Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-11-08
TIE are .RoAD aAcH.



The great 20 nile road race hstween
teams OF four members from the vii.
mington Wheel o ub and the Reading
Bicycle Club, took place on the Harris.
burg turnpike from Myerstown to Penn
street bridge, Reading, on Saturday after,
noon, and wss won by the Wilmington
team. Fulls 1900 people had assembled
at the fiui.hing point, including mum
Der OF j.dlss. The crowd cbeersd ss
Wilhelm finished first. but manifested no
enthusiasm whatever for the plucky little
Dampman or the other Wilmington
riders. The race WAS one Of the greatest
team road rnces ever run in this nouutry,
and the distance, which was a0a miles
really, was covered in time little short Of
the American record. Great interest was
manifested in the race.
The members Of the Wilmington team
we're F. M. Dampman, s. Wallis Mersi.
bsw, ID. Frank Mcdaniel and William
Steward, while the Reading team con-
sisted OF w. ]. Wilhelm, Il. Douglass,
George Scheels and George f. Kahier
The course, as has already been stated, Is
succession OF grades end bills with o
general down grade tendency from start
TO fiuish. The general surface IL the
road was excellent, but bad patches here
md there whore repairs had recently been
made. probably prevented the breaking
of existing records. Any one who is q
wheelmsn knows that Rnch course
is ono of special advantage to Star ma.
chimes whiehsihe Reading tenn rode. The
Wilmington team with one exception
rode crank whesls.
The Reading team, as the challenged
party, selected thia couTAe for the special
advantages whi,h it eifsred them and
they were confident OF winning. The rs-
suit proved otherwise.
The start was made from Myerstown at
4 2.15 o'clock Wilhelm led III and set thu
/ pace all the way. Merrihev was CLOSE
behind him DampmBn, as usual, could
not ride in his best form at the stalt and
at one time brought up the rear OF the
| procession. AS he warmed to his work
he passed one after ano hsr, caught mp to
Wilhelm and there he remained TO the
4 end, Had the fl nish been level one, II
would have been still closer race for
first position as Dsmpman was but 0
length or two back of Wilhelm ON the
crest OF Eskart's hill, the base of which
was the fini-hiug point. Dampman lost
his pedals going down this hill and mar.
rowly escaped serious collision with one
Snyder who interfered with the Wilmington
riders in every way possible. After the
racers had gotten fairly under way, Viii.
helm led with Dampman second, Merri.
hew third, Mcdaniel fourth, Steward
9th. Douglass sixth, Schesle seventh, and
kahler eighth. These PORTIONS wert
maintained until within 0 mile OF two o
fiuish. Then Steward, who rode his
tirst race, asked how far distant the hnist
was. The busy Snyder informed hin
that it was still six miles although it wa.
not two miies eff Steward then los
heart and allowed the three Reading mel
TO pass him in succession. He assert
positively that he could have beatel
Scheele and Kihler had he known tina
hawas so near tho goal, The irst thre'
Wilmington ridsrs had, however, woi
tile raoe for their ieain, and tbs Bsrk
countisns were consequently unhappy.
The following is the order in whiol
the men finished and their time: