New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-27
Averages 1916 Miles an
Hour with Mercedes
at Santa Monica.
OLDFIELD SECOND IN
THRILLING FINISH
Carlson's Mason Third, Only Tvo
Others Finishing OFT Of
Sixteen Starters.
- reLerranh b - -.

Los NIS'itSf + ~ -'.- -DIlNlnS hixs
powered Mercedes car iu the fashion ia,
has stamped him AS the premier ro.a
race driver OF America. Ralph De Paln.
to-day won his second consecutive %.
newal OF the historic Vanderbilt On,
plotting his machine over the SAINT,
Monica route Of "a miles at an ayer,s,
speed Of 1875 miles an hour
\ little more than twenty seconds 70.
hind de Palma AZ the finish came N.
veteran Barney Olddeld, with a Mercer I
The latter, a finished handler Of hsh
speed cars before de Palma had ev.,
grasped steering wheel. made hr
strongest bid IN years FOR the msio. po;.
ton Of the purse in an important rac.
The necessity Of a tire change with m.
finish line almost In sight killed nj,
chance Of winning.
poor third in the race came William
Carlson, in a Mason fourth place was
captured by Earl Cooper. IN stuiz. ard
George Joerimann. with a Touraine. was
tho only other OF the sixteen starters 10
finish the race. Breakdowns and MS.
haps OF one kind or another placed every.
thing else out OF COMMISSIONS third ~
them before one hundred miles had been
run.
Because Oldfeld is his dearest rival 4.
Palma IS tonight the happiest man N
Los Angeles. u IS said that when a.
Palma reached Los Angeles. 2 few veess
ago Oldfeld spoke OF him as "an Italian
barber" The remark was repeated 70 ..
Palma. al. right" said Ralph. then
I'll give him a close shave when We 70,
together I'm the race" He did
De Palma's average is the best ever
made IN the many Vanderbilt Cup races
that have been run. the record prior 70
to-day's being Ralph Mulford's 7iG, with
a Lozier car. at Savannah in 1911. Tie
Santa Monica record, however. was
never in danger II is three miles an
hour faster, and was made by Tetzlar. IN
Fiat. two years ago. The fear Of skid
ding on the turns because Of recen,
heavy rains served 10 keep to-days aver
age down, few Of the drivers caring 10
take a chance Of turning over by get.
ting into the soft going along the sides
OF the circuit.
One of those who did take chance vas
Edward Pullen. another OF the Mercer
trio, Spencer Wishart being the third o
the Trenton contingent Pullen developed
a sudden streak Of ambition around the
eghty-mile mark, covering IN. tenth lap
at speed Of s. miles an hour. Few
miles further on he Slowed into son
spot because Of blowout and the car
crashed into fence. turning over. Bo'A
Pullen and his mechanic were thrown out,
neither sustaining any particular injury.
Winning the Vanderbilt Cup race was
the most remuneratlye days work De
Palma has done in a long time. BY his
agreement with L. j. Schroeder, Of Jcf-
sey City, IL is understood that he gets
half of the first prize OF 1900 In addition
he takes down the $50 offered By he
Bosch Magnetic Company for the winning
driver using its magnetic and spark plugs
This year, too, for the first time, the
Mercedes factory. at Unterturckhelm.
uOHtAfu f4sF.N AtNaAu NV ~
penses Of the race and an additional N,m
for de Palma I'm case he succeeded ~
making Il two straight" which he I'D
The factory has also offered 70 give hin
5000 i'm case he wins the next Wander
bilt renewal
The speed OF the pair that fought OUT
the issue may be grasped when I, is SAID
that de Palma covered the 2si miles ~
223 minutes. Il seconds. and Oldhed
22j minutes 10 seconds.
Perfect weather conditions prevailed
when the sixteen cars were lined W BY
Fred Wagner, the starter. AT 10 o'elccA
and the course was surrounded By a
crowd estimated to number $4,000 per
sons. Harry Grant. plotting the Itbh'
Isotta, was sent whirlng away sharp o.
the hour and the remainder at lc-secchi
intervals over the $40 mile circuit TIA
had TO be covered thirty-fvo times Be-
fore the end OF the race.
Even before the first lap had been cor
Dleted reports of trouble and breakdovr'
began to reach the judges and the thos'
sands in the grandstands. Grants ca
failed TO return after Nading the o'hs'
away; Dave Lewis faded away IN w
second lap and Wisharts Mercer I'D o"
reappear after three laps had been coz
cred.
Marquis. in the English sunbeam "
far the most greatly feared OF the 'o'.
eign entrants. was the next 10 be reports
out of the race. Then followed. sn'o"
others, Goodies Apperson. Pullen's Me-
Ger and Gilbert Andersons stutz. lp
last named. winner of the last Elgin raes
held the lead from the fourteenth 10 u.
eighteenth lap. when the drive shan
his car cracked.