South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-31
SEVEN KILLED AND
IS HURT At LAGOON
Motorcycle PIungeS Into Crowd
and Gasoline Tank Ex-
pIodeS.

CINCINNATI, O.. July 31.-Seven
people were killed and a score in
jured at the Ludlow Lagoon motor
cycle races here Wednesday night,
when Odin Johnson, striving to set a
new record, catapulted into the crowd
scattering death by fire before him.
Johnson's gasoline tank exploded
and death by fire and fumes struck
down the Mortified spectators right
and left. Johnson himself and Charles
Davis, a boy Of five, were killed almost
instantly and five more were dead by
morning, with the list of fatalities ex-
pected to increase.
The dead:
Odin johnson, 81, salt Lake City,
Utah.
Charles Davis, 5. Ludlow, Ky.
Sam Andrews, is, Cincinnati.
Miss Ethel Buchanan, 20, COving-
ton, Ky.
Mrs. VIM. MichaeIs, Cincinnati.
William Patterson, Cincinnati.
James Carter. %, Cincinnati.
Johnson was anxious TO make a new
record for a % minute race. The
present record Is 81 miles
Five thousand men, women and
children were on top of the saucer TO
see il done
Johnson had told his wife the pres
ent record would be broken and he
would be the man to break it.
Wife Saw Tragedy.
Mrs. Johnson sat in the front row
and she saw him go to his death.
Eduard Gabanna, the Italian cham
pion. was leading in the race. john
son, at the start, had trouble with his
machine and had fallen to the rear.
With a mighty squirt he forged TO the
front.
sT~1t. - o-o..,s o,,o1os-ol -
Mrs. Johnson as her husband over
took his leading rival.
The next moment Mrs, Johnson
gave a scream of horror that was
echoed by 5000 voices.
In passing Gabanna, Johnson's
front wheel struck the rear wheel of
Gabanna's motorcycle. The impact
Johnson tried vainly 20 save himself
and right the machine. But it swerv-
ed to the right, crashed through a
guard rail and a heavy screen where
so spectators were sitting and then
fury broke loose.
The gasoline tank exploded as it
few into the crowd. A rain of blue
flames fell on the multitude. Some
started to run but the fire caught
them. Where the 60 had sat was a
pit OF fire in which men. women and
children fought for their lives
Death was taking its feast out of
the saucer. 1t had its victims well
pinned up. Escape was through a
tunnel. Some of them tried to reach
it The flames. fed by the gasoline.
sped after them and cut them off.
Women tainted. The men sat tight
in their seats. Not in years has there
been such a horror in Cincinnati.
Some men ran away fighting through
the crowd Owners of automobiles,
panic-stricken, jumped into their ma
chimes and tried TO dash away for no
reason whatever.
Revolver Is Drawn.
Fire Chief Griffin, of Covington, KY.
took a position in the middle of the
road, revolver in hand, and cried:
''Ill shoot the next man that leaves
in an automobile without aiding these
people to a hospital" He stood his
ground and no machine left the park
without it's burden OF victims.
Nearly everybody seemed to be on
fire." said Grover G. van Dyke, an
ye-witnesS, Thursday. "One man
had all his clothes burned off and he
screamed like a maniac"
Men and women around the saucer
knelt down before the vision Of death
and prayed. Some broke from the
horrors stupor and tried TO fight their
way into the flames which drove them
back.
Men took off their coats and hold
ing them in front of their faces for
protection, fought to get into the wall
Of fire. only to be forced back.
And then, somebody found the
chemical extinguisher and began to
play il on the flames Finally they
died down and then was made the
accounting of deaths feast in the
saucer.
CHICAGO. &. HereSsa. a drug
gist, announces he's looking for a
red-haired painter who painted his