The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-01
De PALMA WINS
BIG ELG|N Event.
Hard Finish Marks Big Western cias-
sic at Eigin Yesterday Wien De-
Palma Wins IN a
Mercedes.
ONLY ONE ACCIDENT
Two Days Racing Ends With no aFa-
talities and Only One Accident
to Drivers In 300
Mile Race.
ONLY ONE ACCIDENT.

ELGIN, III. Aug. s31.-Two days of
automobile racing without a fatality,
and with only one near-serious mis-
hap, closed late this afternoon at
the Elgin road races course, and to-
night this town is astir with post
race festivities and thousands OF mo-
tor enthusiasts are departing for
their homes. They saw this afternoon
one of the closest and hardest fought
races since the automobile became a
speed factor, when Ralph De Palma,
driving a Mercedes, won the big free
for-all event, his second win for the
day. He had annexed the first prize
in the Elgin National Watch trophy
in the same machine earlier In the af-
ternoon.
Until the start of the last lap-SA
miles around the race course, the
free-for-al s1,750 prize belonged to
Erwin Bergdoll. He had driven his
Benz consistently in front of the rest
OF the cars throughout the race, with
De Palma and Ralph Mulford in a
Knox fighting hard for second honors.
AT the end of the tfirty-tifth lap-tlre
next to the last circle Bergdoll
burned up his right rear tire and pull
ed up to the pit This gave the race
to De Palma although his victory was
not assured until it was seen that
William Chandler, Mulford's mecIan-
ician was not keeping up the pace that
the veteran had kept until he was
lifted from his seat, exhausted, at the
end of the thirty-third lap. The heat,
coupled with the neryefacking grind.
had proved too much for milford and
he was almost helpless when he was
Earried into hospital tent and his
mechanician took the wheel to com
plete the race. Bergdoll passed Chand-
Ter on the last lap and took second
place, the Knox car taking third.
De Palma's time for the 3O5 miles
and 2O4 feet in the free-for-all was
four hours, % minutes and So sec
onds. His average was 6S.4 miles
an hour This set new mark for
the average miles an hour for the
Elgin course. Bergdoll's time was
4:30:2S and Mulford's car finished in
The previous record on the
Eagin track was held by Len Zengel
who drove at the rate of 66:45 miles
an hour for the distance of the free.
for-all race last year.
De Palma's time for the EIgin
trophy was 3:43:26 for 254 miles and
1850 feet. His average speed was
67.3 miles an hour. Milford won the
second prize in this race in 3.46.oe
and Charlie Merz in Stutz won third
place In 3:56:43 Roberts in a Mason
special was fourth and Anderson in
Stdtz finished fifth.
The only accident during today's
races occurred when G.. Clark. driving
a Mercedes skidded on the dangerous
Hornbeck turn. He approached the
curve at seventy miles an hour. and
did not attempt to reduce his speed
The car was off the track when he
gained control of the Wheel and when
lne front wheels struck a raised cul-
vert, Fred Malone, his mechanician
was thrown with great force against
the straw buffer, erected against the
space fence. He was not ser.
Iously hurt, but Clark was injured
when his head was thrown back
against his gasoline tank. Both his |
wrists were sprained and a cash was
cut in his scalp His car was broken
up so he could not get back In the
race.
Hughie Hughes was compelled to |
withdraw from the race when he lost
connecting rod in the sixteenth Ian
he was favorite with the crowd. hay-
ng won yesterdays Illinois Trophy
ace Another disappointment for the
crowd came when 1t was announced /
hat Teddy Tetzlag would not drive |
The only Fiat in the race was driven I
~ Eddie Hearne, who was compelled
o give up his seat at the wheel after
wo laps, because both his hands were
'listered. The car was piloted bv
George Hill, Tetzlaff's mechanician
Until broken rod put the car out of
he running
Incidental to the two days Of racing
we're two fatal accidents to motorists
nroute to the race course. Today C.
). Landon, of Elgin, was killed and
lis son, II, B. Landon, of South Elgin
nd his brother, B. E. Landon. Of
syracuse, n. Y, were probably fatally
urt, when an electric car struck
heir automobile at Geneva Junction
fhiie they were on their way TO the