The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-25
BICYCLE SUPERIOR TO HORSE.
Champion johnson Beats Salvatore
Willie Record a. Buffalo.

Willie Record at buffalo.
John S. johnson, the champion bicy-
clist, yesterday settled the long disputed
question whether the bicycle is superior
to. the running horse. johnson rode a
mile over a straightaway course in 1852 rs,
which is fourteen seconds faster than has
been lone before by a single rider n
six seconds faster than any tandem has
ever covered the distance. 1t is also one
tenth of a second faster h the worlds
record for a running horse, 1859, made
by Salvador at the Monmouth Park track
in 1890. The feat is all the more remark
able owing to the weather, which was
not at all favorable for fast riding. Rain
fell at intervals and hundreds of people
who went to the Tonawanda Boulevard
to witness the event left, believing that
johnson would postpone his trial. But
at four o'clock the Boulevard was in fine
wheel. The road, which is laid with a
brick pavement, was swept perfectly
smooth, so that there would be no danger
of a p~unctured tire. If the course as laid
out had been followed the rider woul
have had to face a biting cold wind, and
it was therefore reversed SO that the wind
would be at his back. The first quarter
was down hill, the second quarter up
hill and the remaining half-mile perfectly
level. Johnson was attired in black tights
and wore two black sweaters. His sash
was a silk American flag, which fluttered
in the breeze as he sped over the course.
He tipped the scales at 1853 pounds.
The quadruplet team, which was to
make the pace, consisted of C. H. Gala
han first, w. A. Seavey second, Patrick
O'Connor third, and W. A. Rhodes fourth.
The starter was t. J.. Sayles, and the
timers were:-At the start, John Gourley
and T.. Mayo; first quarter, T. w. Eek;
second quarter. A. D. Kennedy and P.
Sheehan; third quarter, C. NJ. Murphy
and H. R. Stemson; finish, w. A. Lutz.
The judges at the nish were w. A.
Stark, F. Bryan and 3. Van Velsor.
johnson mounted his wheel at exactly
mile back of the starting line. The quad
ruped started from this point at a lively
clip, with Johnson hugging the rear
wheel, and riding with apparent ease.
The riders dashed over the line with
johnson tapping on the quad" They
were going like a whirlwind. The first
quarter was covered in rs 2-5, close to the
DCoL ICSOIa VI d al IL IL oSN-
onds, made by Bob Wade at Butte. Mon
tana, August 20, 1890. In the second a
ter Johnson pedalled the distance in % 2-5
seconds, making the half in 46 As, or
four-fifths of a secs2d slower han the
half-mile record madc ~ Geraldine over
the s-traightaway course ct the Morris
Park track, August 80, 1889. Then the
riders struck the level course. The third
quarter was lone in % seconds fiat. Cal
Iahan and Seavey then showed the eff
fects of the terrible pace and slowed up.
The -three-quarters of a mile was 2 As
seconds slower than the three-quarters
made by Domino at Morris Park Septem-
Der 90, 1893. The pace in the stretch was
wonderfully fast, and when TIE men in
the quadruplet crossed the I4~< Johnson
was not a foot behind the rear wheel
n riding easily. The official time for
the mile was 1:S5 rs, although one time
keeper made it 1:95. Johnson dismounted
in fresh condition and said he had ridden
without exhaustion. He said he could do
the distance In 1:30 fiat, and if the wea-
Their is favorable this afternoon he will
try to break his new record.