New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-08
DE PALMA wins THE
lOO-MlLEAUTO RACE.
Takes Two Minutes Off
Record for Distance at
Beach Track.
HUGE THRONG OUT
FOR SPEED CLASHES
OVerrunS Lawn and Field of Old
Course-Injured Drivers in
Critical Condition.

Covering one hundred miles in 100
minutes II seconds, Ralph de Palma
captured the Labor Day Sweepstakes,
the feature event of the Brighton
Beach automobile race meet yesterday,
and established, incidentally, a track
record for the distance that is likely
to stand for q long time. Some years
ago Ralph Milford, with a Lozier, COW
cred the same distance in l02 minutes
Ii seconds on the Beach track, mark
that stood until the white Mercedes
placed it in the discard yesterday.
AS on Saturday, De Palma dominated
the programme, and his successes APP
peared to delight the great crowd. 1t
was easily one of the biggest atten-
dances ever registered at the course,
although opinions differed as to its
size. At any rate every seat In the
grandstand was occupied by 2 o'clock;
1000 or 5000 enthusiasts watched what
they could of the races from the brick
"lawn," and the so-called field" was
a packed mass of humanity.
Despite a brisk wind that raised
clouds of oil-soaked dust as the cars
swept through the homestretch, the
card was run off without the sem
blance of an accident. From this an
gle, In fact, the practice was more ex-
citing, as in that period De Palma es-
sayed the difficult feat of taking a
turn on the two outside wheels, and
for a moment there was doubt as to
whether or not the Mercedes would
land right side up.
The 100-mile race was remarkable
in that De Palma jumped into the lead
at the start, went through the entire
distance without stop for any reason,
and his fastest mile was not more than
two seconds better than his slOwest.
An idea of his remarkable regularity
may be gained from the fractional
times, which were as follows: 10
miles, 9:452-5; 20 miles, 1889 3-5;
80 miles, 29:42; 40 miles, 1887 Us;
so miles, 1887 2-5; so miles, 59:41 40;
70 miles, 69:41 1-5; 80 miles, 1884; 80
miles, 90:13 2-5, and 100 miles, 100:11.
Nothing could be fairer than that, as
the others had only to do little better
than a mile a minute to carry away the
purse. Grover Bergdoll, of .Philsdel-
phia, in the Bergdoll Special, essayed a
fight with his Bergdoll Special, con-
coded to be the quietest racing car
ever heard in these parts.
Bergdoll was not Tapped until the
thirty-second mile, and remained close
up until the race was we'll toward the
finish, when mis- tires began to give
him trouble, and at the end he was
hard pressed to take second money
from jessup's Chevrolet. Had the lat
ter not developed firing trouble in the
last ten miles it would have taken place
money handily.
The only other car to finish of the
eight that started in the long race was
Dickinson's Stutz. A broken rear axle
accounted for the withdrawal of LIE
Gains Chevrolet, and engine trouble
placed Galvin's Marquette, Martin
Mercer and Morton's Mercer Specia
out of commission.
In the second race there were only
four starters, and one of them, tlsner
Lion, limped off at the end of the frs
Ian. Dickinsons Stutz made all the
running and won without opposition
from Galvin's Buick, which ran so err
radically that it was barred from tur-
ther participation during the day
Giblin's Lozler was a distant third.
At the Coney Island Hospital last
nipht it was reported that while Dear
born and Mccarthy, who were injured
in tho Gfty-milc race on Saturday, were
still alive, the formers death was. a
matter of only a short time. Mccarthy
has a fighting chance for his life.
The summaries follow:
First race CClass c. l6l to 500 cubic
inches 10 miles, Winner Mercedes (De
PaIma) Mercer Special (MortOn), second ;
Bergdoll (BergdolD, third. Hme, lcOOt5..
Set1nd race CClass c, non-stock, 3Ol 10
500 cubic inches. 10 miles)-Winner' Stutz
,D,csjnsonI Buick Bug Calvin, second
I,o3icr (Gibiin). third. Time. 1l:02 rs.
Third race (Class d. free-tor-all handl-
cap. 10 miles)-Winner, Chevrolet lie
cor Snacial Morton third. Time. 10:lib.
Fourth race Labor Day Sweepstakes
class ID free-for-all, 100 miles)-Ninner'
Mercedes de Palma) Bergdoll 'Bergdolll
second; Chevrolet tJessupl third. Ilihe'
:40:ll.