The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-05
Yesterdays ROAD RACE.

It Was an Exciting Affair and Two Wheel
men Faint.
The bicycle road race and horse races
attracted a crowd of 500 to the fair
grounds yesterday afternoon.
The ten-mile road race to Pauline and
return claimed the attention of the
cyclists and the spectators. At 2:1O
twenty racers started in the event, but
all did not reach the finish. Two were
overcome by the excessive heat and
almost superhuman exertion, one before
he reached the finish and the other just
after he had crossed the tape. These
were Court p. Edwards of Topeka and
Paul E. Walker of Holton. The course
was very rough, making the time slow
and the work almost uncomfortable.
James B. Doncyson, a three minute
man, was the frat man to fash through
the woods on the banks of the Shunga-
nUnga and onto the track, while the
crowd cheered He swung into the
stretch and down the track without fall
tering, apparently as fresh as a daisy.
but in reality pretty sore. Then they be-
gan coming in together.
A pitiful sight was the attempt of
Court Edwards to get across the tape,
thereby Flushing and securing a place.
He would have been second. As he
crossed the bridge over Shunganunga
creek his wheel was weaving badly and
he nearly steered off the side. When he
turned into the stretch his wheel wob-
bled about and toward the grand stand,
as he made one last dying effort to finish.
Stay on" yelled the grand stand The
next instant, his head, which was Topping
from side to side, fell back and he plunged
headlong from his wheel, which had
nearly stopped. Although he was per-
fectly unconscious, enthusiasts shouted:
Put him on his wheel and push him
across the tape" He fell fifty yards
from the tape. Although he had ridden
ten miles at a killing pace, nature would
not let him ride the last fifty yards. 1t
was complete muscular exhaustion, and
although his heart thumped away good
and strong, it took an hour to restore
him.
The fifty bicycle men and others on the
track were not quick in going to him,
being intent on seeing Bartell finish.
Even before he fell he could have been
reached had some one hurried 10 him.
The other case of exhaustion was that
of Paul Walker of Holton, who tainted
after dismounting from his wheel and
starting off the track at the lower
quarter stretch gate. Some person
of the way He became delirious
and was found and taken to an empty
stall and an hours hard work enabled
him to come to town in a carriage. The
heat caused the collapse. 1t seems that
each cyclist should have some one to
look after him.
Aside from these accidents the mis-
haps were not numerous Bert Tibbs,
returned leading his Stearhs Special
with a punctured front tire, after riding
two miles. Morris Stevenson ran a nail
through his tire near Pauline. Jake
Fogel kindly traded wheels with him be-
lieveing Morris to have the better
chance, but after riding a couple of miles
he gave it up as he could make no head
way on account of the different position
of the seat, pedals, etc.
E. ]. Rawson, scratch man,
who won the time prize last year,
took it again yesterday but in consider
ably slower time. Sixteen-year- old l. P.
Wikidal set all the veterans talking by
his great sprinting and endurance. He
rode great race. A. J. Henley of Kan
sas City, who finished last said the course
was lawful" Kansas City mon are used
to riding road races on macadamized
roads.
Following is a summary oil the race,
All are Topeka men except Paul Walker
of Holton and A. j. Henley of Kansas