The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-04

the end and leans over at an angle of As
degrees, like circus horse going around
ring, he Will be at right angles to the track
and as far as he IS concerned will be
speeding over level ground all the time.
They have been working on that track
for good while. and yesterday 1t was
declared finished. That was why the Bay
City Wheelmen felt happy ana triumphant
yesterday.
Yesterday number of the crack riders
of the Bay City Club tried the track and
pronounced it superb for speed and safety.
Foster, the racer of the Bay CiIys. is not in
town and no attempt will be made TO speed
on the new track until he returns. The
high turns on the curves have proved an
agreeable surprise to the boys and they
claim that the best work of all kinds
astride wheel will be done on the new
course Practice is universally INDUCED
in by the wheelmen every night, and when
the strangers come TO town they will find
the San Francisco boys Ieady for them.
When accosted by a represen tative OF
THE CALL, one of the officers smiled as he
remarked that the wheelmen's day had
come. and that wheeling would be the great
feature of the outdoor sport this summer.
"We-1 refer to the Bay City Wheelmen"
said the speaker, ''intend holding a
grand celebration in July, which will give
the PEG ple of this city an idea of the rapid
strides this feature of sport has taken in
the past lev years.
yesterday our secretary received letter
from the Springfield (Mass.) Bicycle Club
for list of the events which will take
place at Central Park on July4. The club
will send team of fast riders TO compete
at our meeting. and 1 can assure you they
will receive grand welcome.
ION July 1 the club will have race
meeting, and on July the programme
| will call for picnic run and barbecue.
On the evening IF Monday, the Sd of July,
the theater party will be the feature, and
Cd the afternoon of the 4th $500 wheelmen
will line up ia front of the clubhouse, 519
| Van Ness avenue, and wheel in single hle
through the principal streets OF the city.
This will give the citizens an idea of the
numerical strength of the California divi-
| sion OF the l.. A. W."
When the speaker had finished his in
| terestiDg chat the secretary gave The
CALL representative history of the
secured what experts now believe to be
the fastest racing track in America.
We'll, it was in the first part of the
| year of 1892 that the club conceived the
idea of constructing a track in Central
Park" said the genial secretary, land
then negotiations were at once opened
with that end in view, with the result
that in the latter part Of the year lease
was signed between the owners of the
block bounded by Market, Eighth and
Mission streets, giving the club the exclu-
sive control of the ground after the first
day of May, 1893. for term of years. at
satisfactory rental.
After securing the necessary mount of
funds-which, by the way, was an abso-
| lutte donation tom the members the
directors consulted Mr.. Elwell, an old
wheelman and capable engineer, and he
suggested the rather unique idea of making
The approaches TO the curves q radius of a
circle instead of o straight line as had been
done heretofore.
'The directors Immediately saw the ad
vantages which would probably accrue
from this method, and at once adopted it.
Plans were then prepared for a five-lap
track, and coGt tracts were let during the
month of April.
''On the 10th of May work was begun on
the grounds. and after the debris matter
had been cleared away the laying of con-
crete on the straight stretches was CON-
menced.
THE construction of the turns has been
the sl0west portion of the entire work.
Instead OF filling in with dirt, banking il
and tampIng ii solid, which would have
taken much longer time. and would have
been, when finished, a very unsatisfactory
affair. from its liability to settle and throw
the surface out of true, Mr. Wetmore
conceived the idea of building the entire
turns OF framework in the following
manner: Foundations of 3-inch redwo cd
plank were laid entirely around. and on
these were placed 2x6inch joists. radiating
from the center and being placed two feet
apart. These were strongly supported on
3x4-lnch bearings, Which we're securely and
firmly braced. and we're then covered with
1-inch boards. laid about one-Quarter of
an inch apart. to allow of expansion upon
the application of the wet concrete, and
which gave all absolutely uniform and true
surface for the concrete men to lay their
materials upon.
When the concrete on the straights