring accidents TO
the leaders.
Tetzlaff furnished the feature OF the
first portion Of the race, frequently aver
aging q speed Of seventy-five miles an
hour for repeated laps. He drove the
fastest Jap Of the day in minutes ie
seconds for the 7.Ss-mile course.
A crowd estimated at more than sixty
thousand persons was ranged around the
course at advantageous points FOR sight
seeing.
The race was run without serious acct.
dent. although II had been said that the
course was dangerous.
In addition to the costly Vanderbilt cup
De Palma won 5000 In cash from the pro-
moters Of the race meeting and large
sum from the manufacturers Of acces-
Eories
Hughes, in second place. earned 5000
and manufacturers prizes. Wishart
took 81 200 AS his end OF the purse and Gil
Anderson won 900 as fourth money.
The shadow OF the frightful accident in
practice yesterday, when David Bruce
Brown was killed, hung over the crowd
until the excitement Of the struggle and
the plunging machines drove all other
thoughts from the mind.
When the winner crossed the finishing
line a tumultuous roar cannoned along
the densely packed files Of spectators
now a heaving mass OF madly excited HUI
Inanity. De Palma took his victory with
his usual GOODNESS, but undoubtedly was
gratihed by the cheers which told how
popular winner he was.
De Palma was the first away. and set
the pace for close to one hundred miles.
when Teddy Tetzlaff raced 10 the front.
The latter soon gained six minutes on
De Palma. but TO do IL he had TO burn
Up the track TO such an extent that II
was doubted his car could last. The
doubts proved well founded. The plucky
Californian had knocked seventy-two
miles an hour out of his Fiat car. ana
was still forcing the pace. when In the
twenty-sixth lap his engines gave out
They were burned to crisp.
Wishart made a gallant bid for second
place while Tetzlaff was still In the race.
For a brief while he passed De Palma
the latter was changing tires-but dropped
back to a close third. and then gave
way to Hughie Hughes. who drove
cautious and steady pace throughout the
race. Gil Anderson, In stutz, and
George Clark. in Mercedes, tried hard
for places until defeat was Inevitable
Altogether, the race was gamely con-
tested with numerous brilliant flashes
Of generalship and speed. forced from
the cars up TO the final point of safe y.
II was noticeable. however. that there
was q careful avoidance Of reckless rae
ing as the cars came close together.
Heads were kept cool even in the excite
1nent of the great trophy at stake. And
after the race was over there were many
profound regrets for the gallant driver
who had been killed only the day before
in practice.
The track was In splendid condition, and
the immensely of the crowds exceeded
all expectations. Each driver had host
Of friends TO cheer him as he came into
view, and ell through the race II was
one wave OF wild enthusiasm after an
other, until the final roar came with the
victory of De Palma