The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-11
SWISS BODSLED TEAM ON TOP;
 3 ACCIDENTS
German Team Second; {; American Team Had Best
 Single Run of the Day
BY FREDERICK c. OECHsNER Limited Press Staff CSOrrespOndent)

BY FREDERICK c. OECHSNER United Press Staff CSOrrespOndent)
 darfisch Partenkirchen, Ger many, February II (UP) - switzerland's No. 1 Four-man Bob sled team led the field today when the bobbing competition of the fourth winter Olympic games was postponed until this afternoon be- cause of Q soft course.
 The Swiss team, plloted by Reto Capadrutt, holder of the two man record for the run, had Q total elapsed time for two descents of 2 minutes, 43.37 seconds.
 Six teams of Q field of 10 will fin- ish their runs this afternoon. The racing was halted at li:30 Q. m. (5:30 Q. m, E.S.T) because of a warm sun which softened the course.
 The American No. team, driven by J. Hubert Stevens of Lake Placid, N. r., took third place with 2:44.78 while the No. 2 four, piloted by Francis Tyler of Lake Placid, was sixth at 2:4948.
 The No. 1 German team, driven by Hans Kilian, was second in 2:43.78. The first teams of France and Belgium were fourth and fifth withrespective times of 2:44.93 and 2:46.74.
 One More Day
 Competition ;s scheduled to end tomorrow with eaUh of the 10 com- peting teams representing ten na- tons making two more runs. Pac- ings will be determined on the basis of total elapsed time for the four descents.
 Only team running this afternoon which has . chance of crashing into the first six is the second Swiss team which covered the first run this morning in l:22.45.
 The first American team, turned in the fastest run of the day down the 5,249 foot course when 1t covered the second run in 1:l0.l7. On the second drop. the Americans ap. peared to do no braking as they sped down and around the 10 dan- gerous curves which stud the drop located at the foot of Mount Gudi- berg.
 Both American sleds went down the first time in 1:26.6i. On the second run, the No. 2 U. s. four went down in l:23.85. The time might have been faster had not Brakeman Jim Bickford of Lake. Placid threw his weight the wrong way when en- tering the dangerous Bayern curve
 Three accidents marred the com- petition. The most serious was that of the second Italian team, driven by Francesca Zana, which crashed as 1t swung into the Bayern Curve Men and sled were hurled bO feel Into the air. One rider suffered 2 broken nose. Another suffered severe lacerations.
 The second accident involved one of the three local teams which went down to break tho course before the second American sled inaugurated competition. The sled crashed at the big Bayern turn. No one was hurt. The second German team recorded the third accident when 1t overturned ct the same spot.
 New Driver
 It wasn't until the last minute that Dietrick Wortman, coach or the American team, decided to let Tyler drive the No. 2 sled in place of Donna Fox, Bronx undertaken who was injured during Q practice spin on Saturday.
 A member of the No. l U. s. team explained that his sled might have recorded better time on the first run if 1t. hadn't been for a slight miscalculation. Before leaving Bay ern Curve, he explained, the boD bumped the underside of the track, losing several precious seconds.
 Best time for the first run was recorded by the No. 1 German team, piloted by Hans Kilian, which went down in I:20.73. A crowd of 5000, filling the stands ct the start, finish and along the course, sat In clear cold weather ana watched the American No. 2 team inuuRurute COHlVetItiOH uv O'0v !" s'' (2:30 Q. m. T.. s. IT..
 The Americans are defending the championships, both in the four and two man events, which they won in i032 at Lake Placid. .,
 The course was iii perfect condi' ton as c cannon echoed from the mountain top just as the us sled started the downward glide.
 The Americans wore dark blue coats, light blue sweaters and red. white and blue crash helmets ana socks.
 The American No. l team. which was 18th down on the first run, was composed of Stevens, John shenc, Bob Martin and Crawford Merkel, oil of Lake Placid. The No. 2 team was made up of Tyler, Edward Varno, Lake Placid; Dick Lawrence, Branchvilic, N. J., and Jim Bick' ford, Lake Placid.
 Al