New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-10
More than 10000 See All
Records Smashed in $50
Mile Auto Race al
New Speedway.
BY HERBERT.

Gil Anderson, stolid, stocky and
clear-eyed, whirled his Stutz car over
$50 miles on the gigantic Sheepshead
Bay Motor Speedway yesterday faster
than man has ever travelled at any
thing approaching that distance.
Driving at an average rate Of lO2.6O
miles per hour. not so far from the
motorists dream of two miles a min
ute. this new god of speed fairly je-
voured the laps as they sped by ana
covered the distance in hours "a min
utes and ~ seconds, smashing 10 small
hits al existing records.
/. GN Anderson did more. lie earned
the first leg. so to speak, on the Astor
Cup and won for himself $4,000 of
the $4,000 purse, while more than
10000 men and women, with a lust for
speed and a craving for excitement,
looked on and applauded his amazing
skill and wonderful courage.
Tom Rooney, driving another Stutz
car. finished second, lap and hall
behind. and so earned $4,000. while
Ed ODonnell in a Duesenberg was
third. distant third, thanks to an un-
kindly twist Of fate which robbed Wild
Bob Burman Of the place and Of $4,000
which he richly deserved. Burman was
right on the heels Of the leaders IN one
of the PeugeOt cars after keen bat
tie ali the way when engine trouble
drove him off the track only two laps
from the finish.
The previous record for 30O miles
was established bv Dario Resta over
the Chicago Speedway last June. when
he set up hours 80 minutes % sec
onds at the rate Of 9747 miles an hour.
No Accidents Mar Race.
There were no whirling chariota
afre. no twisted. misshapen wrecks,
no crushed limbs, and so it seemed that
the vast throng, without admitting me
reason therefor. was disappointed.
They waited in vain through close 10
four hours Tor the thrills which thOu-
sands Willingly and other thousands
unconsciously counted on experiencing
They found stirring race, with mueh
u interest. much TO amaze, much 10
satisfy. but with little 70 eaten the
breath. nothing to CONCEAL the blood
nothing to shudder over, hOthlhg 10
Ditv. Nero and his fiddle Still i've,
Int there was no Rome to burn.
The trained eyes, the steel-lk"
nerves. the unbounded courage and the
skilled hands Of those daring drivers
stood between a spectacle and sham
bles. No gatling gun ever boded
e,raver disaster than those crackllng
cars as they roared by in their cease-
les whirl over the smooth pine boar's.
hut IL was noise, Just rose.
Those rakish machines which belched
smoke from their wide open eXhausts
barked. but did not bite, and, unlCr-
tunate though il may be, little bi;e
would have been relished by the sPeed-
mad thousands. 5.,.
killed much Of tho immensely OF the
crowd Twenty thousand persons
tanned into the. park Of the Phill'es
Tor the worlds series struggle mao
more Of an impression. Inc eye IaIl-"
10 grasp the wonder Of so many pe1-
ple gathered together in one Spot.
There was not enough concentration o.
thrills 10 arouse DuioNo W
ar spontaneous roars such as are eX-
perienced at gatherings Tor football
baseball and racing ooo
The grandStand. seating 5o'DOV pei
sons. was far from iammed. The
bleachers. fully half a mile away ana
seemingly apart from the inclosure;,
we're not bulging. The officials SAID
nat 5000 cars were parked IN the IN
6eId and il looked il. They made
wonderfully impressive showing ana
srreIv accounted for 10000 Of the lOO'-
600 which the management insisted was
an hand. II WAS hard to conceive ina
the crowd was so big; II was so scat
tered
Only Eight Cars at Finish.
Twenty cars rushed of in the hrst
Wild dash: eight cars were ruhnihS
,ybep Gil Anderson flashed by me VIE
Ming most. with Tom Rooney, ms team
mate. the only serious contend.ei.
! such speed kings and general i"Noti'eS
sS Dario Resta. winner Of the van
de,biit Cup and Grand Prize races TINS
yesr Ralph De Palma, the nero OF
wsny a brilliant struggle; JACK AitHeh'
VINO was counted on 20 WIN ana "hV
mnouestionably had one Of the iss'J9' -
cars in the race, and Barney oio"''''
Continued page ., Column