Racing the Twentieth Century Limited [1925]

Teaser Beats Train Three Speed Boats to Race Crack Train Wood Out For Two Records Broken Spring Disables Baby Gar V, Leading Challenge To Hoyt By Wood Thousands Along River Eagerly Watched Race Gar Wood Beats Time Of 20th Century Train Power Boats Beat Time of the Twentieth Century

New York, May 26 [1925] (A.P.)—The race by Gar Wood's speedboats against the time of the 20th Century Limited was a gala affair, both for passengers on the train and for thousands of spectators along the Hudson.

"Everywhere there were thousands of persons along the roads we passed," said one of the Century's passengers. "There were streamers and flags waving from the train and occasionally a few skyrockets would shoot into the air. The people along the route were constantly urging the engineer to hit it up but apparently he stuck to his schedule."

Mrs. Gar Wood, wife of the boat owner, and a party of friends were on the first section of the train and spent the time cheering the boats. They waved flags and commented excitedly on the progress of the Baby Gar IV.

Members of the train crew said they ran evenly with the boats until they reached Poughkeepsie, when the Baby Gar V broke down and the IV took up the race, soon sweeping out of sight of the train.

Although the radio report of the trip came in successfully from Army officers in a bombing plane, the fog and changed time of the race caused them to follow the wrong train for a time. It was said, however, that the progress made in radio reporting, as far as the technical features were concerned, was remarkable. The voice of the announcer in the plane was audible for practically the entire trip.

(Reprinted from P.M., May 26, 1925)

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