May 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1899, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Jacob German, who is said to be the first man arrested for running an automobile too fast, was locked up in New York last night. He runs cab No. 1,565 for the Electric Vehicle Company of 1683 Broadway. Bicycle Roundsman Schuessler saw German making twelve miles an hour on Lexington avenue early last evening and pursuing the man he saw him round the corner of Twenty-third street, an always crowded place, at the same break neck speed. Then he arrested him. German was surprised. The company was notified and its members were surprised. But German was locked up in the East Twenty-second street station. The automobile was left in front of the station.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1911, the Eagle reported, “Six-day bicycle race methods will be introduced in automobile track racing in the 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Speedway on May 30 by David L. Bruce-Brown and Joe Matson, his alternate driver. In a six-day bicycle race the racewise riders do not tire themselves by long tricks of riding, but swap pace at frequent intervals, in order to be fresh for the sprints. That is what Bruce-Brown and Matson will do in the five century grind at Indianapolis. Instead of tiring themselves by long tricks at the wheel these crack drivers will alternate at frequent intervals, and an old six-day race trainer will be in their camp to give each man a thorough massaging when he leaves the wheel. Bruce-Brown’s big Fiat car has been christened ‘Le Diable Rouge’ by reason of its color. The mechanics for the car will be Tony Scutlarie and V. Maza. ‘I hear there is some discussion anent the safest way to start the forty-five contestants in the race on Decoration Day,’ stated Bruce-Brown at the Indianapolis Speedway this week. ‘Why not take a leaf from the history of bicycle racing, and send the cars off from a rolling start, the first lap or two to not count until all the cars are together. It is impossible to fairly start a large field of bicycle riders from a standing start, and in my opinion a rolling start will be most satisfactory for the drivers in this big race and will serve to eliminate any possible chance of accident in starting such a large field of cars. A large flag run across the track in such a manner as to be visible to the drivers a half mile distant could serve as a starting signal. It would be a pretty sight to see the drivers jockeying for position in the first two laps.’”
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.