Evening star., 1939-07-30
By the Associated Press.

BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS,
Utah, July 29.-This is a story Of
men and machines and rubber and
salt and of singular quest for
speed that knows no end.
1t is the story of big John Cobb,
the crown prince of speed who
would be king: Of his Railton, in
which he hopes to drive $50 miles an
hour, faster than man ever has
driven on land before.
Cobb, the 200-pound London fur
broker, will seek, in mid-August, to
write another chapter in the long
history of speed that started on a
day in 1898 when Chasseloup Lau-
but climbed into his Jentaud car on
the sands of sunny France.
When the daring Frenchman
came to the end of the specially
prepared track he had set the first
record for the mile-a dizzy 1924
miles an hour.
Although history records little of
what this French "whirlwind" did
or said, possibly he climbed from
his racer with the remark some
thing like one attributed to a later
and better known driver:
"It was a hell of ride and I
don't mean that profanely."
Chasseloup Laubut was the first
OF the knights of the roaring road.
His efforts long since have been
eclipsed by trio of daring, wealthy
Britons - Campbell, Eyston and
Cobb.
Campbell Leads Way.
Sir Malcolm Campbell set the
racing world on fire one clear day
In September, 1885, when he wheeled
his twin-motored Bluebird onto
the Bonneville speedway-nature's
contribution in hard rock salt to
the mad quest for speed near the
Utah-Nevada border. On that day
Campbell attained an ambition to
be the first man to drive miles
minute. His record. was 301 1892
miles an hour.
Had Campbell raced alongside
Chasseloup Laubut he would have
won by some 4500 feet in a mile
(5,280 feet contest.
Campbell never returned to the
course he made famous, but others
of his countrymen did. Capt
George E. T. Eyston, big, sandy
haired. bemustached London sports
man, followed two years later and
on November 10, 1887, drove his
Thunderbolt 31142 mp.h., the Sec
ond man to drive more than five
miles minute.
Eyston boosted the mark still
higher, to 34549 m mp.h. in 1888 be-
fore Cobb and his Railton even en-
tered the picture.
With Eyston standing by, the
tovial Cobb took his new, untried
speed monster and roared down the
l3-mile stretch of salt. He gunried
1t as he neared the halfway mark
and flashed through the measured
mile.
At the end he quickly changed
tires, checked his motor and re-
traced his course. A run each way
is required so that no racer may
take advantage of a wind at his
back.
When timers checked his speed
each way. averaged it, they hailed
Cobb as the new king of speed. His
time, 350.2 m.ph.
Cobb King for a Day.
For "a hours Cobb was king-just
long enough for the flats to sweat
under the afternoon son; to harden
again in the cool night air. Then
Eyston took up the duel. This time
he pushed the record to 357.7 mp.h.
and Cobb went home.
So did Eyston after a later at
tempt in which his car broke down.
Thus only three men know the
sensation of driving on land at five
miles minute or more.
Eyston described it this way:
When I first topped 300 miles an
hour I had a number of mingled
sensations. One moment felt the
salt was curving down in front of
me. The next felt as if we were
speeding through a body of water
IN high-powered speedboat in
stead OF riding on wheels. Another
time 1t was quite casual ride. The
last time 1t was hell of a ride.
and don't mean that profanely."
Said Cobb:
1T Is a real thrill. You Just 90
faster and faster until your vision
becomes blurred and your only guide
is the black line. 1t feels good
when you can slow down. There is
a great roar from the motor and
you can hear terrific whine from
the wind as the air rushes by. The
ride is fine: there is no discomfort.
In 63 mild words Cobb described
the elimination of months of plan
ming and building and scheming.
He made no mention of the fact
he risked his life on the theories
and blueprints of Reid Railton,
premier British engineer for whom
the car was named.
Railton Exploded Theory.
1t was Railton who theorized a
car did not need to weigh six or
seven tons to hold the ground at
300 miles an hour.
Railton said so.
Cobb risked his life to prove it.
Eyebrows of the Bonneville wise
acres lifted high when Cobb shipped
his Railton to the flats and an
nounced it weighed but 31a tons, or
2.8 pounds per horsepower. Such
car, they said. would lift at such
speeds and kill its pilot. Didn't
Eystons car weight seven tons?
There was more than just a
guess back of the solemn predic-
tions. No light car before had been
driven faster than 200 miles an
hour that did not kill it's driver.
No pilot before ever had attempted
to drive 300 miles an hour in such
q car.
Cobb anticipated the uplifted
brows. Immediately upon his ar
rival he issued this printed state
ment:
I'm view of false ideas which are
current about accidents to record