Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-25
MUCH INTEREST
SHOWN IN RACES
Large Crowds See Contests Sat-
urday and Sunday at
Exposition Park.
ANOTHER MEET OCT. 11-1Z
Fred Hoover Makes Successful Flights
and Races an Auto in His
Curtiss Bi-Plane.
ANOTHER MEET OCT. 11-1z

Twenty-Five hundred people saw the
motorcycle and automobile races and
the aeroplane fight at Exposition park
yesterday afternoon. The program
was run off under the auspices of the
Motordrome company without an acct
dent of a serious nature. Repairs to
the aeroplane, which was slightly dam !
aged when it struck a guy wire on
the steel tower in landing Saturday,
fight. The National automobile racer,
however, was not in shape to start. 1t
was damaged by colliding with the
fence while tuning up Saturday and it
was impossible to make repairs In
time. Its place in the competition
against the Apperson Jackrabbit was
taken by the Buick "Bearcat," q car
which happened to be travelling this
way, and while it did not offer much
| OF an argument to its larger competi-
tor, it helped to stir up the dust at the
turns, and when the Apperson slowed
down, which it did once. and permitted
the Buick to come in first, it looked
! like a real race.
| Nearly all the motorcycle events
were well contested. The track was
dusty, especially at the turns, and the
drivers in the automobile events
were badly handicapped thereby. Not
only did the dust cause much skidding,
but it obscured the track and made it
necessary for extreme caution to avoid
accidents.
MAKES TWO FLIGHTS.
Fred Hoover made two flights in his
Curtiss biplane. The first time he rose
he circled to the southwest over Rock
river Before racing around the track
with the Apperson car. On his trial
spin the main front brace of the ma
chine, which was knocked loose in
Saturdays accident and had been re-
placed, again broke from its fastening
at one end. Hoover saw the trouble at
once and though it placed him in some
danger and caused difficulty in han
ding the machine, he returned to the
track and came to the ground. It took
an hour or so to make new repairs and
when they were completed he again
rose and raced the automobile twice
around the track, ending with a fight
off toward the west in which he rose to
height of perhaps 1900 feet While
he did not complete the two circuits
: as quickly as the auto did, he probably
travelled twice as far as his competitor
on the track. He made a beautiful
landing the second time
ARE COMING BACK.
Promoters Of the races announced
that program similar to that of the
last two days would be put on again
Saturday and Sunday. Oct. II and IL,
when the same speed artists are prom
:. ised to again enter the various events.
The first race yesterday was three
mile motorcycle race for private own
ers. Walker, Hanson, Hartman, Myess
and Killinger were entered, the first
named winning on an Indian in 1920.
In the second race, which was for
Excelsior motorcycles, the team con-
sisting of Shibe, Piper and Smith,
Shibe won the three-mile event in
= APO.
The third race was between the au-
tomobiles, the Apperscn doing the
three miles in $40.
In the fourth race, a five-mile con-
test for motorcycles between members
of the Indian team, Killinger won in
1920
The automobiles then went FIVE
! miles, the Apperson winning In $50.
} After the contest between the aero
, plane and the Apperson, the three win
) ners of motorcycle races fought It out
: over threemile course, Killinger win.
. ming in Alp
o Saturday afternoon the races drew
a crowd of 1900 and the sport was ex.
r cellent, though the program was ended
! shortly after o'clock. many who went
9 late being disappointed. The National
auto was damaged by striking the
fence on the south side of the track.
The driver, Ed Gardner. escaped with
out scratch. though a section of
fence was torn down. In the absence
p of competitor, the Apperson went
g two miles against time
a HOME MACHINE WINS.
d Killinger, riding a Black Hawk mot
i orcycle, Rock Island made machine
won in the three-mile and five-mile
races, doing the former in 4:04 anc
the latter in S:04 Stickney on Fly
II ing Merkel won three mile race IL
:, 4:03, and Shibe on an Excelsior won g
z five-mile race in 8:04.
l. Hoover made a beautiful fight, ris
> ing to height of 1000 feet and cir
Y cling over the west end of the city.
Pitcher Gilbert Goes to Denver.
. Terre Haute Ind, Aug. 25-Rufus