()08 AUTOMOBILE RACES. 



comes the turn of the mechanical specialists for the repairs of the 

 "pneus," change of air chambers, and like delicate work, which they 

 accomplish with a dexterity which is almost miraculous. Finally, it is 

 only after they have looked for all these things, after the grooming, 

 so to speak, ofthe racer, that the chauffeur in his turn is at liberty to 

 think of taking a bath and of enjo3dng an hour of well-earned sleep. 



At Hanover the crowd is also considerable, and the reception equally 

 enthusiastic, and the park where the vehicles are taken swarms like- 

 wise with hurried people, dust}'^ machines, and long rows of oil cans. 



At each stage, the number of vehicles sensibly diminishes; of the 

 109 which left Paris, 77 onlv reached Aix-la-Chapelle, 62 Hanover, 

 and only 45 got to Berlin. The arrival at Berlin took place on Satur- 

 day, the 29th of June, at the Hippodrome of the West End Railw; y, 

 4 miles out of town. Ever3'body in the city of Berlin was present, 

 and imiforms were mixed with pretty toilets, and everything ranging 

 from automobile costumes to the most extraordinary garments being 

 seen together. 



The morning breeze which brought up clouds of fine dust gilded by 

 the sun, united in the same folds the French and the German banners. 



At ll*" 45'" "22% Fournier arrived at full speed, and in an instant was 

 covered with tri-color crowns, taken from his automobile, and carried 

 off in triumph. A similar ovation attended the second, Girardot. At 

 this time the enthusiasm was indescribable. 



At 3 o'clock the automobiles went through Berlin in one long pro- 

 cession saluted in their ' passage by frenzied acclamations. They 

 made a sensational entr}^ to the barracks of the grenadiers of the 

 "Emperor Alexander," where they were to be classed before their 

 departure for the exhibition of automobiles just opened in Berlin, of 

 which the}^ were to be the leading feature. It was one of the most 

 striking circumstances that these pacific machines should go into this 

 German barrack with its prison discipline, and it was curious to see 

 with what wondering, laughing eyes the stiffly moving soldiers looked 

 at their strange visitors. 



The prizes to the winners of the different classes were awarded as 

 follows: To Fournier, the prize of the Emperor of German}^, of the 

 King of the Belgians, of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and of the 

 city of Hanover. Werner, the Sevres vase given by the President 

 of the French Republic. Girardot, the prize of the Grand Duke of 

 Luxembourg. 



The first of the voiturettes, Louis Renault, was awarded the prize of 

 the ministry of commerce. 



This great exhibition of automobilism will doubtless be the last one 

 of its kind which we shall see, for it has caused several accidents, 

 doubtless inevitable, one of which was quite severe, a child having 

 been crushed at Rheims by one of the automobiles on its passage, and 



