Text and photos with authorisation of Bibliothèque National de France, gallica.bnf.fr.; compiled by motorracingistory.com,
THE NEW YORK HERALD, European Edition, PARIS, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1905, page 1
FRENCH AUTOMOBILES FIRST AND SECOND IN CONTEST FOR THE VANDERBILT CUP.
HEMERY AT THE WHEEL OF HIS DARRACQ RACER, WINNER OF THE VANDEBILT CUP.
HEATH, ON THE 120 H.P. PANHARD-LEVASSOR WHO ARRIVED SECOND.
TRACY ON A 120 H.P. LOCOMOBILE, THIRD IN THE RACE.
SCENE AT THE FINISH LINE, FROM PHOTOGRAPH MADE DURING THE ELIMINATING RACE
—–
M. Hemery, Driving a Darracq, and Mr. Heath, Driving a Panhard, First and Second Respectively.
TIME IS 4H. 36MIN. 8SEC. OVER 283-MILE COURSE.
Mr. Tracy the Only Member of American Team Who Makes Good Showing.
THIRD, BEFORE SIGNOR LANCIA.
Two Hundred Thousand People Witness the Contest — Prominent People in the Boxes.
No Serious Accidents Are Recorded – Mr. Keene Hits Telegraph Pole But Escapes Unhurt.
OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION.
Driver Nation. Automobile. H. M. S.
Hemery France Darracq 4 36
Heath France Panhard 4 39 40
Tracy America Locomobile 4 58 26
Lancia Italy F.I.A.T. 5 00 31
[BY COMMERCIAL CABLE TO THE HERALD.]
New York, Saturday. — Two hundred thousand persons -witnessed the automobile race on the Nassau Circuit this morning in which France, with M. Hemery and Mr. Heath, as drivers, was made doubly sure of the Automobile Cup.
There was perfect weather and a splendid track, and the finest automobile drivers in the world drew an army from every condition in life. There was an almost continuous fringe on the 28.3 miles of the course, and almost every person well known in New York society and the professional and business worlds could have been found ah the Mineola grand stand, as guests of the American Automobile Association, or in automobiles sandwiched in the parking spaces near the finish, and at every important turning.
The grand stands were erected by private enterprise and held great throngs.
Roped spaces everywhere offered good points of observation. For small sums the proprietors of tents, booths and pavilions supplied the hungry with food and drink.
There were regiments of special police, and an admirable flag system, which extended entirely around the course, safeguarded against accident. The fact that all the countryside had taken a holiday added a rural touch to an otherwise urban function.
Hemery and Heath.
M. Hemery won, and Mr. Heath was second. Both were cheered, but the heart of the crowd was not with them entirely. Two large places in all hearts were reserved, one for Signor Lancia, who lost the race by an accident, the other for Mr. Tracy, of the American team, who finished third, and had maintained a good position all the time. It had been generally believed that Mr. Tracy would be the only American to finish in a good position. He really had not hoped for better than fifth place, hut it was not thought the other American contestants would make such a poor showing.
Accidents put the German team out of it. Until accident after accident had combined to stop M. Jenatzy, Mr. Keene, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Warden, three of them were in commanding positions. Anyone of them might have won, but the Americans, with the exception of Mr. Tracy, had never a chance. They were hopelessly beaten before the first round was finished.
Mr. Christie, who crippled Signor Lancia, did not appear at the course until 28 minutes after his starting time. He was five rounds in the rear when he struck Signor Lancia, his low and wide machine hopping-from side to side on course.
There were breakdowns on all the American machines, except Mr. Tracey’s, almost from the beginning. Mr. Dingley’s Pope-Toledo had a broken axle at Hyde Park. Mr. Lytle’s .120 horse-power Pope-Toledo cracked a cylinder. Mr. White’s steamer punctured a tire ran out of water and had trouble on every circuit until the fourth, when he withdrew.
Despite several dangerous places the course, there was no serious accident to any contestant or spectator. Careful practice had taught the drivers every inch of the road, and they knew exactly what they could do.
It was only when the drivers became reckless that trouble occurred.
Signor Cedrino, of the Italian team, who started twelfth, had moved up to tenth place in the third round. He became reckless, took the Lakeville turn without checking speed, and his racer skidded. The near wheel locked with a telegraph pole, there was a crash, and the racer sustained a broken rear wheel.
Mr. Foxhall Keene, driving his Mercedes like an arrow, had passed the grand stand second on the fifth round, but third on the point of elapsed time. He had been gaining steady on all except Signor Lancia.
At a seventy-mile-an-hour pace he started on the sixth round. Spectators at the turns say it appeared a miracle that his machine did not shoot over the fence.
All went‘ well until the “S” turn. Mr. Keene did not check his speed. At the first telegraph pole there was the inevitable skid, and the rear wheel struck. Those nearby saw the machinist shoot over the side, turning a double somersault. With one wheel off the machine bumped for twenty feet, but the brakes held.
Telephoned the News.
Mr. Keene telegraphed the news of the accident to the grand stand and further gave the assurance that he was not hurt, and that the accident was not his only hair-raising experience.
On the -second round M. Sisz, of the French-team, driving a Renault, entered Hyde Park Road with Mr. Keene. Along the two-mile stretch up to the grand stand M. Sisz and Mrs Keene raced with extreme desperation. Both were even when the grand stand was reached. Each machine almost scraped the fringe of the crowd on either side of the course.
M. Sisz forged slightly ahead of Mr. Keene after the grand stand was passed.
It is of Signor Lancia’s drive that automobile experts are talking since the race. For eight rounds he drove his 120 horse-power F.I. A.T. at the rate of about seventy miles an hour. His machine apparently swerved less than any other. Bolt upright in his machine as the race wore on he found time to wave a hand as he dashed by the grand stand. Not a defect was showing in his machine. He was leading his nearest competitor by thirteen minutes. Signor Lancia stopped at the F.I.A.T. depot in Willis Avenue to get gasolene. This took little more than a minute. He was in the machine again when the flagman waved that an automobile was coming. Signor Lancia pulled to one side, but before he could develop speed. M. Christie appeared. There was a collision and the front wheels of Mr. Christie’s, machine were smashed. The repairs to Signor Lancia’s automobile took so much time that when he resumed racing, he was sixth in the race.
The race after that was between M. Hemery and Mr. Heath. They were in sight of each other in the eighth, ninth and tenth rounds, but Mr. Heath could not cut down M. Hemery’s three-minute advantage in starting time, nor the slight advantage M. Hemery had gained in an earlier lap. Thereafter at the grand stand the announcer would call through a megaphone their numbers in the same breath. Time and time again one would pass, the other. They were together at Bull’s Head.
Mr. Heath ran ahead at Hyde Park; M. Hemery caught him in sight of the grand stand.
On the tenth round M. Hemery drew away from Mr. Heath, who evidently realized the hopelessness of his pursuit.
M. Hemery flashed over the line a winner at 10.52 a.m., having made 283 miles in 4h. 36min. 8sec., beating by nearly ten miles the average record for last year’s contest.
Mr. Heath finished 3min. 32sec. later.
Eighteen minutes 45sec. behind Mr. Heath came Mr. Tracy, who was greeted with tumultuous cheers and waving handkerchiefs.
Fourth came Signor Lancia, who received many words of sympathy. With Signor Lancia home, yellow flags were flashed around the course, telling that the race was over.
Five other contestants were still racing. M. Duray, who had lost his position in the eighth round by a slight accident; Mr. Dingley, who had repaired, pounding along; Signor Nazzaro, on his ninth round; Mr. Lytle, on the fifth round, and Signor Sartori, oil the eighth round.
The officials of the Automobile Association and all the spectators declare that the race was the finest they ever saw. All. sympathize deeply with the Italian team for the accident that prevented Signor Lancia from winning. The feeling among the Italian team is intense, although the members admit that Signor Lancia should have waited for Mr. Chris tie’s automobile to pass, but he declares that he gave sufficient room.
The representatives of Germany saw nothing except the racing. Misfortune put them out of it. That is their only excuse.
It was an inspiring sight when the thousands of automobiles turned toward New York. Minor accidents were many. Some of these were ascribed to refreshments partaken by the “chauffeurs” during the-long hours of waiting in position with their automobiles before the race was started.
Among the prominent persons seen in the boxes at the race were , the Duchess of Marlborough, with Mr. And Mrs. Edward R. Thomas; Mr. O. H. P. Belmont and Mr. Philip Benkard. Others in boxes were Colonel and Mrs. William Jay, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Waterbury, Mir. Thomas Hitchcock, Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt, Jir; Mr. Richard Peters, Mr. Decourcey Forbes, Lady Evelyn Baring, Mr. Sydney Smith, Mr. And Mrs. William, B. Leeds, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E.: Widener, Mr. Alfred Vanderbilt, Mr. Ernest Iselin, Mr. and Mrs. Hollis Hunnewell, Mr. and Mrs. John Magee Ellsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hall.
As Told by the Bulletins.
(BY COMMERCIAL CABLE TO THE HERALD.)
New York; Saturday. — Following is the story of the race as indicated by the bulletins: —
The race was started promptly at 6 a.m. Lancia was leading at the end of the first, round, elapsed time, 23min. 49sec.; Jenatzy second, 24mm. 52sec.; Sisz third, 24min. 55sec ; Wagner fourth, 25min. 26sec. No Americans near the front.
Lancia leading at the end of the fourth round, elapsed time, 1h. 34min. 3sec.
At close of third round Sisz was second, Hemery and Sartori tied for third; Heath fourth.
Lancia leading at the end of fifth round, elapsed time, 1h. 55min.
Lancia leading in seventh round. Foxhall Keene’s Mercedes skidding, hit a telegraph pole, eliminating him from the race. Mr. Keene not seriously hurt. Mr. Keen was forging into second place at the time. Dingley out of the race, with cylinder cracked.
End of seventh round, Lancia’s elapsed time, 2h. 42niin. 2sec. He is 25 miles ahead of Heath. Hemery third, Sisz fourth, Tracy, fifth.
On the eighth round Lancia was compelled to stop on account of tire trouble.
Lancia racing again, Christie out of race. At end of eighth round Lancia’s elapsed time is 3h. 29min. 52sec.; second, Hemery. 3h. 39min. 59sec.; third, Heath, 3h. 44min. 41sec.; fourth, Nazarro, 3h. 58min. 20sec.
Hemery wins the Cup. Heath second.
Hemery first, elapsed time, 4h. 36min. 8sec.; Heath second, 41i. 39min. 40sec.; Tracv third, 4h. 58min. 26sec.; Lancia fourth, 5h. 31sec.
In the latter part of the race Lancia had put a new tire on his machine. As he resumed the race, Christie appeared, and a collision followed. Christie’s machine ditched. Christie’s leg injured. His machinists rib broken. Only first four autos finished. Crowd rushed on the course and it was necessary to stop the racers to avoid accidents.
CROWDS OE SPECTATORS SURPASS ALL THE RECORDS.
Account of the Race Given by the “Auto’s” Correspondent.
The “Auto” this morning publishes the following-despatch from its special correspondent: —
New York, Saturday. — The Vanderbilt race attracted a crowd of perhaps half a million, including about five thousand automobiles, surpassing all previous occasions, not even excepting Paris-Madrid.
At the start Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt shook hands with all of the contestants, saying : “May the best man win.”
The best starts were made by M. Sisz, Mr. White, Signor Lancia and M. Jenatzy. The Americans were greeted with great cheering.
At the end of the first round Signor Lancia was leading in front of M. Jenatzy. At the finish of the second round the Italian passed one minute behind the Belgian, having gained two minutes on M. Wagner, who had passed Mr. Keene and Mr. Dingley. The latter, having sustained a punctured tire, stopped in front of the stand and made a repair, during which he lost sixteen minutes.
The announcer then cried out the arrival of two more, drivers, and we then saw a Renault and a Mercedes coming along the straight stretch wheel by wheel in a terrific struggle. M. Sisz passed first, and swung into second position, crowding Signor Lancia closely. Signor Lancia soon overtook and passed M. Jenatzy. M. Sisz had a puncture when he was far from a repair station and lost all his chances. The order was then: Lancia, Heath, Warden. Sartori, Sisz, Keene, Tracy.
I interviewed the winner, who said: “I drove rather carefully at first, as two of my cylinders were new. After four rounds, when the cylinders had got into good running order, I ‘let her go,’ and I finished faster than I started. My tires gave complete satisfaction. Lancia and I passed each other several times, but, with a good machine in my hands, I was confident.”
Mr. Vanderbilt told me: “I am highly satisfied, as it was a magnificent race. The cup goes across the Atlantic, but the American manufacturers, with the conviction that road races are indispensable to the progress of the industry, will make a greater, effort in the race next year. Already the great race run by Mr. Tracy is proof of progress, and we hope that, by means of racing, our industry will be able to make the same strides as has been the case in France.”
FRENCH AUTOMOBILES FIRST AND SECOND IN CONTEST FOR THE VANDERBILT CUP.
HEMERY AT THE WHEEL OF HIS DARRACQ RACER, WINNER OF THE VANDEBILT CUP.
HEATH, ON THE 120 H.P. PANHARD-LEVASSOR WHO ARRIVED SECOND.
TRACY ON A 120 H.P. LOCOMOBILE, THIRD IN THE RACE.
SCENE AT THE FINISH LINE, FROM PHOTOGRAPH MADE DURING THE ELIMINATING RACE
M. Hemery, Driving a Darracq, and Mr. Heath, Driving a Panhard, First and Second Respectively.
TIME IS 4H. 36MIN. 8SEC. OVER 283-MILE COURSE.
Mr. Tracy the Only Member of American Team Who Makes Good Showing.
THIRD, BEFORE SIGNOR LANCIA.
Two Hundred Thousand People Witness the Contest — Prominent People in the Boxes.
No Serious Accidents Are Recorded – Mr. Keene Hits Telegraph Pole But Escapes Unhurt.