Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-19
A PROBLEM FOE SCIENTISTS.

| Hitherto pure air has been considered an
inseparable adjunct to athletic and aquatic
sports. 1t has been supposed to outweigh
foul vapors but, from the doings at the
late race, one would be led to believe that
this natural order of things had been re-
versed. Here we find some half dozen
men accomplishing feat unparalleled in
the annals Of sport in an atmosphere rem
dered almost sitting by its foul vapors and
noxious gases. Some learned men have
argued that tobacco smoke is deleterious to
| the human system, yet these walkers
| seemed to thrive on the dense clouds of
smoke caused by the consumption of the
weed This upsets Mr.. Weston's theory,
and also that deduced by many worthy
and able men who have contended
that tobacco smoke was injurious to the
system. That the Madison n-sauare Gar
den is usually one of the worst ventilated
structures in this city, is a act well known
to all who have passed more than an hour
within its walls. In addition to the fumes
caused by the thousands If spectators,
there was another source which belched
forth its poisonous breath we refer to the
stoves which were placed in the center of
the floor TO diffuse small particle of heat.
These furnaces were rigsed up with short
pipes, which did not come within 40 feet
of any outlet, and the consequence.was that
tie gases they emitted did lar more harm
than any other cause. Indeed, so powerful
were they that few people were able to
tarry i'll their vicinity without feeling an
intense desire to 60 to sleep, yet in the face
of all these obstacles we find the contest
ants as alert and spry as thougl. they had
been performing under the most advan-
tageous surroundings. History shows us
that scarcely week passes that does not
bring forth an anomaly wbjch upsets all
scientific theories and calculations, and the
scientists are set all agog IL their endeavors
to account for the phenomena. Besides the
foregoing facts there were others which in
themselves were enough to cause the total
wreck of the strongest of pedestrians.
Just before the start of the contest, the
proprietor of the building had begun ex-
tensive alterations ii the front and back
of the house. The place had been torn
down, leaving immense tissures, through
which the cold and damp rushed without
restraint. Ia the early mornings. when
the place was deserted, the track was Just
as cold and far more exposed than il it had
DtSH pi'CHSO III Giic CGIISt ol the
Many of the contestants contracted heavy
colds, and some were even attacked with
bronchitis, yet they kept on with undi-
minished speed and seemingly unimpaired
organizations. 1t may be that they were
compelled to travel fast in order to keep
some warmth in their bodies, but
this does not explain their ability to
overcome foul vapors and stenches which
were sufficient to make many a strong man
sick. The problem of how the score came
to be such mammoth one is easily ex-
planned, of course allowing that other
things have been set right. The pressure
was away back from the first three men.
The others were all so close together that
they had to keep moving or lose their
places. This state of things prevailed al
most to the last hour and to this fact the
big scores are attributable. Usually the
race is decided before the last "a hours,
and sometimes earlier, so that the leader
can take things easily on the last day. In
this struggle it was not safe for any one to
stop until the last hour. This was shown
when one of the back men lost his place.
IN. Y. Sportsman.