New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-14

exc out llflng on tnffi h"Aot 9N"oN
ere spriating around Tor a half hour
u. so at speed that would have taxed
Paddock to tag them. II was well
Or the horses engaged in the sub
equent heats that the frantic bipecs
81 ere not opposed 20 them either IN the
prints or the distance races. Certain
- no courser or whippet ever made a
weller getaway than n big, stray
lack dog that sought shelter amid q
aile OF mine host Harry Stevens's
,mpty boxes In a corner under the
.randstanc.
Men. women, horses and the dog in
question we're hoped 20 the highest
itch OF frenzicd action by one OF the
aost violent thundcrstormS the
'onkers course ever witnessed. AMI
,mpirc City has seen more than its
hare Of natures brightest pyrotechn.c
display. One lightning bolt struck p
lngpole on the eastern end o. tho
stand and smashed ii % slivers. A
iigh veloc ty wind whirIed these splins.
ers down on the rain swept lawn Ike
20 many matches or bits of kinfliny
wood Fortunately this br.ckpaved
lawn" whc.h was being dncchel
By ver.tabe cloudburst was
absolutrlv deserted 10 thc time The
great ma or.ty Of patrons he'd already
sought shelter under the spacious
Vrandstand or in the remote reaches o.
he granistand proper wherever shelter
against the dcwnpour could be found.
Customers ST, Tight
Eye-vitncsses declared there was lit
re par &C. IN the grandstand proper
women Who hid no other place 70 90
and were forced 70 sit 10 out with what
scant protection they could End. IL was
said the women were too dumoed 20
move. Thcy rat and prayed. Even
from the back wall corner under the
stand. whore your humble correspondent
happoucd 70 park near Charlie frim-
rose. the illumination would have been
declared most satisfactory % the most
fastidiouslv cxacting while the thunder
elaps succeeded in such sequence ana
sharpness as almost 20 resemble con
tlnued roll Of high explosive artillery.
Over the reservoir across the neid
network OF chain lightning zigzagged
and danced continually tin the south
ern sky rcsemllcd a shimmerlng, IN
eandescent fbered mantle Of hnely
eroohoted Irish lace.
Nothing resembling q panic tran
splred under the grandstand TIL the
arrival of the bolt that cleft the nag
pole. This bolt. or part Of II, ran down
a drain pipe in that particular corner
where friend cur had sought safety
from the reigning terror. IL must
have come so close 20 the canine as 10
shock him q bit. For there was one
wild vein Of terror and the pyramid
~ nop-bottle boxes hurtled in every
direction as II ~ by shell rom =
Big Bertha. a black streak shot OUT
OF the D xes--0r where the boxes had
bcen-knocking down q long fuIrow
OF fearless men who had been stolcal
enough until then.
But for the next few minutes the
underpart Of that old grandstand was
lust about Is placid as a big rat PIT
when q dozen terriers are thrown H.
The connection Of the dog, following
instantly with the accompanying ear
splitting thunderclsp and the train OF
fsllen and falling Towser was leaving
in his wake led many 20 believe that
the dog was a black lightning fash.
Others heard the boxes falling and
thought the roof was running amuek
and started the cry mad dos!
Horses Frantic With Fear
Out in the paddock. so it was re-
ported. even wilder scenes were en-
acted. The storm. or rather two storms
for il was case Of two thunder
storms meeting head on almost d.
rectly above the grandstand-broke IN
all It's fury after the thirteen thor
oughbreds OF the older divisions had
been taken 10 the paddock to be pre-
nared for the first race. These horses
went frantic with fear. They lunged
ard plunged and kicked, and only that
most OF the trainers had taken pre-
cautions TO apply witches with the
first rumble OF thunder serious injury
20 man or beast undoubtedly would
have resulted.
Never aid Il rain harder anywhere
than right az Empire City for almost
a half hour before the first race. Be-
cause Of the "frayed "nerves" Of the
|. thoroughbreds and binding water
4 sheets that would have hidden the
parade, even from the judges stand
the time Of the first race was post
poned one-half hour. Though the
storm had ahated when the hrst held
went 70 the post Il was still carrying
on with a downpour which under nor.
nal conditions might easily be elassed
as deluxe. but which, compared 20
what had gone before, was nothing but
light Scotch mist.
Under the circumstances the be-
raggled crowd could scarcely expect
horse racing. Quite correct. They
didn't sec any. Form as we'll as horses
ran for Sweeney, or rather, waded for
Sweeney. Running was out Of the
question in the belly-deep mud. muck
and mire. The infield was a gigantic
lake and the course proper marsh
surrounding IL. Yet two favorites
managed 20 founder through the bog
and down past the judges at the head
Of their respective columns. One OF
these. however, was ! 20 I choice, so
thele wasn't great deal Of nourish-
ment in the days sport after all.
II. c. Proetors recently acquired
Daniel, a two-year-old colt, BY Rock
view-Marie Frances, won the Fri7ol-
ity Stakes at five and a half fur
longs. the feature o. the day. This
one raced down the Nevada Stock
Farms Amber before the stretch was
reached. r. T. Wilson's Forest lore,
son OF Campfire, stepped in a hole
shortly after the start, almost fell Ard
was thrown completely out Of conten-
tion. The Frivolity was worth f2.0S5
to the winner.
Callahan Misses Chances
II. watersons Brainstorm won the
Mahopae Handicap az 4 mile, though
Prodigiors, the favorite. could not have
missed had J. Callahan shown his usual
acumen. This one was almost left az
the post. After taking the short route
20 the stretch turn. Callahan swung
go. ,ciJc xyhere he could have saved