Delaware gazette and state journal., 1895-12-26
THE MILITARY RELAY RIDE
Official Report of the Great
Bicycle Trip.
.EXPERIENCESOf SOMEOF THE MEN
1t Was a Bigger Job Than Was
Anticipated.
The Great Trip of the Washington Mill
tary Cyclists Was Not Strewn With Roses
Although the Result Was Gratifying.

The recent relay ride of military
cyclists from Washington to New York
resulted successfully, although wind
and weather were not propitous to the
riders. The Washington Star pub.
lished the following account Of the run !:
The relay ride of the Washington
Military Cyclists to New York proved
to be harder thing than was antici-
pated, the rain having bad effect on
tho schedule time. The best portions
Of the road were thought to be between
Wilmington and New York City, but
with the inclement weather they were
not in very good condition. Indeed,
the route selected between New Bruns-
wick and New York in some places was
found to be absolutely impossible for
bicycles, owing to the mud. Under
the circumstances it was decided to
ride to Elizabeth via Plainfled. West
field and Crawford, where the roads
were better, although to do this added
seven miles to the relay, making il 40
instead Of 35 miles. This change made
it the longest relay of the entire Journey.
The last two.relays were the worst,
and there was but little rest for the
waiting riders of New Brunswick,
Sunday night, for while the chances
were that ther message would arrive
later than schedule time on account OF
bad roads south of Philadelphia, it
was necessary to be ready for surprise.
Privates Pryor and Tierney were to
carry the message from Trenton to New
Brunswick, guided and paced by local
wheelmen, and their arrival was eagerly
looked for from midnight on.
At l.12 Pryor staggered into the
Mansion House, at New Brunswick, 4S
minutes ahead of time. His story,
rapidly told, was OF the failure Of the
pacemakers to put in an appearance at
Trenton and of midnight ride over
strange and bad roads. Both Pryor
and Tierney smashed their wheels, but
as they rode wheels of the same make,
they were able to put one good wheel
together from the unchanged parts of
the two. This done, Pryor rode on
and after splendid and plucky fight
against odds he reached NewBrunswick.
The pouch containing the message
was taken from Pryor, who boarded the
/. 30 a. m. train back to Washington,
and transferred to the shoulders of
Lieut.. Libbey. He, with Private Pit.
kin and Lient. Stevens and Capt.
Staubach from Fort Hamilton, Gov
ernor's Island, who had met him, start
ing for New York in the teeth of a
storm, which beginning with snow,
turned first to sleet and finally to rain,
soaking roads and riders.
Lieut.. Stevens was the first of the
party to meet misfortune. The rest
were compelled to leave him repairing
his wheel and forge ahead, The lieu
tenant made the necessary repairs and
by hard riding caught the others at
Newark. He was then exhausted, but
after a short stop to recuperate, rode
on again alone and finished within a
few minutes after the others His ride
against discouraging conditions amply
sustains the reputation of the lieuten-
ant for grit and resource.
OF the other riders, two wre handi-
capped by other difficulties in addition
to wet roads, darkness. the storm and
long relay. Lieut.. Libbey, early in
the day in riding from Philadelphia,
had severely strained tendon in his
leg, and though unable to walk, made
fast progress in riding despite the pain.
Capt. Staubach had suffered heavy
fall on Broadway the evening before,
on mis- way with Lieut.. Stevens from
Fort Hamilton. His wheel was not
damaged, but his knee was cut and
bruised to such an extent that both
the doctor who dressed it in the city
and the surgeon at the fort strongly
advised against its use in riding for
several days. 1t was very fortunate
that Capt. Staubach rode, in spite of
his injuries, as, after Lieut.. Steven a
accident, he was the only ono who
knew tho route, with its many turns
and crossings. Another fall on tho wet
cohbles near Newark damaged Stau-
bach's other knee, hut did not cause
any holding back in the pace.
Private Pitkin, rider of magniti.
cent physique, was thus in the best
condition of any Of the riders, and
made as much of tho pace as he could
whom straight stretch of road made
il possible for Capt. Staubach to drop
back from leading and guiding.
The route through Metuchen, Plain
field, Westfield, Crawford, Elizabeth,
Newark and over wet planlSs and cob
bles to Jersey City, distance of AZ
miles, was covered in 3 hours and 10
minutes, despite tho very unfavorable
conditions. The river crossed, the run
to the barge office, at the Battery, was
soon over, and the message was handed
TO Lieut.. Donovan, the personal repre-
sentative OF Gen. Ruger, at 4.48 a. M,
as announced in yesterdays Star, y
minutes ahead of schedule time. The
riders of the first nine relays covered
four miles more than their schedule,
and those on the last relay seven miles
additional.
In speaking of his ride in advance of
the relay riders from this city, Lieut..
Libbey said:
1--WE made 119 miles in one day,
although the roads for most Of the
way were terrible. We reached New
Brunswick at 6 p. m. on Sunday, cover
ing 73 miles that day. Between
Trenton and New Brunswick we had a
hard time of it after dark, because we
could not see to ride the SIDE paths.
Tierney and Pryor, who had the relay
from Trenton to New Brunswick, in
some way missed their pacemakers, and
were forced to ride most Of the way
alone. A mile outside OF Trenton,
Tierney broke down and Pryor had TO
make the relay alone. Pryor lost prob
ably 10 minutes finding Pitkin and my
self at New Brunswick, and we did not
leavs that city until !. 10 a. m. yester-
day.
1--WE carried 10 rounds Of ammuni-
tion and the regular army revolver.
Our uniform consisted, as you see, of a
blouse, campaign hat, gauntlet, gloves
navy blue bloomers and black cycling
stockings. The idea OF the race origi-
mated with Gen. Miles and Brigadier-
General Ordway, who appeared to be
much interested in our undertaking.