ROMANCE OF SPEED

Southland Times, Issue 20662, 18 April 1929, Page 7

ROMANCE OF SPEED

SEGRAVE’S SUCCESS

GLOWING TRIBUTE BY THE PRINCE BEATING NATURE (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) Rugby, April 16. Major Segrave, at the dinner given in his honour, which was attended by the Prince of Wales, at the Royal Automobile Club last night, described the sensations experienced in a racing car travelling at high speed. He said one first felt the unleashing of a tremendous mechanical force and then a peculiar feeling that the car was getting somewhat out of human control. Major Segrave mentioned discussing this with the American competitor, Lee Bible, shortly before the later made his attempt during which he lost his life. Bible said his machine seemed to get out of control when he took his foot off the accelerator, and Major Segrave. warned him that it would do so if he did so suddenly as the reversal of the stresses in the car would be so tremendous. Bible thanked Major Segrave for this tip and said he would reduce his speed more gradually. Major Segrave said he thought the tragic death of Bible happened through the latter’s foot slipping off the accelerator thus causing a too rapid deceleration. Major Segrave attributed his own success to the British genius for engineering. The Prince of Wales paid a glowing tribute to Major Segrave. Nobody, he said, knew the risks better than Major Segrave, except possibly Mrs Segrave. He took this chance and he did a thing that no human being has ever done before, thanks to his own nerve and to his own skill. The Prince also praised the British designer and the mechanics who built the Golden Arrow, which he described as a British motor manufacturers’ challenge to the world. Man had always been trying to go fast and Nature had always been trying to stop him. A hundred years ago man thought he was going quite well at, 20 miles per hour. Now Major Seerrave was travelling at 231 miles hourly. He 'was driving so fast that even the modern cinematograph man could not catch him. —British Official Wireless.