National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-05-19
Tho Gathering OF whoeimen.

Tho Gathering OF Vhoelmen.
Bicycling docs not appear at its best on tho
raco track Tho danger to the rider is
greatly increased by the effort to outstrip his
competitors, and his labor is most exhaust.
ing. The shortening of the timo required TO
mako q milo by fow seconds demands an
amount of oxcrtion apparently out of all pro.
portion to the slight gain in speed. 1t is
tho little span of timo between tho best
record aud that of tho average amateur rider
that overtaxes tho muscles and oxhausts
the breath. Our everyday riders glide
over tho asphaltum pavemonts ut
tho ratio Of a milo in four minutes without
fatigue, and every one marvels at the tro-
mendous speed attained with SO little APP
parent exortion. In this respect the bicycle
is the wonder of modern mechanism. There
arc few, if any, machines in existence which
use power so effectively and so economically.
| When q horse is trotting ut tho rate of u
mile in four minutes ho Is cxcrting the
whole Of his tremendous strength. But u
! youth, who scarcely weighs one-tcnth as
much as a horse, will sit sorcncly on bicycle
and pass four-milo trottor without bring
ing half his muscular strength into play.
As air ady said, the bicycle riders appear
TO better advantage on the street than on the
race COURSE. If we arc to havo races, how
ever they ought to be run on track that
would bring out tho best results of COMPETE
tive SKILL strength, aud pluck. The track at
Athletic park is in very bad condition.
There were three accidents at tho races on
Saturday, all of which were apparently
caused by inequalities in it. One of these
accidents was most unfortunate. The inter
est of the spectators conferred in tho flvo-milo
race, and just ut tho critical instant, when
ten seconds would havc determined who was
70 DO the winner one Of tho throe contest
ants, Mr.. Borden, was thrown from his
machine. Mr.. Hanna and Mr.. Stewart con-
cluded tho circuit, Mr.. Hanna coming in
considerable distance ahead
Whom bulletin was carried around q few
minutes later announcing that the race had
been given to Mr.. Stewart, and that foul
was claimed against Mr.. Hanna, the spectators
could not comprehend tho theory on which
the decision was based. At tho time Mr..
Borden was thrown Mr.. Hanna was ahead,
and it was impossible that tho machines
could have been in collision. There was
nothing that Mr.. Hanna did or could have
dono-inasmuch as no was entirely out of tho
way.-that caused the accident. Mr.. Bordcn's
wheel suddenly stopped and he went forward
by his own momentum, and came down on
tho track in front of his machine. The rim
of the wheel had evidently dropped into
hole or had come against an obstruction,
which checked its revolution too suddenly
and tho dismounting of the rider was the
result
1t was afterward explained that when Mr.
Hanna passed Mr.. Borden he took tho insGK
I track before he got twenty feet aheaE and
for this violation of the rule tho umpire dc.
cideG agafnse biz .i!TGi tho excitement of tho
last lap of closely contested race it is a
pretty difficult matter for rider to accurately
measure twenty feet, and even tho judges
who are looking on from distance of one
hundred feet or moro may DO mistaken in
their estimate of tho space between two ma
! chimes. Unless technical violation of q rule
results in injury to ono or moro of tho con-
testants, it would seem to DO good policy not
to plead the rule unless the foul" was fragrant
and intentional.
Tho bicycle parade tomorrow will be o most
interesting event We scarcely comprehend
tho change which this little machine is
working in tho mode of locomotion until we
sec body of bicyclists together These
young riders. who glide along swiftly and
silently, scarcely looking to the right hand
or to tho left, arc introducing now element N
tho civilization Of tho century, AS country
roads improve the number OF wheelmen will
increase, and it may be that in twenty years
from now the riding of bicycles will DO more
common than the riding Of horses.
The facility with which mon can
overcome long distances will in
cyitably affect tho local distribution Of
population, and will foster tho growth of
suburban towns. BY diminishing tho timo
occupied by the workingman in getting fro IN
his homo to his place of employment his hours
of leisure will be heightened and his choice
of residence greatly enlarged, These and
many other beneAcent results will como from
the use of the bicycle as a means of locomo-
ton,
A Quick Road 10 Ruin.
Mr. Russell Sage took New York reporter
into his confidence and delivered himself of
10 8