Evening star., 1941-07-12

had come in third in the race
AS the sun continued to beat dowr
on the spectators who crowded the
course, four cases of heat proStra-
ton were taken care of in The Red
Cross first-aid tent beside the track
and Is minor cuts and bruises were
treated.
Shortly after 3 pm. the prelim-
mary heats were completed and
after the two dead heat races, the
competitors were ready to go into
the quarter finals in which there
were "a heats. After that were to
come the eight semifinal heats, two
heats in the Glass A prefinals, Glass
A and Glass B finals. the city semi
Beach Has First Mishap.
First mlshap on the hill occurred
when RAYMOND Beach, 12 of 636 l
street SW., lost a tire only few
feet from the finishing line. Young
Beach's coaster car skidded in a
circle and he faced uphill as his two
competitors crossed the line. APP
plause from the crowd comforted
him.
Uninjured but not able to finish
the 18th heat was Eugene Carroll,
whose car struck q curb midway
of the course and bounced back.
A star in one of the early rounds
was young Bean i3, 608 Rlt-
tenhouse street NV. who had the
best designed car last year. In his
low-slung racer. Gene beat his two
opponents across the finish line in
the third heat.
Tense moments for the spectators
came at the finish line where
American Legion officials tagged the
winners, but for the young contest
ants the tenSest seconds were those
at the ramp Just before their cars
were released to speed down the
course. At the ramp. the boys got
their final lnStructlonS-to keep
their hands on the wheel their eyes
straight ahead and to apply their
brakes slowly at the finish line,
Photographers lined the entire
course but one contestant himself
got the place where best pictures
could be taken He was Leo Flaherty
Of Silver Spring, who. while waiting
for the 35th heat. placed himself
Immediately beneath the starting
ramp and ground his movie camera
as other boys dashed down the hill
Sewsreel Films Made.
Professional movies were taken
by Fox Movietone, whose operator
stood atop sedan and braced him
self against the wind as the auto
mobile moved down the slope
abreast the youngsters.
The huge audience braced itself
against a flood of sunshine. Both
pink and yellow lemonade had
boom sale and today was field
day for ice cream statesmen The
Ryland Methodist Church set up
four stands along the course and did
rush business.
Derby officials wore sun helmets
and many small boys stripped to
the waist. "Peachey' Giovannoni of
$40 Rittenhouse street NV, sister
of one of the contestants, made her
self a paper hat from the derby
program.
Derby Day began with parade, but
for hours before they faced Chair
man Randolph of the House Dis
trict Committee at the reviewing
stand, the boys arrived at the
course at Pennsylvania avenue Sc.
between Texas avenue and Car
penter street, TO await the arrival
of the little cars they have spent
months building.
BY the end of the day, one of the
boys who marched down the course
in the starting parade will be the
1941 city champion with the next
stop at Akron. Ohio, for the national
finals.
LED by the Boy Scout colors and
the Metropolitan Police Boys Club
Band, the 200 boys marched through
an avenue of spectators to the grand
stand at the finish of the course
Many of the spectators also had
arrived hours ahead of time and, be-
sides lining the course, they had
found seats in the shade on grassy
terraces along the way.
Addressing the boys, Representa-
tive Randolph called this ceremony
and contest "the spirit of America
living and breathinp'
He called the course ideal but
sprung a surprise by suggesting that
what the District needs is "a per-
manent course of this nature in the
Government parks. which boys
could use whenever they wanted"
This course could be used for ski
ing and shedding in winter time, he
said. even if we have to manufacture
snow for it. The boys and parents
broke into a hearty cheer at several
points during his advocacy of per-
manent course, and applauded again
when Representative doIp h
asked a cheer for the winner
though We don't know yet who
he is"
About facing. the parade marched
back up the hill with Representa-
tive Randolph in the lead. At the
starting point, he pulled the lever
releasing the three racers taking
part in the initial heat. Mr. Ran
dolph left Immediately thereafter
because of an afternoon speaking
engagement IN Berkeley Springs
w. Va.
The three previous Washington
derby champions watched from the
sidelines as their younger friends
sped down the course. Theye were
Norman Rocca, 1888: Carl CEDAR
strand, 1899. and Bill Jennings, last
years victor
The derby is sponsored by The
Star with the cooperation of the
District of Columbia American
Legion. Participants race in two
rlasses-Class B for boys IL or IL
years of age, and Glass A for boys
13, IA and IS years old.
Dutch" Bergman Officiates.
When Representative Randolph
had left the course, Chief Starter
uovu,ond Coupdorc hcUon co,,din0