The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-08-12
TWO KILLED IN
IOWA AUTO RACES
JOE COOPER AND N. KELLER
MEET DEATH IN ACCIDENTS.
R, MILFORD DECLARED WINNER
Decision, However, is Contested and
Awarding Of Prizes May be Held
Up Pending investigation
by the A. A. A.

y
Des Moines, Aug. 9-Reports from
the hospital today indicated that Will
liam Chandler and George Piel, injuT
ed in the double automobile accidents
at the Speedway Saturday, were rest
ing we'll and will probably recover.
The bodies of Joe Cooper and Maurice
Keller killed. in different accidents
were sent to their homes for burial,
Cooper to Sebring, Ohio, and KELLER
to Leroy, Mimi, The public was still
talking of the action of the judges who
after unofficially giving the race to
DePalma changed their milds Sunday
and gave 1t to milford, DePalma sec
ond and O'Donnell third
Two Wrecks Mar Races.
Two accidents, each claiming a
mans life, married the opening of the
eauCc. shaped track near Valley juno
ton Saturday. One happened at the
beginning Of the race and the other
near the" Ise; one directly in front
of th'. t.Ypdstand and most of the
10000 - 50 spectators, and the 9TH
er on the opposite side of the speed.
way. bee e.
Joe Cooper of Sebrng, O., and his
mechanician, Louis Peio, also of Sc
bring, in Sebring car figured in Che
first fatality of the afternoon; w. W.
Chandler of Chicago and his meChan-
ician, Morris Keller Of st. Paul, in a
Duesenberg furnished the second.
a4 y. Cooper Falls Early.
I, COoper's. accident came as he was
entering the home stretch nthe thir-
ty-eight mile. Two laps before the
treads on his left rear tire flew off.
Just as he was leaving the turn and
was entering the straightaway . in
front of the north end of the grand.
stand the tire blew out. The rear end
of the machine swerved and skidded
towards the inside of the saucer until
the the machine was almost at right
angles with the track
The driver was seen to attempt des-
perately to hold this machine to the
track. He failed, but lid succeed, in
partly changing its position so that
1t chashed through the top of the
saucer at an angle.
a.. Machine Turns Over
AS. the machine fell sideways it
turned completely over and landed
on the right side. AS it dropped Peio,
the mechanician, was thrown out and
CISdI vi Tic Car. bOOpSI was thrown
partly out and was caught beneath the
edge of the machine on the ground.
His neck was broken by the fall. His
body was partly crushed. He was
dead by the time the spectators reach
ed him.
Chambers Accident.
Chambers accident happened about
200 laps after CoOper's fatal plunge.
He had completed the 236th lap and
was half way around the track on the
237th mile.
The exact cause Of the accident is
unknown. 1t was stated by guards
who witnessed the mishap that the
left front tire blew out, causing the
machine to skid half way up the sauc-
er and then leaped into the air, turn.
ing somersault and plunging through
and over the wire fence on the inside
of the track. Chandler said the crash
resulted from the rear left wheel
breaking. 1t was found broken after
the accident. Other racers last night,
however, told of trouble Chandler had
been having earlier in the race with
the rear axle, and were inclined to
blame its giving way for the crash.
The driver and mechaniCian both
were hurled from the car, landing in
the open about ten feet further and
then bounding at least ten feet fur
Their. In their path the earth was torn
up as though it had been dug with a
pick.
Chambers Back Broken.
At the Mercy Hospital Chandler is
suffering from a broken back and in
ternal injuries. ,a
No hope vas held out for Keelers
life at any t ime. Examination at the
hospital revealed that he had sus-
tanned a broken back, a broken hip,
broken shoulders and serious injury
to his kidney. He died early in the ev-
ening, only a few hours after having
been taken to the hospital.
The Prize Winners.
First prize, Ralph Mulford, S., 900. |
Second, Ralph DePaIma, $4,000.
Third, Eddie O'Donnell, $1,000.
Fourth, w w. Brown, $500.
Fifth, Barndollar, $500.
Sixth, Pete Henderson, $400.
Seventh, w. ]. SHRINK, $500.
Leading at 100 miles, milford, 500. |
Leading at 200 mi, DePalma, $1OO, !
II took Ralph milford hours, q !
minutes and 5.35 seconds to win the |
first auto derby at the Des Moines !
speedway Saturday afternoon and ten |
hours to prove that he did. Late yes
terday afternoon the drivers named 7
above were officially named as the
winners of the 300 mile race.
May be Investigated.
Although the speed event may be
closed as far as Des Moines Is im-
mediately concerned, the awarding OF |
the prizes may be held up until after
an investigation by the Automobile
Association of America at New York
City. The investigation, If it is held,
viii be at the instigation of II. w. Og-
rem. manager of Tom Alley and owner
OF the car In which Alley Is officially |
reported to have finished eighth.
Alleys Protest.
Alley declares he is entitled to eth
er fifth or sixth money, at least in the
speed event He says that he was
forced to run 1872 laps instead of 300
and that he was timed for the entire
number he ran instead of the number
that constituted the race.
Alleys declaration is backed up by L
Cgren and by H. A. Green. manageEli