600 AUTOMOBILE RACES. 



solately homeward. A lot of time was wasted over these formalities, 

 and it was not until 4 o'clock that the start was given to the cup vehicles. 

 Charron was sent <>fl' first amid cheers, but he had not gone many yards 

 up the first hill when he stopped and hurriedly arranged something, 

 and then resumed his journey. Two minutes afterwards the word was 

 given to the favorite, Levegh, who simply flew up the hill with his 

 powerful Mors car, and after a similar interval Girardot was sent off 

 and made an equally favorable impression by the way in which he 

 tackled the gradient. The departure of the cup triumvirate was fol- 

 lowed by an interval of eleven minutes. At 4.15 S. F. Edge, the first 

 competitor in the open race, received the word, and the Napier car 

 jumped forward and climbed the hill at a speed which considerably 

 opened the eyes of the public. The others were sent off every two 

 minutes. Giraud on his light Panhard carriage, Voight on a 24-horse- 

 power Panhard, Andre Axt on a 20-horsepower Panhard, Gilles Hour- 

 gieres on one of the'new 28-horsepower Mors, Fournier on a 20-horse- 

 power Mors, De Caters also on a Mors, were started in that order, and 

 then followed the other big cars, light carriages, voiturettes, and motor 

 cycles in the order of entry, the total number sent oft' being 63. 



THE RACE. 



As at all the towns along the route, Versailles was neutralized; that 

 is to say, the vehicles were not allowed to exceed the legal limit of 

 speed, and they were given a quarter of an hour to pass through the 

 town, this, of course, being deducted from the total time. Levegh 

 had already passed Charron, who began to have trouble with his valves, 

 and just outside Versailles he stopped about twenty minutes to adjust 

 them. On leaving the town, the competitors were started at the bot- 

 tom of a very steep hill, which was naturally not to the liking of the 

 motor cyclists with their 8-horse power motors, as a sharp turning just 

 here did not allow of their tackling the hill by getting up speed on the 

 level. Baron de Turckheim on his De Dietrich got stuck on the hill, 

 and one of the competitors in a light carriage began to experience the 

 glorious uncertainty of pneumatic tires, while the motor cyclist 

 Osmont met with a painful accident through a stone flying up and 

 smashing his glasses, when a piece of glass entered his eye. This was 

 removed and the eye bandaged, and he continued his journey. At 

 Limours, Levegh was still leading two minutes ahead of Girardot, hut 

 Edge had been passed hy Voigt and Giraud, and then followed 

 Hourgieres, Charron, and Fournier. The last-named improved his 

 position up to Chartres, and got in front of Edge; while Charron wa< 

 constantly stopping on account of his valves, and he again lost a lot of 

 time on leaving the town. One of the light lianzer carriages came to 

 grief through the bursting of a tire, which caused tin 1 vehicle to turn 

 right round and smash the two off side wheels, and the two occupants 



