New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-16
THE STATE MEET OPENED.
SPLENDID DAYS SPORT FOR CYCLISTS

OF CYCLING DEvOTEES-EXCEILENT
CONDITION OF THE NEW TRACK
AT MANHATTAN BEACH-PRoM-
INENr PEOPLE WHO
WERE PRESENT.
The immense and increasing popularity" of the
bicvcle was demonstrated yesterday afternoon at
,be annual meet Of the New-York State Division
y, the League of American Wheelmen long
and picturesque procession Of riders sped over the
new cycle path from Prospect Park to Coney ISL
and and wound It's way to the new bicycle track
bu,,t by Austin Corbin at Manhattan Beach.
Then followed a number of excellent races. which
were witnessed by fully 1900 enthusiastic men
and women
II was indeed memorable occasion. Never be-
fore had so many wheelmen gathered together In
this section. Never before had such a throng come
20 see bicycle races in this State. The opening
OF the new bicycle track was great success, and
the track itself proved TO be perfect The
weather perfect, too both for the comfort OF
the riders and for the spectators. cool breeze
swept over the track and famed the faces Of the
people on the grandstand In the clear summer
air everything could be seen with distinctness.
The ARRANGEMENTS for the races had been made so
carefully that everything went off with neatness
and dispatch. The men who took part in the
races were amateurs but there was evident a
perfection of skill and training. and the manage
mcnt was worthy of a high-class professional en-
fertainment.
THE NEW TRACK.
The new track is exactly one-third Of a mile In
length and it dips from the outer to the inner edge
so sharply at the curves that a spectator on the
grandstand might easily imagine that he was sit
has in So nj
and exactly has the dip Of the track been calcu-
lated that riders can go at top speed around the
curves and have their wheels perpendicular 10 the
track while they incline at an angle Of fOrty-hve
degrees from a level. The surface of the track Is
as smooth as asphalt be made, and for its
length the track should be fast
Among the wheelmen at the new track
Yesterday a number who have been p-omi-
nent in athletics. There were Samuel See and
H. p. Mosher who have been famous as skaters:
E. ". Golf. an all-around amateur athletic cham
pion, and Mr. Pittman, who first became known
as a champion rider in this country l. b. Potter
was the referee for the races. The timekeepers
were W 5. Ball. F. =. Price, Elliott Burris and
Alexander Schwalbach. four competent men,
Isaac Boudish the starter The judges were
Henry T. Quicker y. ID. Wait, Durant Mclean
and II. L. Saltonstall Charles White, the we'll
known golf player. was the marshal. Assisting
in the MANAGEMENT Of the racing were DR.. T. w.
Topham, Robert l.. StillsOn. l.. s. Harrison. Waldo
T. Fuller and George c. Pennell. while aiding in
the other arrangements for the meet were Frank
P. Share. Walter l.. Sim. Andrew Peters. Carol
j Post IT, Charles A. Angel, Elliott Mason, H.
Strugnell o. NJ Edgerey, John J. GaIraty,
Charles F. Losee 5. F. Frasick r. c. Seyfert, G.
A. Rouluer r. d. Kirkland and a. c. Leach.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
Among the people ir the boxes on the grand
stand were Austin Corbin. John T. Haines. Mr.
and Mrs. W. A. Haines. Miss Brown. Mr.. and
Mrs r. X Carter and c. NJ Carter. of New
York: F. r. Blauvelt Mr. and Mrs. j. 7. Beck
with. James Hall.gan. DR.. T. W. Topham, DIT
and Mrs. T. Woodruff, Mr.. and Mrs. w. f. Van
den Houten. Mrs Robert L. Stillson. Mrs. Louis
Wheat. Norman s. Dixie. Alderman LEIGH and
Alderman Guilfoylc. OF Brooklyn; W. II. Beezle.
A. c. Atkins and Arthur Hope. Of Asbury Park;
and Mr. and Miss Dewitt. OF New-York.
The wheemen we're late In starting from
Brooklyn, and 1t was nearly p. m. when the
head OF the procession reached the track al
Manhattan Beach. A taly-ho coach ana several
other vehicles arrived with the advance guard
The riders looked hot and tired when they
Jumped off their wheels and made their way into
the Enclosure. There were a number Of young
uomen I'm the procession, no two Of them rid
ing together. and they all wore boomers. II was
Interesting TO note the great variety of costumes
and club emblems the riders arrived at
the track A number Of riders carried flags and
banners. The procession seemed almost endless
as 1t wound It's way in struggling fashion along
the dusty road leading from the cycle path to
the beach and 10 the track.
JOHNSON AND ZIMMERMAN MATCHED
Mr. Potter hal started the races before Inc
procession arrived and II was not long before
the grandstand and the bleacheries overnowed'
and a fringe OF spectators extended around the
track Large tin speaking trumpets were used
10 tell the people on the stands the names OF
the winners in the races. and ii was not neces-
sary TO watch closely the numbers Of the riders
Several announcements Of general interest were
made through the trunpets. such as the result
Of the Suburban One Of the announce
ments caused excitement. IT was that
match had been arranged between a.
A. Zimmerman and J. s. Johnson, two OF the
greatest bicycle riders in the world TO take place
at the Asbury Park meet In the week ending
July 10 1t will be the biggest match on record.
az Zimmerman and Johnson will each put up
s. O00 and there will be an additional purse or
s. 900 for the winner At the same time and
place there will be a race between G. NJ Muir
ply and Walter Sanger for a prize OF Sooo
There danger enough In the racing 20
stir the blood and make some OF the more timid
of the spectators shudder The riders in sew
eral Of the races SKINNED along over the track
so close together as almost TO touch each other.
and as they were going at the rate OF ihIie IN
two minutes and thirty seconds. much 81 the
time 1t was apparent to anyone that collision
might mean death for an unlucky rider. Iheie
was one shocking collision OF the kind. out IL
had no apparent effect upon the riders In races