Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-11
CHICAGO To HAVE
MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Plant Covering $50 Acres With
Seats for 100000 Spec
tators Is Planned.
CHARLES Ntzhugh, DIRECTOR
Former Rock islander Interested in
Project Which Calls for $780,
600 Expenditure.

Chicago. Dec. 11.-Chicago at last is
to have an automobile speedway. The
plant will cover a tract of 800 acres,
bounded by Twelfth and Twenty-sec-
ond streets and First and Ninth ave
nues The motor track will be two
miles, constructed of wood. concrete
and steel The facing of the track will
be of two-by-fours laid on piers OF
concrete. giving Chicago the fastest
track in the country and equal TO the
famous Brooklands. England, oval. II
will be 20 feet wide on the straight
always and so feet at the turns.
Stands to seat 100000 spectators will
be built around the course and no sec
ton of the track will be invisible from
the stands.
Transportation will be supplied by
four steam roads, three surface and
two third-rail lines and every accom-
mediation has been provided to take
care of the immense crowds which at
tend big automobile contests.
Worked On II Two Years.
\ thousand Chicago motorists
headed by David F. Reid. president of
the Speedway Park association. an
executive board composed of John
irwin, Charles McHugh and Judson c.
Hancock. and Directors =. 5. Theurer,
G. ". McFatrich. {. II. Stevens, Jay
+. Pitts and John b. Rock have made
the speedway possible. Reid has been
working on the project for nearly two
years.
The builders of the speedway have
studied the plans OF all the great sta
diums in the world and Speedway Park
will be the very last word in auto
mobile race course construction. The
tract Of land obtained is perfectly fiat
and devoid OF trees and shrubbery. II
viii be improved so as TO be made as
beautiful a landscape as possible with
out interfering with the view Of the
whole course from start to finish
The outside retaining walls and
grand stand and bleachers will be con-
of wood and steel. The en-
frances and exits have been arranged
TO supply the easiest and quickest of
ingress and eEress so that the whole
immense plant can be emptied Of its
human occupants in few minutes.
\ great parking space for automo-
the inside of the racing track. There
will be enough room in this area for all
OF the automobiles in the state. When
not in use this space will be part of
driving course for horses.
The cost of preparing the track for
races is approximately as follows:
of grounds. drain
age and beautifying park. 5 $4,000
Two-mile speedway, including
safety walls -..-------.-.. 100000
Grand stands and bleachers... 100000
Clubhouse Observation-Disclosures. $4,000 .
Suudries. such as golf courses,
Enclosures. hospital. etc. $4,000
Thousand Members.
\ thousand memberships have been J
sold in the club and no more will be 4
accepted at the old rate of sale. Golf /,
will be sold at very |
low price. and as the course is closer J
TO the loop than any other it is prob
will he filled quickly.
The officers of the Speedway Park /.
association are: President, David F. !;
Reid. Reid & Co. bonds and mort 1
cages. POI Marquette building; first I
vice president, Charles Ntzhugh,, Lex
ingtou hotel; second vice president, !
John Irwin, Irwin Brothers, wholesale !
meats, SO7 South Park street; secre-
tary treasurer. Judson {. Hancock, Z
DumhoI < Joyce company. so East I
Jackson boulevard; directors. Peter 5. (
Theurer. president Schoenhofen Brew 1
ing company; George W. McFatrich, I
president Murine Eye Remedy COM /
pany; c. II. Stebbins. president Lake .
Shore Sand company; John b. Rock. .
manager Vitagraph company OF Amer .
lea; DR.. Jay F. Pitts, go Crescent !
place.