Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-01
RALPH DE PALMA.

1ND1ANAPoLIs. IND. Nav al
Breaknr all speed records for the
track and, for the world. Ralph De
3vnO-m!le sweepstakes with an average
tine Of $685. miles an hour Louis
CRANE aai was .iis echanician.
ah 1 'a,ooo people witnessed the
rae, me tnstest, cieanest and most cx-
c!ung in the history OF the speedway.
L!ar!o FIESTA. who earlier this year
Won me vanderbilt cup and grand prlx
a. San Francisco. was second in his
l'eucGot with an average of S92S miles
Per hour Gil Anderson in a StutZ was
,hird. with an average time OF $3.50
The other seven prize winners. in
order. were: '''
Earl coGper. In a stutz: Eddie o'Don-
q PucEot; "Howdy" Wilcox. in a Stutz
Tom Alley. in Ducscnburg: Hurhev
lug hes, driving for Billy Corlson, in n
y 'ssNwell. ana Norman Van Raalte, in
Rene Thomas in a De LaGe won last
gears race with an average time OF
-, mics. -Four racers beat that time
today. Cooper who was fourth. made
mark Of s6.19 miles. nearly four miles
All but Van Raalte heat the hes, time
OF lSl2 and the tailender was better
than the best OF 1911
iwentN-four cars started and eleven
finished, The only one outside the
named for the fighting German cruiser.
With Willie Hapt at the wheel tho
Linden and the winning Mercedes went
durance.
Not an accident marrcd the day.
calls and the whole story OF De Palma $
victory may be summed up thus:
wonderful car. wonder tires and
very wonderful man"
Two Close CuIIs.
Twice did tho - ,ho
stand rise TO their feet in cold terror.
expecting a terrible accident to happen'
but both times the racers came out
whole.
The FIRST tim" was when less than
200 miles OF the race had been run.
Ralph Milford. in a Duesenbug had
aaftcd past the grand stand on the
home stretch. and was Just approaching
the first turn when Ralph DE Palma
came roaring down the stretch.
,t,: mua'" no turned INTO the curve and
plodcd. It flung his machine into the
air and swcrved him over against the
Mrs. milford and a party of friends
in the grand stand had just been ap-
plauding him wildly. and their cheers
suddenly turned TO shricks Of fright.
be killed
RcboundinG from the inner wall. his
machine was w,hirlcd over toward the
tho wall II made three complete turns
like pin wheel. and then once moro
started downward on the track
Then il was that the most danger was
apparent. for Ralph De Palma was com
ing like thuudcrbolt. Neither of them
was ever so near death as at this min
ute, it seemed. for De Palma appeared
To he heading directly toward Milford
who had not got control of his machine
tanning down his wheel so that he
skidded dangerously De Palma whirfed
to ono side and passed Mulford's rear
wheels with only inches to spare Mrs
milford nearly tainted. and her husband
was so shaken 'hat when he arrived
at the pits on the next time round he
was relieved by Billy Chandler.
Another thrill came when Joe Cooper
in Sebring, skiddcd on the turn and
was flung against the outer retaining
wall so hard that the whole frame Of
his machine was bent out Of shape.
Like milford. he bounded back from
the wall and, in couple Of seconds his
car was whirling off the track into the
| back field.
Neither he nor his mechanician Luis
| PciO was I'M ured