Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-10-21
GREAT WHEEL RACE.
THE RHODE ISLANDER WINS
FIRST PRIZE.
Dampman tho Chester County Man
q Close Second-Ten Thousand
People Witness tho Race.
Succeeded by
Parade and
Supper.

Saturday was decidedly wheelman's
day in Wilmington. The wheelmen
came swooping into tho city from all
directions and the first prize OF the great
wheel cavalcade, went to Van Wsgoner,
the representative of tho smallest State
In the Union, Rhode Island. He won
his honors fairly and squarely. The
wheelmen Of Delaware honor him as a
foeman worthy of their steel, are proud
OF him as the leading bicyclist, but will
not let him keep the honors long. They
intend to beat him 10 the future IL In the
power Of human arms and legs TO do It.
1t is estimated that not less than S10,-
600 people witnessed the race. They
were'strung all f ong the 6H mile track
from Guthrie's carriage shops to a point
beyond Hare's Corner ho.el, the turning
point, but by fer the greater number
were wedged at 'Tie starting point and
along the caustwiy to the hill ct the
junction o. the New Castle and Hare's
Corner road. Teams Of all descriptions
were out In full fDrce, and were really
very much In the way along the Market
street causeway.
A number Of llisions occurred and
several vehicles were more or less smash
ed, but nothing serious happened. Ser
- Nv DhathbuiA hhu buuhh Vi pOilCD
were on hand and did their best to pre-
vent unnecessary crowding and to clear
the track for the bicycle flyers. 1t was
3. 10 O'Clock in the afternoon when the
flyers started on their race Of 25 miles,
two rounds or times over the track.
The following were the officers of the
race: Referee. r. i. LeCsto, Maryland
Bicycle Club; Judges, G. l.. Leiteu,
Pennsylvania Bicycle Club; Kirk Brown,
Century Wheelmen; W. +. Kurtz, Will
mington Wheel Club; Timekeepers, J. ID.
Kurtz, Wilmington Wheel Club; q. M.
Baird, Wilmington Wheel Club; G. A.
Roberts, Pennsylvania Bicycle Club;
Clerk OF Course, b. L. PJle, Whining
ton Whesl Club, with three assistants; !;
Starter, N. X. Bertoletts, Wilmington
Wheel Club; Scorer, II. Crawther,
Pennsylvania Bicycle Club, with five as
sistants; Umpire, Charles s. Wilson,
Wilmington Wheel Club, with twenty
five assistants; Marshal, O. @. Guyer,
Wilmington Wheel Club, with seven
assistants.
There were 28 entries for the race, OF
whom 20 were starters. OF these Bar.
tram had n handicap OF 10 minutes, LOT
land OF 9, Jetferis OF ~, Elliott Of 81,
Steward and Gregg OF 81, Draper of AZ,
and W. q. Seeds az. All the others
started from the scratch.
Quite u number of the riders expert
enced severe hes isors, but the pucky
men gathered Themselves up and went
on with the race.
If Que rider met with a mishap those
behind were in the greatest danger, as
before they could turn aside they would
be doubled up and lying in q heap over
the PROSTATE rider ahead. Thus, while
on the first trip back from Hare's Corner,
a rider struck mag opposite the resi-
dence OF Levi Miller and fell in pile
against passing wagon; in less than a
minute Q. A. Elliott, J. B. Pearson, W.
II. Ash and i. d. Eisenbrand were all
piled up over the first who fell. 1t took
but moment for the wrecked riders to
gather themselves out OF the heap OF con-
fusion and start on their course again,
regardless oil skinned shins and bruises.
a. A. Zimmerman of the New Jersey A.
c., when two miles out on the first lap,
broke his wheel and was the first to come
back, but he came in a farmers wagon,
bringing lis vehicle with him. c. A..
Dimon of the South End Wheelmen's
Club, Philadelphia, met with n mishap
He broke his wheel, but finished the race
on q vehicle borrowed along the road
from wheelmRn placed there to watch
the race. Bartram took header on the
road, and gave up the race. Mcdaniel
made the half OF the race and then got q
header over couple of wrestling boys
Both Mcdaniel and one OF the boys were
considerably hurt. Mcdaniel, however,
got another vehicle, but SO much time
had been lost in getting it that he con-
cluded not to start aPaiD,
Great interest centered In the close
contest between Van Wagner and
Dampman for first place. Van Wagon er
finished the FIRST half IN 46 minutes, 20
seconds, and the experts knew th at he
was going fast. When he finished Damp.
nan was only 2S seconds behind, having
gaiued two minutes on him while going
over the second half. Dampman, after
finishing the course, dashed acrois the
line at such speed that he was unable to
check hiin:ell in time aud collded with
a wagon, bruising and inJurlng himself
severely.
The folio wirg is summary ofth
race:
Contestants In Position Position Ne I
order OF star lag. first half. nnish, time.
I'll. h. Bartrain, VII. W.
2. H.Lonsnd, vii. VIC. / 1.p.t2