Evening star., 1896-12-19
SIX-DAY CYCLE RACE
The First Event of the Kind in the
District.
IT WILL NOT BEA cOHFIHUoUsA AFFAIR
Wheeling Will Be Limited to
Eight Hours a Day.
THIS PLANS ADVANTAGES

The recent six-day bicycle race which
was held at the Madison Square Garden in
New York city. and which created so much
interest all over the country. will he re-
produced in this city in a much better
form, making the race more attractive IN
the spectators. The race will he hold in
the skating rink. at Convention Hall and
for the week in which the races will he run
the place will present the double annaar-
ance of large skating pond and h,cvc1a
track. While it has been settled to have
the race and contracts are signed with Ed
RUNNER and his contingent of twelve hi
cyclists of great note from England. the
details have not been arranged.
The race will begin Monday afternoon,
december 2S, at o'clock and continue nm
til Saturday evening at 10 O'clock tho
rloer having covered the greatest number
OF miles at that hour being declared +h
winner. 1t will not be a continuons raca
put Will be for eight hours each day max
ing the time for the six days only forty
eight hours. This will keep the men in the
saddle all of the ti1ne allowing them No
time for rest or rub-downs, for fear of
losing too much distance In the stvIe of
race held at Madison Square the men rode
wnen trey pleased and stopped when thew
cared In time race every minute viii
count. wiz
Tie record for six days, riding eight
nours a day, is held by c. w. Ashinger
VINO VINO made the record at Boston. Mass. in
1881, over Sixteen-lap track and unon an
old upright wheel This record is 70
miles, and has never been broken. It is
certain to be broken at the attempt in the
skating rink New Year week A limit of
300 miles has been placed on the race ond
no man will receive a prize unless he makes
this number of miles This will insure snir
lted and fast riding. 1t will mean that
each rider will have to make at least 40
miles dog, nearly twenty miles an
hour. This is extremely fast pedaling, and
as the prize money is the object the men
VIII have to ride hard.
me prizes will amount to $500 The
winner will get 40 per cent or 81 400 an
increase of 500 over the prize offered AT
Madison Square. The second man will got
% per cent of the prize money or 1915. The
third man will get Tx per cent, or about
s6o2. while the fourth man gets l21A per
cent, or a little over S325. The fifth and
last prize Is five per cent. which gives S175
to the man securing that place. These are
good prizes, and even the fifth prize is
good sum for the weeks work though in
the professional races held here at the ma
tlonal circuit this year for only one mile
the winner drew down the good sum of
$780,
Will Use the New York Track.
wooden track will be constructed
around the edge Of the skating surface. It
will be 16 feet wide, and banked in a scien-
tihc manner. The course will be twelve
laps to the mile, making each lap 44O feet
in length. Manager Towers has been sue
cessful in securing the track which was
used at Madison Square Garden by the
same riders, which is regarded as ore OF
the best in the country. The track at that
mile. -
The course will be eliiptical, and will fol-
low the line of the railing around the ice
surface. AS before stated 1t will he 16 feet
wide, and, on account of its narrowncss It
is rather risky to start to5 many men
Then, again. Manager Towers does not
want to start a wholesale lot lie wants
the cream of the riders, those who have
made the best showing and he has secured
all he wants. The track will be banked all
the way around. At the ,urns it will have
gradual rise to the highest point which
Will be feet. This is not considered too
steep forahe riding. and will Just be about
right Tor the riders. as they go around the
track at ty-mile-an-hour gait AT
Its lowest point the track will have rise
OF IL inches, sloping toward the ice 70
prevent the riders from going over on the
ice, additional boards will be pla ced, and
also railing. extending all the way around
the pole of the track. Seats will be at
tached to the railing. upon which the skat-
ers can sit and watch the race when they
get tired of enjoying themseiye on the
steel blades. To keep the people OF the
bicycle track an elevated bridge will be
constructed across the entrance to the ice
and over this the skaters will have to walk
to get on the ice. At the other end of the
hall large stand will be erected access to
which will be obtained by two broad stair
ways. and another bridge-like structure
crossing the cycle track. The audience that
does not enjoy the skating will be thus en-
abled to get a good view of the racers from
all sides of the immense hall. There is an
other thing in favor of the racers them
selves, There is very little danger of their
becoming overheated. the icy surface over
which the track is constructed keeping
them cool enough.
The track will be erected under the SILL
perintendency of Mr.. C. w. Ashnger. who
has had considerable experience in this
line. He is also one Of the contestants in
the race. and is the holder of a six-day
eight-hour record, which will have to he
broken before any Of the riders will Sc
cure prize The cost of transporting the
track from Madison Garden to this city
and its erection will be about 5000 The
track Is in sections, and can be easily put
together, though several additional Sec
tions will have to be built to make the
track large enough to fit Convention Hall.
This expense together with the cash
prizes, will represent a total outlay of
nearly $1,000 by the management of the
Ice Palace for the week. showing their
energy and progressiveness. The race will
be much better than the one held at Madi-
son Square Garden. owing to the fact that
the pick of the best men in that race has
been secured, and the local public will be
such races have ever been held in this city,
and the patronage for the week is expected
to be liberal. The track will only be in posi-
tion for one week, when 1t will be returned
to New York.
An international Contest.
The race will be strictly an interna-
tonal one, there being Representatives from
countries on both sides of the ocean. Man
ager Towers has limited the number of
contestants. to ten. Teddy Hale, represent
ing Ireland. who at the Madison Square
six-day go-as-you-please race rode 1.9i0
miles and laps. wifi be the chief attrac-
ton. ]. s. Rice OF JVilkesbarre. Pa, who
finished second, will be one of the repre-
sentatives of America, and Ned Reading of
Omaha, Neb., will be another. Albert
Shock representing Rrance and Switzer-
land. is one of the Ax-champions of the
world, winning the previous six-day race
held at Madison Square: Frank Waller will
represent Germany. and he is better known
as The Flying Dutchman," on account of
his speed qualities; Harry H. Maddox of
Asbury Park. N. J.,sswho has number
OF friends In this city,<is another one of the
entrants, while Fred. Foster Of New York
ana G. w. AShingor OF Upshur, Ohio COM