The morning call., 1893-05-08

weights from the sandhill city into camp
without much fuss or scattering of feath-
ers.
The start WAS made at A. NJ. yesterday
and at precisely 2 :4S:51 3-5 P. NJ. the last
rider of the Acme team crossed the fuish
line completing the relay 100-mile run in
the remarkably fast time of hrs. As min.
81 3-5 sec, beating the Bay City'S fnisher
just 10 min. 4S % sec.
For some time the race has been the
uppermost topic Of conversation among
the thousands of wheelmen in this city
and the surrounding towns. Preparations
on an elaborate scale were made for the
contest so that there would be no hitch or
drawback. Ii was a certainty that rain
would not interfere with the success of the
race, as it has often done in other conn
tries when similar attempts have been
made TO cover long distsnces in fast time
on relay wheels, and an unusual amount
of general interest in the event has been
stirred up.
The course, as announced already, was
from this city around the bay through
San Mateo, Menlo Park and San Jose and
up the other side OF the bay through Ala
media County 10 Oakiand-a course which,
together with the loop mapped out be-
tween San Jose and Santa Clara, measures
by actual survey just 100 miles.
The conditions were that man from
each team should start aud ride ten miles,
nj which point they were relieved by an
other pair similarly selected from the COM
peiing teams, and So on in ten ten-mile re-
lays until the 100 miles were covered.
For some time since the improvements
on the bicycle have made themselves felt
and the possibilities Of the wheel have be-
come more widely appreciated the devo-
tees OF this sport in foreign countries have
ridden long-distsnce relay races against
time. Especially IN Germany the capabil-
ites of the wheel as a means of carving
messages in time of war has been consid-
cred and tested by the military authorities.
The recent interstate race against time
by whCelmen carrying messages from one
Governor 10 another in the Eustern States
set the California athletes TO thinking
about what they could do in this line
themselves. For three or four months
back they have been discussing the matter
and planging Ia have race a 5 soon as the
spring weather had settled down to behave
Itself and permit the roads 10 get into toleT-
able condition.
1t would be hard 10 pick out a better
course than the horseshoe round the bay.
The wheelmen were all satisfied when it
was suggested and the proposed contest
was open TO any club. The spirit OF RI
valry between the sister cities on either
sue Oh tilE Dhf ucNeEOpeu anu II U6cQTlte q
question among cycling enthusiasts what
clubs should represent the respective burgs.
Faulkner OF the Acme Club in Oakland
held tie 25-mie safety championship for
California. having beaten Grant Bells
time. Both are Acme men, and the
club contains surh riders al Scheuter, Max
well. Neece and q host OF other good ones.
The organization las been actually win
ming races ana that meant that the Acmes
must stand for Oakland's honors.
The Bay City's trump cards were such
men as Sperry, Foster and Marshall. and
the match was arranged. The winning
club Ihe Acme Club, as it turned ou0 is
TO receive q $50 silver puneh-buwl as a
trophy.
At 9 A. NJ. the start was made at the
corner Of Market street and Grant avenue,
William Greer Harrison starting the riders
and acting a. referee.
Considerable excitement prevailed when
the time for starting drew near. A crowd
otinterested spectators pressed in around
the riders as they mounted their wheels
ready for the signal.
The Judges, L. j. Wolf and A. J.
Stormy; the time-keepers, Edwin Mohrg
and Allen Marshall for the Bay Citys and
F. F. Osborn and II. Faulkner for the
Acmes, stood by
Grant Bell, the first rider for the Acmes,
dressed in the tight-fttiDg black uniform
OF the club and on his hat the white acorn
AID wings, was balanced by L. j. Scar
Ion. Sperry, for the Bay Citys, took his
place on the right and was held by @ H.
Brown.
Their arms trembled on the handles :;
their feet quiYered on the treadles like an
impatient racehoTse.
The Referee cried "GoP
The flag had fallen.
They were off.
Sperry. the long. light man drew ont
ahead and began threading his way up the
street, lodging cars with the creased ease
that characteriZes the fight of bat in the
dark.
A cheer went up for the Bay Citys'
chances Bets were offered by Bay Citys'
hackers before the start. with no takers.
But now that the Acmes have won every
one says that they were heavier men, bet
ter racers. and that the result of tie race
was foregone conclusion.
The first pair struck off Market street at
Ninth and crossed to Howard. Out How
ard they few to wenty-fourth and thence
down the San Bruno road.
Notwithstanding Sperry's good start, Bell
reached Sierra Point, the end of the first
ien-mile spin. at 9:30 A. NJ, half minute
ahead of the Bay City man.
Taking the lead at the outset in this
fashion, the Acme mer were never headed.
They increased their adyan tage steadily
unit the last relay at San Leandro. On
the homestretch from that point they had
plenty TO spare, and their man did not
over-exert himself. There was no neees-
Eity for it,
Messages of greeting from Mayor Ebert
of this city to Mayor Pardee of Oakland
were carried in little leather packets
fastened to the wrists of the riders. The
relay changes could be made anywhere
within lC0 yards OF either side OF the line.
SO the fresh man in each instance rode
alongside the finisher, received the packe
without dismounting and broke away on
his fpp-Tnfla cfrarrh af full snpPn IliS
was the method practiced all along the
route, and there we're nc slips or accidents:
Hosts of spectators were distributed
along the line of travel, as the participant Is
had been pracucing over the roads loI
some time and had gone down to take
their regular places The afternoon before
the race.
The second relay at San Mateo Rose
lAcme) was l min. 45 sec. ahead OF Day
(Bay City,
At the end Of the third relay; Menlt
Park, Howard (Acme) was min. ahead oi
Caldwell lBsy City, the former arriving
there at 10 AZ 30 o'clock.
AT the fourth change, Mountain View
Harris (Aeme) was min. As sec. ahead o.
Toepke (Bay City. arriving there a.
II 1:16:30 A. NJ.
AT The fifth relay, Santa Clara. Neect
(Acme) was min. ahead OF Marshall (BaJ
City, arriving at II :49 o'clock.
AT the end of the sixth relay. San Jose
Sieuter (Aeme) arrived at II :18 p NJ, JUS
min. ahead Of Stoddart bay City.
At the end of the seventh stage, Warn
Springs. Bedbury (Acme) arrived at - 81
p. NJ, So min. ahead of Terrll (Bay City
For the eighth change, Alvarado, Max
well (Acme) arrived at :3S p. NJ, min
ahead OF PIuminer Bay City,.
SAMSON was ahead of Melrose at Sar
Leandro. the end of the ninth relay, 1872
minutes.
Then Faulkner. the crack of the Acmes
and Foster, the speediest treadmill of Tn
Bay Citys, took up the running and fin
isbed for their clubs.
Faulkner passed Haywards 1874 min
utes ahead of Foster. but Stacked Ills pac,
somewhat, and crossed the tape stretched
across Broadway at Eighth street, Oak
land, at Pas 81 3-5 p. NJ, making the off
cial time consumed by the Acmes il
completing the circuit hours. 48 minutes
81 3-5 seconds, which, tie enthusiast,
wheelmen claim, not only establishes thi
long-d stance relay record for California
bnt breaks all other records
Foster arrived 10 minutes 4S 2-5 second!
behind Faulkner, completing the distance
O. q 4. DnYr ff.ye = Fn