Perils of an unknown path - From Peking to Paris (part II)
The race has begun.
This is the second part of the epic story about the brave men who have undertaken a journey from Peking to Paris in their cars in 1907.
You can read the first part here:
It was the 10th of June 1907 and the race has just began.
Luigi Barzini, Borghese's newspaper correspondent, wrote the following about the start of the journey:
“…It is time. The drivers and mechanics reach their vehicles. The engines roar, and thick clouds of smoke are released from the exhaust pipes. The crowd’s voice rises. Many officials who came on horseback climb on. One hundred cameras waver above our heads in search of their target. We Italians rush to climb back into the Itala that awaits, quivering and trembling as though impatient to set off [ ..]. The cars are stationary, awaiting the signal […] An elegant lady, Mme Boissonnas, the wife of the first secretary of the French Legation, gracefully takes on the task of starter. She raises the flag. A moment of silence falls upon the crowd, during which only the rumbling engines can be heard. The smoke surrounds us and isolates us in part. The flag is lowered. Fireworks and firecrackers burst into life. We move in the midst of this battle cry. We set off. We have left. […] And on the road, kept clear by Chinese soldiers, among two wings of a silent people, the only thing left are five cars, chasing each other through the Capital of the Celestial Empire at a yet unprecedented speed, and one that will probably never be witnessed again either.” (Taken from: www.fondazionepirelli.org)
Image: racingspot.pirelli.com
Leaving civilisation
Soon after they had left the start point, they were faced with steep, narrow and very muddy paths as they approached Mongolia. Uphill, the engines were not strong enough. Mules and men had to pull the cars on ropes to overcome the mountain passes. Downhill the brakes were not strong enough and the Itala almost went off a cliff. The Contal tricycle was not able to cope the exertions. Pons went back to Peking and straight to Mongolia by train.
Image: La metà del mondo vista da un'automobile da Pechino a Parigi in sessanta giorni - Barzini 1908
After six days, all five cars found themselves on their way towards Russia, wrestling the Gobi Desert. Precious drinking water had to be used for cooling the engines, leaving the driver hot and thirsty.
Troubles ahead
Gobi Desert, as you can imagine, is not the best part of the world to run out of fuel. But Pons in his tricycle did just so. Water reserves did not last to reach civilisation by foot and heat was ready to kill him. Fortunately, he was found by nomads, who saved his life. The tricycle was left in the desert. Also Godard in his Spyker stranded in the desert without fuel. Drinking the radiator water and walking off to find help saved his and his co-pilots life.
The travelers crossed areas that did not have roads or were unmapped. The main guidance for the them was the telegraph line which was also used to keep the public updated about the progress.
Borghese was in the lead of about half a day when they entered Russia. The abandoned road across the wilderness was of great peril. Borghese's way of crossing the ramshackle bridges was at full throttle to reach the other side before they collapsed. This worked out quite well. Except when it didn't.
Image: La metà del mondo vista da un'automobile da Pechino a Parigi in sessanta giorni - Barzini 1908
Miraculously none was injured and the car had been put back on the road and repaired within three hours.
Making progress
For better progress, the travelers used railway tracks as "roads". To clatter across the beams was nerve-wracking but better than getting stuck in mud. Thrilling moments were inevitable as the tracks had to be left as quickly as possible whenever a train was about to approach.
The De Dions travelled without major incidents and arrived at the Volga River after about one Month. The Spyker however needed several repairs which forced Godard to make a 1500 mile journey by train to the west. Back where he left the race, he caught up with the De Dions at the Volga River after only 14 days, while driving day and night and using all the carbide he had left for the headlamps. After he finally stopped for a break, Godard immediately collapsed.
Reaching the finishing line
Meanwhile Borghese was so much ahead (about 17 days), that he took a detour to Moscow for a celebration dinner in his honour. He arrived in Paris on 10th August 1907 and won nothing but fame and fortune and a magnum bottle of champagne. Barzini wrote: "I cannot convince myself that we have come to the end, that we have really arrived."
Image: fondazionepirelli.org
When Godard arrived in Berlin, he realised, that all of his effort and exhaustion was for nothing. He got arrested over a money dispute with Le Matin. But that was not the end for him. Not yet.
Twenty days after Borghese's arrival, the driver hired by Spyker to finish the race was about to enter Paris together with the regrouped convoy for a final parade. In the moment the driver's seat was empty as the driver bent down the starting handle, Godard suddenly appeared between spectators, ran up to "his" car and entered the driver's seat. The police forced him out of the car and while being carried away, Godard was shouting instructions to his former co-pilot who had never driven before how to change gears to finish the race for him. I the end, Spyker with the hired driver came second, and the De Dions came third and fourth.
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Comments (2)
It's amazing nobody died. Amazing.
Seems people back then were more robust than today. Or luckier. Haha.