The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-05-20
NEW DERBY RACER
GLEN ECHO FEATURE
Thrills Await Patrons Of New
Ride With the Opening Of the
Park Today.

Making two separate and distinct
thrills grow in breasts that never
dreamed OF the possibility Of harboring
more than one at a time Ia the simple
foundation on which the management
OF Glen Echo bases Its claim for an
entirely new amusement device in the
Derby Racer. The racer is the big struc-
ture erected since the park closed last
year. II promises TO fulill Its mission
OF supplying a new sensation. coupled
with the satisfaction that comes from
perfect safety.
The thrill that II aroused by tearing
through space Mt a terrific speed. going
up inciines, and shooting down long
declivities Is coupled with the thrill
OF. trying to do this before another man
or woman or party OF men and women
in duplicate car riding alongside ac-
complish the same thing.
Why II Is . Racer.
The new ride is being introduced at
the opening OF the park today.
The feature OF the Derby Racer is this:
Tho structure. which at Glen Echo
provides a much longer ride than the
gravity railroad has ever provided for
its patrons there. contains parallel
tracks. The trains OF cars are started
from opposite sides OF the loading plat
form at exactly the same time at high
speed. The trains run together until
they reach loop at the end OF the
structure. Then they separate by rea-
son OF the fact that one train has an
inside track and the other has the out
side track The train on the inside
track shoots ahead. The train op the
outside track catches up at the next
loop. when the positions are reversed.
and the two trains rush on again side
by side. There are six loops and six
changes OF position.
How Do They Finish?
II would seem that with trains made
up and carried forward with such me-
chanical precision they would finish ex-
actly even! But do they? Sometimes
they do and sometimes they don't. That
is one OF the things that absorbs the
rider. He watches his train 10 see IL
he can't make II beat the other fell
lows train. Each car In the train seats
six people and the eighteen minds In
each train commence to figure out some
way to make their particular string or
ears Srsrs come me back %,hsr TO the Loading station
gets there. II can be done. and IL will
probably be done hundreds of times
this summer.
Gives Absolute Safety.
So far as safety goes. the Derby Racer
Is as safe as human ingenuity and the
best and heaviest material can make.
The system of construction is such that
cars cannot leave the track. 1t is SO
safe for passengers that II does not
even REQUIRE an attendant on the cars.
The man at the loading platform can
stop every car on the structure by turn
Ing a simple lever at his hand. The cars
are equipped with automatic safety
brakes that are put on to keep them
from collidinR.
Distinguished scientists like Prof.
Hugo Munsterburg. OF Harvard Univer-
sity. have placed themselves on roc
ORD as heartily indorsing a device of
this kind. DR.. Munsterburg calls II a
mental bathing pool where constant
swimming through new and absorbing
sensations cleans the sweat of worry
from the mind and leaves the subject
with that wholesome attitude that comes
OF complete enjoyment.