Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-20
BICYCLE CIrAmPIONSHUp.
Gideon Wins the Fifty Miles Cham.
PioashjP-A Close and Exciting Race
unexpected Defeat OF the English
Cham piOn.

Frou the New York Herald to-day
The fifty miles bicycle race for the amateur
Championship of America. organized by John
Keen. the English professional champion took
place at the American Institute building Sd
avenue ami cd street. last evening. The race
closed with six entries: c. ID. Vesey Surrey
Bicycle club. England: W. Smith. Manhattan
Athletic club George ID. Gideon. Germantown
Bicycle club; Frank Howard and B. G. Sanford.
OF New York city, and Louis Stearns. LenOx
Bicycle club. All of them came to the scratch
and at quarter to eight O'Clock were sent on
their Journey. At this time the attendance was
very FAIR, and as the race progressed the num-
Der of sitors was considerably increased. All
went of easy for the first lap. there were nine
to the mile but on the second circuit spectator
crossed the track, got in the way of Sanford and
was knocked down. the rider likewise coming
to grief Nothing daunted Sanford was quickly
at work again. but he took no important part
In the race. being quite OUtciassed and falling
further and further behind each mile was
recorded smith was the first to show in front
when they had settled into their places and
with Fesey and Gideon, who kept close behind,
soon began To leave the other three, of whom
Stearns and Howard kept together lap for lap
On the third mile Eesey passed Smith and led
until near the end Of the fifth. when the little
man again got in front but fell at the turn by the
entra &c. This mishap lost him half "a lap
but he picked it up before the finish of the
eighth mile. Vesey still led and at six miles
began to make havoc with the American anna
teur records, which were altered as far as the
twenty-irst mite. Smith was first at the end Of
the thirteenth mile. but all the others were
credited to Eesey. At ten miles. run is 80 IN. los.
Nesey smith and Gideon " ere together and eight
laps IN front of StearnS and Howard. with SAN
ford already mile and quarter to the bad.
The three leaders occasionally changed places.
but it was rather dull work and it seemed as if
The En-iishman would. as so many anticipated.
win very easily. Fifteen miles was finished by
him IN som. 4s-. and when the hour up he
had covered 10 miles 25 laps. The same pro-
cessional style of business was kept up for "a
miles, Nesey. Smith. Gideon. Stearns and
Howard rldin" close together. the latter two
DeinG q mile behind. On the twenty-tifth mile
smith woke the spectators up with fine squirt
which took him We'll to the front. and at the end
OF the mile he led Massey by forty rods Gideon
then took second place. and the En~lishGan was
soon half lap behind. At the end of the TWEEN
ty-slxtn mile he was passed by both Smith and
Gideon. and was evidently in trouble. but what
was the matter was not determined till after
gong another two miles. when he showed signs
OF cranp. and on the thirt!eth mile he pulled up
to have his legs rubbed. After a few minutes
he was off, but had to stop again on the thirty
second mile, and before he was in the saddle the
next time had lost two miles, distance it was
quite impossible for him To recover. Stearns had
for Some time been making the pace. follow ed by
Smith. Gideon and Howard An interesting
race if it had not been that Stearns and Howard
were mile behind the other two On the 3,th
mile Stearns raced away and got back one of
his laps and this brought about some good
racing. changes in position being frequent At
last little Howard. whom no one had been no.
tIcing very much. put i'm some fast work and in
siX laps gained on and got level with his old
companion. SteaTns. Not content with this, he
raced away again and at Smith and t.ide0n's
fortieth mile had recovered another lap. This
he repeated on the next mile. and was then
seven laps behind the leader and two in front of
Stearns- At forty and half miles Smith was
taken with cramp and fell. He came on after a
while and rode two laps. but that was his last
effort This left Gideon with lead of seven
laps over Howard. but the latter soon made it
SIN, and then five On the forty-third miles. EX-
citenleEt now ran high. as it was evident that
Gideon was nearly gone. and the young New
Yorker had chance 10 catch him. Howard tried
hare, but the distance to the finish was too short
and WHEN Gideon crossed the line at the end of
the nifty miles Howard was exactly two laps be-
hind Stearns also his last mile and
they were the only ones left on the track. The
winner finished the fifty miles in 3h. 1in. 81 -:
Howard. 3h- IAN. Ia S; Stearns Sh. Ism. 45s
When the race was finished John keene mounted
his lrGH steed for an exhibition race of three
miles. which he covered in ION. 1913 The scor-
Ing was done by Messrs. j. Lane and f. Plum
Eer. MesSrs- George Taylor and Charles Reed
were timekeepers, and Mr. James Watson ref
cree and starter.