Broken Water Main Stops Race.

The New York Times
November 26, 1915

George Ellis, President of the Yonkers Motor Cycle Club, and James Coole, a fellow member, started a little after 5 o'clock Wednesday afternoon at the Empire City race track, Yonkers, on what they intended to be a motor-cycle race of twenty-four consecutive hours.  In addition to a desire to break the world's record for this period, they wanted to furnish an added attraction for Thanksgiving Day, when the Mercury Club of Yonkers held its annual marathon race, the first and last five miles of which were run off at the Empire track.

The two motor cyclists made good time during the first few hours.  The mile track being in fairly good condition, they were confident that they could beat the world's record.  Toward midnight first one and then the other began having tire trouble and were forced to stop and make repairs.  Early yesterday morning Coole struck some obstacle and was hurtled through the air, but he escaped injury.  And so it went until the noon hour yesterday, when a part of the track was flooded from a broken water main and the race was called off at 12:35 o'clock P. M.  Coole said he had covered 732 miles and the number covered by Ellis was 666.