The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-23
THIRTEEN HOURS BEHIND
Gen. Miles's Message Delivered Into the
Hands of Gen. Howard at New York.
The Run of 975 Miles from Chicago to Gotham
Made in Days and Is HOurs-Slow Time
of the Cyclers Due to the Mud.

NEW York. May 22.-After hard strug-
gle with hcrriblo~ roads and q binding
rain the last relay of the great bicycle trip
from Chicago to New York was assisted
from his wheel. more dead than alive.
at Loo o'clock this morning. He
had ridden through from Tarrytown;
had left his companion on the road with q
broken wheel. while he battled with the
darkness. rain and mud until be
placed the csrefuliy-gusrded dispatch
into the hands of the proper per-
son. No one, as this last relay of
athletes staggered into the arms of q
dozen reporters waiting to receive him,
could imagine his forming one in line in o
parade of glittering wheels and brill
liant uniform. Jaded and weary, he
mechanically pushed his metal steed
down the boulevard and through
the city. The first piece of
decent road that he had found in miles,
Mud was packed into the spokes of his
wheels and clogged the pedals, and even
the pelting rain and the wheels more rapid
revolution, as be increased his speed on
the solid road. failed to dislodge
this constant companion of bis journey.
There were places where even the narrow
wheel could not be pushed through. and
then the rider dismounted and carried his
horse" until he could again remount and
resume his tiresome journey.
The run down from Albany was made
with little loss of time by the riders but 1T
was impossible to make up any OF the
nine hours lost before reaching
Albany. The message left Pough-
keepsIe at AS p. NJ, Peekskill. 7:04;
Sing Sing. s:44. and TarrytowD, 9:41. On
the last relay. coming into Tarrytown.
Harry Eveland. who was carrying the dis
patch tainted on his wheel. His compan-
Ion, George T.. Smith, seized 1t and pushed
forward. leaving Eveland to recover as he
best could. At Tarrytown William Camp
bell took the message and. accompanied by
B. Rich and Ii. l.. Quick, pushed on down
to New York.
A hundred riders had shared in the un-
General Miles. in Chicago. TO the hands of
the military aid. who waited at No. II
Park Row. From Lumsden. the
the steps of the Pullman Build
down the slippery broadway pavement
last night, q long succession of crack"
riders had struggled along through dark
ness and damp roads. covered with mud,
drepched To the skin, but forget
determination 10 pedal. pedal, pedal,
until their part OF the journey was accom-
plished. Sometimes they spun along ut a
three-minute gait, as did Charles Dorntgie.
who made ten miles ia thirty -one min
utes and in thee dark at that; some.
times plowing through a slough OF
mnd at an OK teams pace; some
times compelled TO lesye the machine
mired and broken, and run on foot TO the
next relay: occasionally compelled to swim
q river where the swollen floods had car
ried the bridge away.
While bridges were going down and rail
road companies were posting sconts alon G
their lines TO look for washouts, the wheel.
men stuck to their task. plungina
along that apology for high.
way-the American country road.
One of the things which the undertak king
was to illustrate was the general depravity
of American roads. and this il most GER
similar European feats. One man, G. p
Mills. lastyear rode bicycle SO miles, from
John O'GrOats TO Lands End, in q little
over four days, about the time il has taken
one hundred men to accomplish this thou.
sand mile ride. France furnished
another contrast last week. when
Stephance rode over mountains and
In thirty-tive hours. Another thing j,
proved Ia the absolute untrustworthiness
| OF the American climate. The race man.
ayers consulted weather reports as faI
back as mans memory goes. and picked
out the present part of May as the
one part when il was sure to be pleas.
ant and yet. as the affair has turned out
they could not have found a worse term OF
four DAYS il they mad searched the calen.
dar through for that particular article.
If the stories Of the riders are TO be be.
lieved the fences along the country roads