New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-31
French Car Averages More
than Eighty-two Miles
an Hour.
SIX MEN INJURED;
TWO IN DANGER
Barney Oldfield, In Fifth Place.
Is First American to Gross
the Finish Line.
~ ". J. SULLIVAN.
Ry TELEGRAPH TO The Tribune. I

silver trophies and fortunes in good
American money in the renewal OF the 800
mile race on the motor speedway here
this afternoon.
Rene Thomas. BLUM, smiling pilot,
driving a snubby looking Delage car AL
most 10 it's limit throughout every milo
O. the race captured chief honors in the
greatest speed struggle ever waged
around the brick oval and in record time.
his average being s2E miles an hour.
Second place fell TO Arthur Duray, with
the baby Peugeot; third money was tho
portion of Guyot, Thomas's teammate.
and fourth position was filled by jules
Goux. the hero Of last years race on the
speedway.
Not until the checkered flag waved for
the fifth 10 finish was America able TO
claim a share Of the spoils. The glory OF
being the first American car to finish was
awarded to Barney Oldfield and his cigag.
with one OF the Stutz entries, then came
Christiaens in the Excelsior. sixth; Harry
Grant, with an English Sunbeam, seventh;
Keenes Beaver Bullet, eighth; Carisons
Maxwell, ninth, and Rickenbacher's Deus
enberg. tenth. These filled the money po-
sitions. the $4,000 purse being split into
ten parts
Three others were allowed TO finish for
the satisfaction that might be in IL for
them. They were Willie Houpt's Deusen-
berg Ralph Mulfords Mercedes and Billy
Knipper's Keeton. Thus thirteen OF tho
thirty that started were able TO finish tho
grind. All the others. either by reason OF
accident or breakdown. were forced out in
the effort to match their speed against tho
terrific pace that was set
OF the seyenty-five or more men, count
ing the relief drivers and mechanics, who
fiirted with death in the six hours OF the
speed carnival. two are in desperate con-
dition tonight. They are Joe Dawson,
an indianapolis boy, who handled the
Marmon. and s. Mitchell. mechanic for
Chassagne, the driver of the second Sum
beam car.
Chassagne, Barnes, who was Dawsons
mechanic: Ray Gilhooly. the driver OF
the Isotta car, and his mechanic. a
youngster named Bonani. are suffering
from decorations sustained when their
cars turned over. but are not believed to
! be I'm any danger
Dawson was one of tho favorites for
the race, and because he had once won
one OF these races and had made won
derful time in his speed trials for to-
DAYS contest, IL was believed that he
would make a great showing and posi-
bly, lead the American contingent 10 the
| finish line. The accident To his car was
a direct result Of his effort 10 avoid hit
ting Gilhooly's machine. which was
whirlng about on one OF the end
stretches. after having thrown tire on
the turn.
The Isotta. which caused the trouble.
was the car that was made eligiole
through the withdrawal Of Ralph De
Palma's Mercedes on Friday morning.
PuiIen. of the Mercer team. had made
better time in the elimination trial than
Gilhooly. but he refused TO take the va
cant place. so 1t was given 10 the lsotta
driver.
Just a lap or two before his dervish
performance, in which Dawson was in
volved. Gilhooly had been ordered 10
stop by the technical committee and had
/ been warned that he was making such
/ slow time that he must keep 10 the out
side of the track TO avoid interfering
with the faster machines. Thereafter for
a few laps he increased his pace. and
, had Just turned out OF the homestretch
when A rear tire went flying into the air.
/ Immediately the car began 10 turn in
circles, and 10 avoid it Dawson turned
/ down to the inner rail. There his front
D 10 NJ nd nd ho Nor
mon went into the air, turning two COM
I plete somerssults
/ Dawson was thrown with terrific force
into the inneld. landing on his shoulder
and breaking his collar bone. II was at
first thought that his back was also
broken, but it proved 10 have been
strained. Tonight it developed that he
had sustained severe injuries and he was
removed TO the Methodist Hospital in a
grave condition. His mechanic was I'M
der the car when it landed but had only
slight cuts about the head and arms.
Gilhoolys car wound up its perform
ance by hitting the upper retaining wall
and turning turtle. The drivers face was
deeply torn and his right arm and shoul-
der bruised Bonani, hts mate, had a
deep cut on his forehead and was other
wise bruised and cut. but both are ex-
pected to recover quickly.
The accident 10 Chassagne's car was
one OF the earliest OF the day. The Eng
ling car was on its thirteenth lap when
II also threw tire on a turn and somer-
saulted. Mitchell was terribly cut and
bruised and is in very serious condi-
ton. Chassagne was only scratched, and
after having his car righted ne drove II
back to the city after the race.
These were the accidents Of the race
but apart from that there were breakage.
galore and hundreds OF tires either few
from the wheels or blew themselves to
pieces. due 10 the intense heat generated
through the speed and contact with the
overhested brick track.
II was. in fact a battle OF tires, In
which most OF the big prize winners suf-
fered less than did Goux. the public favor
lie. who simply chewed up his equipment
every few laps. and who was absolutely
prevented from being contender for first
money for this reason.
That the Delsge ears. a make that had
CsatiAued On DsSs ], celuna