The record-union., 1896-03-07

time had the trial been made, but as
the wind had risen the trial was post
poned till Monday morning.
The meteorological conditions are
quite an important factor in the record
breaking at Coronado, as the wind rises
about IL o'clock and blows directly
across the track, rendering it necessary
to make the trials about $50 O'Clock in
the morning. Monday morning found
the boys up bright and early, and the
one-lunged gentleman at the next table
TO Shafer made life a burden to that
gentleman by his kindly intended but
ill-advised remark that he guessed it
would rain in an hour or two.
But luck seemed to attend the party
at last, for while the sea moaned and
great banks Of clouds rolled up in the
southeast, the storm king held his hand,
and the quad and quint came out with
lion n-hearted Billy Hamilton in the rear
and started for the mile. The quint,
with Stone, Terrill, Washburne, jerks
and Connibear, led the way, while the
quad, with Taylor. Alldridge, Miller and
Vaughan up, and Hamilton close be-
hind, shot over the tape, and the great
ride had begun. Click! goes watch.
and the timer calls out '"Twenty-three
and one-ffth secondsi"
Hamilton jumps from the quad to the
quint, and yells to the pace-makers for
more pace. The half is out in 0:49 %,
and the three-quarter pole
reached in 1:15. Shafer stood
in the middle of the track,
and as they shot past the three-quarter
pole he glanced at his watch and real
lied that that they must come home IN
twenty-five or better. Hit her up,
bcys!" he yelled, and as they shot past
him he ran to the stand to ascertain
what time they had made.
There is moment of suspense While
the timers are comparing watches, then
the announcer calls, ''Time, l:39 10,
one and one-fifth seconds cut from the
worlds record!" The boys went wild,
and everybody shook hands with every
one else.
AS soon as they recovered from the
excitement Shafer sent the boys in to
take a rub and rest before making the
trial for the two-t -thirds-mile record of
107 20 They were soon ready, and
the same men man the pacing ma
chimes. AS in the former trial, the quad
takes Hamilton the first and the quint
the last half of the distance. They went
around the track once. and are ready
for the second trial. The wind had
sprung up and was blowing down the
stretch, and as the paee-makers felt it
at their backs they nudged each other
and wondered how many seconds they
would cut it.
But now the quad is nearing the
starter, and the timers get ready.
"Bangt" goes the starters pistol, and
the eyes of the spectators are on the fly
ing men, who come nearer and nearer.
They turn into the stretch, and as they
get the wind at their backs it seems as
though they scarcely touch the ground
SO great is their speed. and the three
watches click together as they cross the
tape. The timers look az their watches,
and then rub their eyes and look again,
for the three vary but fifth of a second
from 0:5S 3-5, cutting almost nine sec
onds of the former record.
This was glory enough for one day,
but Hamilton was not satisfied and
asked to be allowed to take smash at
the one-third-mile, unpaced record, fly
ing start This resulted in cut of two
and three-fifths seconds in the former
record, Hamilton making it in 33 3-5
seconds.
"Old Reliable" Bill Taylor one of the
best and hardest working of the pace
makers, then went out with w. A. Ter
rill and cut the unpaced half-mile rec
ord, flying start, of 0:53 4-5 to 0:52 3-5.
This was the last trial, and had the men
been fresh they would have cut it much
lower.
This made four records out of four at
tempts, a record in itself that will stand
| for some time. The reduction in the
| wo-thirds-inile, while it is phenome-
nal, may be accounted for to a great
! extent when the strong wind that was