The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-09-11
CYCLE CAUSE DEATH
MACHINE PLUNGES into CROWD
and KILLED SIX
MANY OTHERS ARE HURT

Going Ninety-two Miles
an Hour, Leaves the Track of Mo-
tordome, Dashing Into Helpless
Spectators and Throwing the Rider
Fifty Feet Into the Air.
An awful accidents which caused
the death of several people happened
at Newark N. j., on Sunday after
noon, when Eddie Hasha, of Waco,
Texas, holder of several worlds rec
ords for motorcycle racing, plunged
over the rail of the course at the new
motordome and into q crowd causing
the death of six persons, including
himself, while six are dying and thir-
teen are badly injured.
The only two of the dead positively
identified up to a late hour Sunday
were Hasha and Johny Albright, a
Denver motorcyclist, who was riding
third in the race. The other four
dead were boys and young men
among the spectators. Five thous-
and spectators were witnessing the
finish of four mile, free-for-all race
when the daring Texan rider doing
90 miles an hour, took his fatal
plunge.
He was riding high on the bank Of
the track when the Whee lof MS
heavy machine swerVed and struck
the upper rail. He was pitched head
first so feet into the air. He is pc
lieved to have been instantly killed
in the collision. His body was shape
less from brokon benes when it was
picked up almost at the meet OF his
wife, seated among men and oys IN
the bleachers. Albright was thrown
headfirst in tn eother direction into
tse enclosure ot the track when
the champions wheel came ssldlng
down the steep bank and struck him.
He was picked up for dead, but he
lived in an unconscious. state for
none than two hours after removal
| to a hospital. He finally sdcclmbed
to hemorrhage Of the lungs.
The spectators injured were mainly
the men and boys who were leaning
| over the rail yelling encouragement
to the riders when Hasha came tear
ing into their midst Some Of the
spectators were hurled high into the
air and landed in the laps OF those
seated behind. A scene Of panic
among the spectators generally fol
lowed the tragedy.
The stadium where the accident
occurred is in Vailsburg, a subrb OF
Newark, where bicycle and motor
cycle racing has been a great fac
this year. The season has been mark
led by number Of accidents, bott
there and at Brighton Beach, bu1
never in the history o fits racing has
such a casualty list been recorded az
was Sunday.
Six riders started in the free-for
all, which. was the last event on thu
programme. 1t was a handicap even
with .Hasha and Ray Seymour OF Lo'
Angeles, an old rival for premie
track honors, each starting forr
scratch. Ray Peck, another Los An
geles rider started at the quarte'
mile mark and Albright, the Denve
rider, and Frank King and John Kin,
Of Newark wer eeach given two rrl
Flaps handicap. The track Is a quar-
ter mile and circular.
/ At the crack of the pistol Hash;
leaped ahead of Seymour. After 81:
rounds OF the course, during whicl
| his rival had eaten his smoke, tn
pair evened up and IN another lal
| Seymour passed Hasha, with a te
Irric burst Of speed. By varying mar
gins Seymour kept the lead until tn
last lap. The railing was lined fou
eep with men and boys urging Hash
to overtake his rival. Just at the com
Imencement of the last lap the cham
Ipion tried to satisfy the crowd by
desperate effort. The leader ran hig
/ on the track, leaving narrow spac
, for Hasha to pass, but the latter trie
lit. It was then that he sruck tn
Irail. Whether he really lost contro
of the machine or merely misjudge
the nearness Of his run to the rail !
a matter of dispute among the wit
nesses.
The sprocket of Hasha's wheel wa
|. losened by the collision and wen
sailing into the crowd. Witnesses sa
that 1t literally tore off the skull O
a little boy who had been one Of tn
most excited enthusiast sat the race
In addition to those injured a
IHasha was hurled against them, ma
ny persons fell and were trampled Ii
the the first few seconds Of the viii
scramble among the spectators.
j Seymour kept control of his ma
chine and notwithstanding the excite
ment, and was riding to safety Whe,
Hasha's wrecked machine came slid
ling down the track. The bank
iof a fifty degree angle all the wa
laround Albright, the first of tn
lrearward riders, who was making
great effort to catch the leaders, wa
struck by the Hasha machine and re
lceived fatal injuries. He went owe
into a heap in the enclosure, Will
his machine ran riderless for 100 fee
or more.
OF the injured spectators ten wer
unconscious when aid reached them
Two died befor ereaching the opera
ting table at the hospital and tw
Others as the surgeons were about t.
work over them.
Mrs. Hasha was sitting with Sey
mour's wife chatting and laughin
over the closeness Of the race thei
Husbands were running when the &C
cident occurred. Both women becam
hysterical after the tragedy and wer
Iremoyed to the city hospital for treat
|ment.
Hasha sprang into fame as a motor
cyclist at Los Angeles last Februar.
when he was given credit for neV
records in the one, two three ant
four mile events. On the Newark
track last month be bettered the mill
lrecord again, travelling the distance
in 1925 seconds.