Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-16
MOTOR DRIVERS IN
RACE With DEATH
R|LLB|GTHRO
Mad Race at Speedway Sends
One Car Hurting From
Track in Front of
Grandstand.
FRANCHI ESCAPES UNHURT
Mechanician Colombo Fatally
Hurt and Dies Later in
Hospital.
GABLE HAS CLOSE CALL
FRANCHI ESCAPES UNHURT
GABLE HAS CLOSE GALL
BY EDWARD BLACK.

Omaha had its first genuine auto
mobile thrill at the speedway yester-
day afternoon when Franchi, in his
Pusun racing machine, darted, as if
hurled from mighty catapault,
through the railing at the top of the
track to the ground twelve feet be-
low and then dashed in its frenzied
flight for 100 feet in the space which
separates grandstand from the track
At its fatal destination the machine,
which few seconds before had been
pulsating demonstration of mans
mechanical genius, lay on the ground,
an inert mass with two human beings
pinioned beneath its wreckage. That
was enough of a thrill for any ordi-
nary mortal.
Only few minutes before this acci-
dent one of the announcers shouted
through a megaphone requests that
spectators remain quietly in their
seats if an accident should occur.
Danger Adds Thrill.
will it happen?" asked each spec
,<ator in his mind as he trained his
eyes around the great mile and a
fourth speedway. The possibility of
mechanical or tire defect diverting
one of the machines from the track
added zest to the occasion. OF course
nebody wished any of the drivers to
be injured or killed, but if an acci-
dent was to occur, Mr.. Spectator had
a feeling that he would like to see it:
The 150-mile race was getting well
under way when all of sudden a
crash of boards and fleeting glimpse
Of the disappearing Pusun car brought
the thrill which many were expecting.
Spectators Start Rush.
All Of the spectators did not heed
the announcement of the man with
the megaphone. Many started to rush
to the scene of the disaster. Regular
and special police held the situation in
hand and in less than a minute tl1e
vast crowd was again settled back IN
its collective seats, watching the ter
rifle pace of the machines on the
track. Word was passed around that
two men had been killed, but the
race was on and went on without IN
terruption. 1t seemed that driver
and mechanician more or less did not
make much material difference.
Several speedway officials picked
nieces of scattered boards from the
track, Franchi and Colombo were re-
moved from the wreckage, carried to
. The waiting ambulance and taken to
'Nsre field hospital. And the race
went on.
Want to See the Living.
It was evident that when a man
drops out of an automobile race,
through machine trouble or accident
or death, the crowd loses interest in
him. The spectators want to see real
live racers who can speed it up at the
rate OF 100 miles or better per hour:
And a thrill now and then is not half
bad. If man is hurt or killed there
is an ambulance ready for him and
doctors are handy. Every provision
is made for his comfort. What more
could be done?
what | would like to know is lust
what those other drivers thought
when Franchi went over the top OF
the track" was an expression OF a
spectator. Those other driver surely
knew something happened, because
they could sec the people in, the
grandstand standing up and no doubt
some of them saw the accident. But
travelling 100 miles an hour and using
all of your wits to keep on the speed
way yourself, | do not believe driver
wos;d have much time to think aboht
the accident
The accident was OF deep coniern
to the men at the pits. After the sec
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