The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-08-27
AUTO RACERkIL[ED
WHILE GOING 100
\ miles AN HOUR
Wishart Fatally Crushed During
Contest at EIgin, III. s ''
De PALMA COMES IN FIRST
Several Persona Are Injured When
Millionaire Driver Of Philadelphia! =
Loses Control Of car-VietIm
Dies In Brides Arms.
FINISH OF ELaIN RACE.

Pos. Car and Driver. Time.
l.. Mercedes, r. De Palma. .4:o6: 10
2. Mercer, Ed PutIen. ..l.... 4:o7:2 20
3. Stuff, Barney oIdheId. .4:24:o2
q. Sunbeam, CASTOR Morris. .4:3t:o9
5. surman spI,. Ed ,Hsarne. .. .4.35:47
Average per hour-De Palma, 73.5;
Putlen, 73; oIdfieId, 6s.2i Norris,
66.7'' Hearne, $685. ," - "',r
Elgin, ILL.,, Aug. 24.-Ralph De Pal
ma, driving In q race marked By the
death of Spencer Wishart, young
Philadelphia millionaire pilot, several
injured; and the most spectacular
driving ever seen on the Elgin course;
emerged the victor for the second
time in two days, when he won the
Elgin National trophy. -; d,
De Palma came up from behind q
Held Of four or five daring drivers
three laps before the end and nosed
out Pullen, In a Mercer, by fraction
over a minute De Palma sent the
German Mercedes around the 301
miles at an average speed of. 1875
miles an hour tenth OF mile slow
er than his time in the contest for
the Chicago Automobile club trophy
Friday. p. ..,,. ,'.:.
When De Palma pulled up at his
pit after winning the race, one of the
pitmen told him of the death of
Wishart. - 2i'
Dies In Brides Arms.
Wishart met injuries in the four.
teenth lap OF the race which caused
his death shortly afterward in st.
Joseph's hospital here He died in
the arms of his bride of nine weeks.
He was married June % to Miss
Louise MCGOWAN, daughter of the
late Hugh MCGOWAN, Indianapolis
traction magnate. ."!. 49,. :,
The accident was described as fol-
lows in the official report announced
after an examination OF several WITT
nesses:
The, Philadelphia had completed
his thirteenth lap and was two miles
away on''uhis fourteenth. He had
gained his cars maximum accefera-
ton down the back stretch, In front
Of him, travelling at a comparative
slow speed, was Otto Henning. a Chi
cagoan, and Wisharts teammate, driv-
ing the smallest Mercer. Henning's
art coming. He looked at the road
and saw it was the narrowest part OF
the course.
He signaled Henning to pull to the
right and waved to Wishart to come
on, Wishart paid no heed to the peril
which lay in the narrowest OF the
course and came with a rush.
His speed, it is thought, must lave
been about one hundred and ten miles
an hour. He swerved the car to the
left just enough to clear Hennings'
machine. He cleared his car and
started for the crown of the road, his
speed undiminished. There was a
staccato note as the right rear tire of
his car struck the left front hub cap
of Hennings Mercer. The impact
was slight and Hennings' machine was
not swerved from its course, but at |
Wisharts speed the result was terrify.
ing ~ ~ -
His car wavered for a fash and
then careened to the left. 1t struck q
slight elevation and jumped. When
the car alighted It was on four wheels
atop OF a high embankment. Its rush
was unimpeded.
g. Fights to Regain Control.
Wishart fought the wheel and sue
ceeded In keeping the car straight, al !
though it raked against picket fence,
along which the car catapulted for
100 feet, tearing, pickets and posts
from their supports. Spectators lined
the fence, and madly scrambled for
safety. Some were injured.
,Wishart turned HIS machine of the
and attempted to regain
the road. The speed would not per.
NIT the slight turn necessary; how.
ever, and the car plowed through the
front yard OF a farmer residing ON
the course. He escaped one tree, but
was brought up sideways Ggainst an.
other with terrific impact. From the
wreck John C. Jenter, Wishartis
was thrown so feet
Wishart's flight, obstructed by the
steering wheel. was permitted only
after the bones in his legs gave way.
ae fell few feet from the machine.
Several rushed to him. They found Z
IFS side had been. crushed by the I'm
,act against the tree. He was CON
'cious. but Jenter was In a coma.
His body was crushed and right arm I
almost severed from the body. L
Both were rushed to st. Joseph,s
lospital. Wishart retained conscious,f
less until he died .gL