The evening times., 1896-05-14
How It Has Increased, and the
Race Horse Distancad.
SEXTUPLET VS.. EXPRESS
Five-Mile Track to BE Built Near
POughkeepsie for the Effort to Beat
sional Ranks and Suspension-FrOm
Reading to Minneapolis by Wheel.

| ship cannot restrain them from undertake
ing a squirt now and then to test each
| others quality, and IL is to this mild but
almost Involuntary spirit OF rivalry, engen-
| dercd in such informal ways, that the origin
OF the hot races that have delighted the
public and enthused the craft ever since
| cycle racing began, nearly twenty years
| ago, may be traced.
1t was in 1878 that VIII X. Pitman Of
| New York took the hOnorsin the first reSu-
! lation mile bicycle race ever conducted
| N America. His time was 3 minutes 81
! seconds and the record was hailed as mar
| yeious all over the world. IL is said that
Mr.. Pitman taxed his physical powers TO
| their very utmost to accomplish this feat
Since that time the facilities for making
speed have been wonderfully Increased. In
the first place, smooth courses were laid
/ out and established and wheels were bull.
on lighter and better plans. Indeed, the
improvements in the make of wheels has
been the greatest OF all factors in speed
producing.
But still. however well selected the ma
| terial and well made and highly gearcd the
wheel. there must be great and stead y force
applied in order to attain the great desidcr-
i uls SUI anu
lasting has been developing for man years,
during which primitive sport has become
a business enterprise as well as world
wide source of health and recreation.
Racing struggles too crude TO claim parent
| age have changed into dignified contests for
athletic supremacy under the control of
| responsible governingbody.
During this evolution the rate of speed
seemed hopelessly behind that of the trot-
ting horse. but in the course OF time the
trotter was passed, and even the fleeter
PAGER was distlnced. The running horse
was still ahead OF the wheel. however, and
though many efforts were made to outdo
him, he held his prestige until last year,
| when E. F. LcOnert cut him down, with a
record OF minute 80 seconds.
One would think that, having outstripped
the great kings of the ra ce ira ok. the bicycler
would curb his ambition and be content,
but not so. AS is now well known, Melvin
o. Dennis, youth of Denver, has brought
the mile record down to the astounding
figures of l minute l 80 seconds, and is
now working hard to lower bis own record,
and in all parts OF the country the crack
| wheelmen are pedaling away, bent on the
same object.
The most auda acious, and, one may say,
intrepid, undertaking ever entered into by
sporting enthusiasts is that OF the six ex-
pert wheelmen, who, headed by the IA
nous Dan Cabanne, OF st. Louis ire max
ing ready for their grand effort To make
| the fastest mile ever Travelled on wheels,
| and at the same time outrun the Empire
State express, the fastest train in the
| world. This extraordinary contest, which
| Is to take place June D, is attra citing wide
| attention. The cyclists Will ride a two
wheeled machine, fashioned for the use Of
| six wheeimen. 1t is called a sextuplet,
| and though it weighs only 1877 1-2 pounds,
| is built very strongly.
The race is to be over one mile, at a
point where the huge flying locomotive
| may safely crowd on its greatest speed.
IN order to test the claims Of the makers
| of the sextuplet that with their machine
The unaided muscles and sinews of man
can carry him more rapidly than the most
perfected application OF the powers of
steam, Il five-miIe track is to be laid at
The side of the New York Central Rail
road, near Poughkeepsie, n. Y, aud here
the test will be made.
1t is necessary that the track should be
i've miles Ill length, as lne luIl speed or
the seXtuplet cannot be attained in less
| than two miles. and it takes two more to
come to a stop, so that the SIX riders may
alight safely. The race Will. therefore be
over the third or center mile Of the ira OK
The bicycle track to be laid will be as
smooth as a billiard able, it being neces-
sary that not even the smallest obstacle
should obstruct the path of the flying
wheclmen. The steering of the machine
will be done by the man in front. just
ahead OF him is wedge shaped aluminium
'.aii CUTTER which will. il is said, ap-
preciably reduce the atmospheric resist
ance The gear is compounded TO SO, and
the strength of the machine is such that
it could bear a weight of 2,GO0 pounds
Whatever may be the result OF this
unique contest, it will undoubtedly be the
most interesting cycling event the world
has ever seen. If the cyclists win, the
very wind will be outclassed. for the En-
pire State express goes a mile in AZ sec
onds.
The L. A. W. racing boards bulletin
contains the folio owing transfers and sus-
pensions:
Transferred to the professional class at
their own request-Nat Butler, Cambridge
port, Mass; Frank Wing, Otta wa, ILL.,; Al
len N Jones, F. NJ. Byrne, j. Z. Edwards,
San Francisco, Cal; Harry D. Elkes. Jack
sonville, Fla; Charles E. Marshall. Chicago,
H.; F. &. Barnett, Chicago, ILL.,; C. F.