The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-01
THREE KILLED
IN AUTOMOBILE
SWEEPSTAKES
LecOcq and Bandini, Mechani-
clan, Burned to Death at
Indianapolis.
THURMAN is CRUSHED
More Than $4,000 Persons
See Wilcox Drive Peugeot
to Victory.
THURMAN is CRUSHED


coz drove to victory in the Liberty
Sweepstakes. the 500 mile automobile
classic. over the big brick track here to-
day and Death rode in his wake. The
Grim Reaper cast a dismal shadow over
as brilliant and thrilling a motor race as
ever had the hearts OF lbs. 900 spectators
in their mouths. Before half of the race
had been covered three men were killed
and two others seriously injured.
Louis Lecocd and his mechanician,
Robert Badinini, were burned to death
when their car overturned and went up
In a crimson and black flare Of burning
gasolene. The men were pinned under
meath the wreckage and were charred
beyond recognition before their remains
could be dragged out. The haming fluid
ran over the track, but the other drivers
continued to speed on and on through
the smoke and fumes. -.t
Mrs. Thurman. young widow Of Arthur
Thurman Of Newark. N. J., swooned in
the grand stand when she saw her hus-
band instantly killed when his car over
turned on the backstretch. Montinaro,
mechanician of the Ill fated Thurman,
was, injured seriously but a timely
operation Ia thought to have saved his
life
Jean Chassagne. who relieved Paul
Bablot Of the Ballot team. narrowly
escaped death when his machine dashed
into retaining wall and hurled the two
occupants Of the car into the barrier
with frightful impact. The mechanician,
strange to say. escaped with only a few
minor injuries.
Driving his long lean Pnegot at an
average Of S7.12 miles per hour. Wilcox
flashed across the finish line In 8 hours
~ minufAQ 1a< t,.
suit came Eddie Hearne. Goux, Guyot,
Tom Alley, Ralph De Palma. Louis
Chevrolet, Ira Vail, CASTOR Chevrolet
and Rene Thomas, who finished in the
order named The official times were:
Wilcox, b:44:21:75 (average 81 :12);
Hearne, :%6:1s:25 (average $3.50
Goux. $3.50 :+s:90 (averags s5.5l);
Guyot. ;53 :S3 80 (average SASSY; AL
ley. sos "a: rs (average S126J; De
Chevrolet. 6 III :46 :3S: Vail, 6:14:3S ;62;
O.. Chevrolet, s:16 14:ss: Thomas.
Z :15 AT 80,
As q result of his victory Wilcox. wins
Q prize of 100000. Fifty thousand dol
lars was divided among the first ten
drivers
Go at Terrific Speed.
The speed maintained up to the PTS
mile point was the greatest In the his
tory OF the Speedway. 1t averaged to
that point s1.34 miles an hour. De
Palma, who had maintained a lead most
of the time in the first half Of the race.
lost twenty-five miles when he had to go
10 the pits for a change OF tires. And
II was only by terrific speed that he
managed to finish sixth. He barely
nosed out L. Chevrolet
Wilcox has partaken in every 500 mile
race held at the Indianapolis Speedway.
1t was his first victory, however. OF the
six half thousand mile grinds-the sew
enth international sweepstakes was a dis
lance OF 400 miles-three local drivers
have finished first. Ray Harroun won in
1911 and Joe Dawson in 1912.
The race was one of the most sensa-
tional ever held here. Broken steering
knuckles, the loss of wheels. two cars
overturning without serious injury and
the loss of exhaust pipes kept the crowd
on edge from start to finish. The cleo
trtcal timing device was broken when.
one car. pulling in minus a front Wheel
caught the wire and tore It from It's con-
nections. This happened in the last
fifty miles of the race.
At no time was the field strung out
not more than two minutes separating
the winner and the second man. The
remainder of the field was proportion
ately punched.
Paced by Lieut-Col ]. G. Vincent
and Eddie Rlckenbacker. in a Packard
car. thirty-three drivers hoped or in
the Liberty Sweepstakes at IL A. NJ.
After one turn Of the course the race
was on.
De Palma jumped into the lead at
the end of the second lap with Andre
Boillet. in a Peugeot. cars length
behind. At the end Of the fourth lap
De Palma led, with Thomas second; L.
Wagner, third; Earl Cooper, fourth: l.
Chevrolet, fifth CASTOR Chevrolet, sixth
boyer. seventh: Brown, eighth Guyot,
ninth. and Eddie Hearne, tenth.
Time. S:12.75. Average speed. 1905
miles.
Clifford Durant in a Chevrolet, war
first to go to the pit because of a loose
hood.
Ora Haibe stopped in the tenth lap to
replace spark plug Roscoe Searles
developed magnetic trouble and stopped
temporarily. w. w. Brown was forced
10 withdraw from the race in the fifth
lap because of a broken connecting rod.
Fifty Mile Record Broken.
Ralph De Palma led at the end Of
twenty laps $50 miles,. with Wilcox sec
ond; Thomas. third; loft. fourth; L.
Wagner. fifth Cooper. sixth; l.. Chew
rolet. seventh; G. Chevrolet, eighth
Guyot. ninth. and Milford. tenth. Time
80 :33 AS. Average, 92.14.
This is a new record for nifty miles on
the Indianapolis Speedway.
At the end OF seventy-hve miles
(thirty laps) De Palma was still lead
iEg; Rene Thomas, second, and Ballot
third. De Palma's time was as so :S5,
or an average OF 92.12 miles an hour.
which is a new track record for the dis
lance.
Joe Boyer's Frontenac lost a left rear
wheel In front OF the grandstand In the
thirtieth lap and Boyer drove to the pit
on hub. He was permanently out Of the
race.
stilI Leads at 100 Miles.
De Palma led at 100 miles Bablot,
second L. Chevrolet. third G. Chevrolet,
fourth Guyot, NTH; L. Wagner. sixth
Cooper. seventh; Milton. eighth O'Don-
mel. ninth Wilcox. tenth. The time was
! :04 :43.e. Average, 92.70.
This also is a new track record for the
distance. the previous record being SIS
miles an hour. made by Resta In
feugeot In 1915.
Ralph Milford withdrew from the race
Hoakiu.ssH M, Qeaaad p0aa