The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-08-28
KILLED WHILE GOING
100 MILES AN HOUR
Wishart Fatally Crushed During
Contest at EIgin, III.
De PALMA COMES IN FIRST
Several Persons Are Injured When
Millionaire Driver of Philadelphia
Loses Control of Car-victim
Dies In Brides Arms.
FINISH OF ELGIN RACE.

Pos. Car and Driver. Time.
!. Mercedes, r. De Palma. .4:06:1a
2. Mercer, Ed 1ulIen. ....... .4:o7:28
8. Stutz, Barney OldfieId. -. .4:24:o2
4. Sunbeam, CASTOR Morris. .4:31:09
5. Burman spI., Ed Hearne. .4.35:A
Average per hour-De Palma, 1855;
PulIen, 70; OIdfieId, 6s.2: Morris,
6e.7; Hearne, 65.6.
Elgin, ILL.,, Aug. 25.-Ralph De Pal
ma, driving in a 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.
De Palma came up from behind a
field of four or five daring drivers
three laps before the end and nosed
out PulIen, in a Mercer, by fraction
over minute. De Palma sent the
German Mercedes around the BOZ
miles at an average speed OF 1870
miles an hour, tenth Of a mile SLOW
er than his time in the contest for
the Chicago Automobile club trophy
Friday.
When De Palma pulled up at his
pit after winning the race, one OF the
pitmen told him of the death OF
Wishart
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 McGovwan, daughter Of the
late Hugh MCGOWAN, Indianapolis
traction magnate.
His speed, it is thought, must Lave
been about one hundred and ten miles
an hour
The accident was described as fol-
lows in the official report announced
| after an examination of several wit
| nesses:
TIL, Philadelphia had completed
his thirteenth lap and was two miles
away on his fourteenth. He had
| gained his cars maximum acce1era-
| ton down the back stretch. In front
| of him, travelling at comparative
slow speed, was Otto Henning, Chi
cagoan, and Wishart's teammate. driv-
ing the smallest Mercer. Henning's
mechanic looked back and saw Wish
art coming. He looked at the road
and saw it was the narrowest part of
! the course.
He sfgnaled 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 CT the
course and came with a rush.
His car wavered for a flash and
| then careened to the left. 1t struck
slight elevation and jumped. When
| the car alighted it was On four wheels
atop of high embankment. It's rush
apparently was unimpeded.
Wishart fought the Wheel and sue
| ceeded in keeping the car straight, al
| though it raked against a 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 off the
embankment 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 farmer residing on
the course. He escaped one tree, but
was brought up sideways against an
other with terrific impact. From the
wreck John c. Jenter, Wishart's
mechaniciah, was thrown 80 feet.
Wishart's fight, INSTRUCTED by the
steering wheel, was permitted only
after the bones in his legs gave way.
He fell a few feet from the machine.
Several rushed to him. They found
his side had been crushed by the i'm
pact against the tree. He was con-
scious, but Jenter was in coma.
His body was crushed and right arm
almost severed from the body.
Both were rushed to st. Joseph's
hospital. Wishart retained conscious
ness until he died.
The news of the accident took the
10y out of the victory for De Palma.