The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-29
.A.|l3
|CROWDS CONE =
FOR ElG|N RACES.
Joe Dawson, Who Lsft The Wire
First, ls FavorIte for the Big
Prize In the
Classic.
DE PALMA OUT OF IT
star Driver RsstIno Today to be
Fresh for the ElsIn Trophy,
Which Starts To-
morrow.
DE PALMA OUT OF IT
Eiuln Race Program.

Eigln Race Program.
Friday Chicago Automobile club
| trophy race.
Saturday Egin national trophy
race the. feature.
Time Of starting Eleven q. m. for
each day.
Distance--so5 miles, 2o4 feet for
each race.
Number Of laps-ss. each s.ss miles
| In length.
Best previous time-ss.4 miles per
| hour.
Record holder Ralph de Palma.
values OF trophies 900 each with
| $4,000 additional.
ELGIN, ILL.,, Aug. 2s.--Four bombs.
set off simultaneously, their roar
masking the staccato pop.pop OF high.
| power automobile engines, signalled
| the start at IL q. m. today OF the first
OF two events in the big Dlgin race
meet--the so5-mile dash for the $4,000
trophy hung up By the Chicago Auto.
mobile club.
Cheering thousands in the grand
stand saw the squadron of low built
racing cars. the finest products Of
American and foreign factories, dash
away from the starting line piloted by
the pick OF the race drivers Of this
country. They heard the sputsputter.
i ing OF the engines as the cars disap-
peared In the dust; heard the crowds
In the distance cheer the racers, and
when the first turn was made and In
i tervening trees and hills cut OFF the
1 view and muffled the noise, settled
back in their seats to wait until the
racers sped past the stands again to
begin the second lap OF the long grind.
| Today the Big Day.
Today is big day in the automo-
bile calendar and one OF momentous
Importance also to the otherwise quiet
farming district that Just about this
time every year. shuts up Its eight
miles Of roadway, neglects itB bust.
ness Of dairying and raising corn. and
joins the great crowd OF ChicaEoans
who line the winding course. Farm
houses that offered good view OF
the track were converted into ho.ajs
: and hundreds of persons afflicted with
the speed mania slept within fifty
yards of the course LAST night No
Long Island Vanderbilt cup race ever
drew greater or more cosmopolitan
crowd.
: "Hairpin curve" where speeders in
former races 20 often met mishap, lost
. interest this year and the throngs
that in former years fought with mill
! tiamen to stand mt the point of van.
!. tage at this DANGEROUS turn, today
were widely scattered along the eight
: mile course. The "hairpin" was prae
4 ttcaliy eliminated when the eourse
was improved this year. and q
straight-away stretch Of smooth pike
cut through the turf and woods al
this point decreased the chances O.
! danger to minimum. and increases
:. the chance OF new records for ths
!, course.
: Famous Drivers In.
:. Ralph DePalma, winner OF las
q years race. when he set new rec
O ord: Joe Dawson. Milford. Hughes
z Haupt and Pillette. the Belgian, ant
a dozen other noted drivers are pilot
ing cars in the two days race meet
All the entrants have tested OIL o.
the indianapolis speedway and II
!. several other meets OF lesser import
a ance this year.
!. DePalma and Spencer Wishart wer
!. entered weeks ago. They are her
, with four MERGERS, including the tw,
4 cars that competed in the Memoria
g day races at indianapolis this yea,
Wishart Is driving the same car tina
he and DePalma piloted to secon'
place In that event.
4 Milford. trying for the Ch'cag
II automobile trophy today. in Mason
< will drive the same car in the b,gge
y event tomorrow. Haupt and Ris,,er
< hacker were the other Mason entrie,
IS Pillette drove the big Mercedes entei
,e ed by e. C. Patterson, the Ci,lcag
is racing enthusiast. and Hughie Hughe
It drove Tulsa specially built for wor
III on the 5oo-mile speedway race.
Splendid Weather.
K. ELGrN. H., Aug. 29.-Sunligh
ss flooded the stands. the oily cours
Is and the stretch of farming country I
which hosts OF motorists sought var