Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-26
ACCIDENT AT The. SPEEDWAY
Ernest Magruder Hurles from Track
When Tire Bursts.
ART SMITH LOOPS OVER CITY
Daring Aviator Performs Miracle of
the Air over Omaha, Looping
the Loop Nineteen
Times.

Ernest Magrudcr, an expert from the
National factory, drove the first racing
car on the new Omaha Automobile speed
way yesterday afternoon, and also suf-
fered the first accident. Magruder had
driven his big National three-quarters OF
the way around the track when he was
seen to hurdle off. lie declared he blew
a tire and was thrown off.
Magruder was not injured and the only
damage done to the machine was the
twisting of the steering gear and the
axle. A new axle was attached last night
and the car will be. ready today. and
Magruder will make another attempt.
Magruder had trouble in starting. His
engine wouldn't accumulate the speed
and when he struck the first banked turn
he swayed perilously, and was forced to
point the nose OF the car toward the top
OF the track to prevent sliding off at the
bottom. Two or three times he nearly
hurdled over the top when he pushed the
machine upward
Art smith Loops over CITY.
Art Smith. the daring little aviator who
performs loop-the-loops in the atmos-
phere, exhibited his prowess over the city
making numerous loops over the building
tops during the twenty-minutes he re-
mained In the air.
Despite the powerful wind Smith took
the chance just TO prove to Omaha that
Beachey has nothing on him. The wind,
driving In from the west. propelled his
skinny machine over Council Bluffs and
II took him many minutes to work back
over Omaha, Then he made twelve sue
cessive loops
On each loop the wind drove him
back toward the Bluffs and on several
occasions he attempted loops only u
have the wind throw him backward. But
he gamely stuck TO It. returned to Omaha
and went through seven more loops.
making a total OF nineteen loops.
Leaves Gas Tank Home.
Just before going up Smith discovered
he had left his gas tank at Fort Wayne.
The tank from Pete Isoch's machine was
installed and Smith went up anyhow.
Ralph McMillen went into the air and
remained up thlrty-five minutes. When
| 5000 feet above the very center
/ OF Omaha's business district, Nc
! Millen's last drop of gas was consumed
and he was In the air without means
of propelling himself back to the Auto
mobile Speedway. But by skillful vol
planning, McMillen brought his machine
TO the ground and landed in a large
field south OF the Speedway. unnjured
and ready to make another flight in the
! afternoon.
VIII Break Loop Record.
/ Today at the Automobile Speedway
Smith will attempt TO break his record
for the number Of consecutive loops lie
has Unanswered sixteen successive loops
and he hopes to be able 20 do better
this afternoon. Beacheys record is con,
siderably under the one now held b,
Smith.
Charley Peters. who flies the Loci
machine. may go up with Smith when h,
loops this afternoon. Looping with a pas
senger is very dangerous and has onl,
been attempted once or twice before.
The program at the Speedway will star
this morning at 1880 o'clock. Smitl
will loop both in the morning and after
noon.
In addition McMillen will fly. automo
bile tests against time will be run and
series OF motorcycle races will conclud
the program,