New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-23
Crushed Under Car When
It Turns Over After
Hitting Another.
MECHANIC IS
SERIOUSLY INJURED
Race Won by Ralph de Palra's
Mercedes at Average Speed
Of 1916 Miles an Hour.
u. - ii p - r--L.r. !


Elgu. H.. Aug. o. Spencer Wis
hart. Of New York one Of the clever
est Of the younger school Of American
automobile race drivers. lost his life
iu the running Of the Elgin national
race. near this city this afternoon.
Leading the field Of nearly twenty
cars. and maintaining ii furious pace
iu spite Of rough spots on the circuit,
his Mercer car hit another Of the con
testing machines g.ancing blow a
he tried 20 pass and was thrown Of
the road, hitting a fence and turning
over.
Wishart was caught and crushed IN
der the machine as ~ tore It's way
through the obstruction. His me
chanic, John c. Jcnter, was thrown
nearly dfty feet They were picked
up and rushed 10 = hospital, where b.
was found that the drivers skull mad
been fractured, hi, right leg broken
and his chest crushed. lie did not re-
gain cCnsciOu-ucss. and lived only
short time His wife, who mad been
watching the race from the grand
stand. was hurried % the hospital and
was with him when he died.
Jenter was also terribly injured, and
10 Is improbable that be will survive.
Tie is suffering from serious Internal
injuries. % fracture OF the right arm
and cuts on various parts Of his body.
Wishurt. who married Miss Louise
MCGOWAN. a society girl OF indian
aDolis only seven weeks ago, was
tweuty-four years old, and had been
prominent In the motor world for the
last six years. He made his debut pa
the Vanderbilt Cup race in 1908.
slight. pale-faced stripping at the
wheel OF an ancient Mercedes car. Al
though beaten boz that race, ne attract
ed attention by leading for eighty-lve
miles 40 terrific pace, and withdrew
only when his car had almost shaken
itself 20 pieces.
About three years ago he became
connected with the Mercer Company
Of Trenton, y. J., as regular driver,
along with Hugh Hughes and Caleb
Bragg He raced with Indifferent sue
cess as far as winnings were con
cerned, but was always out M front
setting the pace, and usually retired
from races through the mechanical
troubles Of his car.
A year ago Wishart finished second
In the 500-mile race at Indianapolis.
leading all American cars 20 the TN
ish, although his was the smallest Cf
the three Mercer cars 70 start. This
wear. in the same race. he was out
among the leaders for q big part Ci
the distance, but went out through
the breaking of the timing gear Of his
car. In the Vanderbilt and Grand
Prize races, at Santa Monica, IL was
the same story, but his fact pace n
the latter race enabled Eddie Pullen.
a teammate. 20 come through at the
finish and win.
In to-day's race Nishart had led the
big field Ter about $50 miles when the
accident occurred, and. as usual, he had
been showing the way and az 4 pace
that would have meant the breaking O.
the record established on Friday, haa
j. been maintained.
Ralph de Palma, the Brooklyn boy,
"'ho on Friday captured first honors iu
;he Cobe Trophy contest. was again the
winner to-day. forcing his big Mercc-
des around the 30l-mile course ir
l:06:l6. al average speed OF 1913 miles
an hour. about Oue-tcnth OF q mile ~;
hour slower than the record he estsD-
ished on Friday. There was no delay
on account of the accident. as the OH
cials did not know how serious II mad
been until the race was practically =,
gE end.
The minor honors Of the race were
taken by Eddie Pullen, who finished
second with a Mercer. and Barney OiG
field. whose Stutz finished third. Nov
ris and Carlson followed. Pullen was
only d minute and ten seconds behind
De Palma q he flashed over the finish
line, and he was about seventeen min
utes ahead of Oldhcld.
Wishart went out 10 show the way
almost from the start. and for 4 con
L. J. a e.
eighty miles an hour. although the cir-
cult had been roughened through the
founding Of the cars IN Fridays race.
At the end Of the first one hundred
miles his time was 1:l7;54, and he was
AT that stage leading Burmsn's Max
well. the second car, by nearly four
minutes. Alene was third. Pullor
fourth and De Palma fifth, all closely
pressing Burman for the position OF
lunner-up.
At $50 miles. following the accident,
Rurman had assumed the lead, but he
was taken sick and gave over the wheel
Of his car 70 Ralph Milford. Burma1's
time was 2:0i:34; Rickenbackcr, VINO
lad taken charge Of Alene'5 car, was
second. minute back, and Pullen FOL
lowed i'm 2:04:04. ahead Of De Palma,
Grant and Anderson.
At twenty-four laps, with the racc
three-ouarters over. Burman, who had
again taken charge Of bis car, was still
leading in 2:43:34, with Rickenbaeker
less than minute behind him, and De
Palma beginning d furious effort TO
make up the three minutes that sepa-
rated him from the lead.
In the final laps the Brooklyn driver
overhauled his rivals and was followed
+ ty Pullen, the end Of the contest de
yeloping a furious drive between the
pair. Only few Of the twenty-five
ears that started we're able 20 finish, =
majority going out through motor mis-