The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-23
END OF THE BIG RACE.
THE MESSAGE FROM CHICAGO ar
RTvES At ITO A. M

RIvEs At 1.IO a. M
Bad Roads, Caused by Rain. Delayed the
Riders About Twelve Hours-The Storm
Began with the Race and Stayed with It
During the whole Jourpey-Rnip, Mud.
Cold Weather. md Broken Wheels.
At ITO o'clock this morning. A. Quick. one Of
the riders in tho last relay Of the great bicycle
race against time. with the message from
Chicago. arrived az the City Hall in this city.
w. Campbell and A. B. Rich. who also started
from Tarrytown. broke their wheels on the
way and dropped out.
In Chicago. at II o'clock noon last Wednes-
day. Gen. Miles handed message to
Arthur Lumsden. the well-known bicy-
cler. who Immediately sprang upon his
wheel and darted down Michigan avenue.
followed by a convoy OF wheelmen and
urged on by the cheers OF thousands who
lined both sides OF the street. Lumsden had
barely started when the rain came down In
torrents. The first relay was fourteen miles.
and was made in driving rain storm. From
that point eastward the relays varied
in distance from eight to sixteen miles,
and tho riders have encountered rain.
mud and cold throughout. Over 100 OF the
best riders Of the country have been engaged
in the task. and while their efforts have been
seconded by bicyclists on the route. who
loaned wheels to the despatch bearers and
aided them in every way possible yet the bad
roads seriously interfcred with the speed OF
tho nj messengers.
The distance by road from Chicago to New
York Is computed at ! 900 miles. and the riders
hoped to cover It in 100 hours. which would
have landed them in Now York at about noon
yesterday.
Tho fact that they failed to perform the feat
in the specified timc is due to the storm that
broke when Lumsden jumped on his wheel
and which has followed the riders to the end
OF the journey.
Through Indiana. Ohio. and right into New
York State the storm travelled with the mes
sengers and impeded their progress While
he riders were drenched to the skin at tho end
OF each relay. yet they were not discouraged.
and fresh and enthusiastic lot Of riders were
always ready to begin where the others LETT On;
which constituted the relay STATIONS, and they
rode day and night with remarkable perses;
getting into Indiana the roads became
very bad. and rain storms and cold weather
Se 5 T an cond
ton and were covered with mud from head to
foot. In some, places the roads were SO bad
cinder path between the rails furnishing
The schedule time should have been frac-
ton over ten miles per hour. but there was a
continual dropping behind after leaving Chi
cage O. ?S9 m m'eS out the
ans ssy ssn o sHS sSins
Of time had been reduced to hours and 25
minutes. 1v,. A..
sa 60 was intrusted to some Of the fastest road
riders in the country. At Utica Hnmmes and
Miller left with tho message at s;24 o'clock on
At 3:2s yesterday afternoon, Q. X. Raymond
cmb took the at Req Hook
county and at s:3i laym o. REACHED stats,
JOHN ima' Van i Benschoten and w. H. Bedell took
bold and II" latter rode 'Sirn to rGFH 4sm
f feSpihGs ~'s to Wappnrers fas f0
hsoors the R1Sss and " r fsr kaber sy
Fails i'aHs'Dt Club ridsrs st 4:s5. having icy,
S5Ss M s sn1 tasn 81 them
SEX esSt snFnea sss
we're greeted " large crowds at tho various
HOUSE ss at rarrStowh to greet tho riders. The
relay men were ready ats o'clock In the morn
Ing TOWARD evening t reports tse tom up me
i. D. Munger the Chicago crack. went up
smith, The latter's companion. H. c. Eveland.
had collapsed Ct thnt nlac:; ,. .,
smith six miles outside Of Tarrytown. The
E1s nfn Eas to speed
q bicycle over tho roads. All the riders were
mounted upon nneumatic..tircd safeties. At
one point it took fifteen minutes to cover one
Munger delivered tho packet alone at the
hours and 20 minutes late.
I hSt Trs 81 tHc &fnafa to
fH% sG ana hh Of q Yen
Tho roads were wretched. but the members
ing the City ! in hi aE Sty by Oik
wheels. but they invariably went out. and the
riders had to Crepe along In the dark over un-
attached to the wheels,
bs Sack s5 u sd3 a ss d h n %
others rode in Jerseys Of .vnriegated co!ors,.
After reaching Fitty;,ninth street ,he riders
and Msit down Br"adwa" " I" the City Hail
l.. d. Munger. who took his scheduled relay
ing to SIN reporter OF his experience said
that during his ride lie was dozen times waist
deep in water.
He was compelled to abandon the roads and
wend his way at various roints through woods
and along tho railroads. and he mari owly es-
caned getting lost half dozen times,
Tho race finished is novelty In the way OF
new to military tactics in the old world. Tho
project was the result Of desire on tho part OF
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Commander OF the De-
partment of the Missouri to test the
question whether bicycles are as available for
Carrying as IN Ino has
bicycles could he u cd to tho best advantage.
b th in long distance despatch carrying and
tanceS.
While tho military authorities at Washing
they tncitly consented to the test proposed by
Gen. Miles. and will no doubt give the expert
mcnt some attentions