New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16
N THE CYCLING WORLD.
.ors OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
AT BALTIMORE.


>.r o,D IMPROVEMENTS ON TIE NORTH
WIDENING OF AoUEDUCT-AvE. AND
,,,r EXTENSION OF FEATHERBED LANE
OTHER ROUTES FOR wHEELMEN
>.or, that the important wheeling questions
- hoan settled by the League Of American
,.,oo,men the riders are looking forward to the
.or,np of the outdoor season with unusual in
.i,os, The National Assembly Of the League Of
,ue,ican Wheemen, which was brought to a
.,osa at Baltimore on Thursday did much to ad-
,..rce the interest in cycling The Board Of
,.oda has settled. also most Of the questions
,s,,nr among the rlanufa cturers. and season
20 unusual prosperity is assured all along the
~ The situation must be handled with tact
The manufacturers must take cognizance of the
-,.nes and comfort Of the public. and the Of
oa,s who control the cycle clubs and assoc!a-
,,ns must be particularly careful how they legis-
,o,e Too much attention cannot be paid to the
co,d roads movement. and the ultimate popu-
,.r,tv Of the wheel depends upon the making of
rood roads and their preservation after they
sove been made. The League Of American
Wbeelmen Is making a noble fight for this reform
the work has been started and the reform Is
hound to come sooner or later. The l.. A. W.
and the Board of Trade are now in happy &C
ord and together they can accomplish much
while they were at swords pol-os. as the TWO
organiz lions were at one time last year throusn
that troublesome racing matter, nttie goou couiu
No ACCOMPLISHED. Now the racing SITUATION mas
been settled in a thoroughly businessllKe ilal-
ner Ii is 10 the direct interest OF the manulac'
ure- to have good roads, ana an eXpehuituie vi
some of the surplus of the Board or Trace III
that direction would seem to be COCA business BUSINESS
move The number of wheels sold IN Iocai,ties
where the roads are bad is small. and the SAFE III
districts where good roads exist is tremendous
60 cash returns tell the tale better than any out
side argument could.
Tho wholesale victory Of the New-York dele
ration at the National Assembly at Baltimore
Is one of the pmncpal topics Of conversation
among well-posted cyclists just now. Inc "e'i
from this State went to the annual meeuhs oi
the /. A. W. with two objects primarily IN View'
Personally, they did not care much whether 'he
annual race meet went to Louisville or Ioieuo.
They went down to Baltimore with the aVo"eu
purpose Of busting the officials or the L. a. w.
and Of knocking out Glass s. 10 acconpiS'
these results deals had TO be made ana 'na'
was one Of the reasons why the STATE vote "e"'
10 Toledo Personally, the majority OF 'he oeie-
gates from this State preferred LOUISVILLE ou'
their votes were promised to Toledo and they
kent the promise Now that the battle has been
won il will not be violating any confidence 10
tell just how the racing reform has been ac
complished. When the Eew-1 ork Stdte Nv
sion voted TO ask the Assembly TO divorce ltselt
from the control of racing. not a member or inc
division had any idea that such result coulu
he ACCOMPLISHED. Chief Consul Potter ana MS
lieuenants knew that this suggestion Wouiu
lead TO a heated discussion. and that TINS Wou,9
end in the vocing of sentiments which would
show w the intermediate class in racing IN It's
true light. New-York was anxious to have the
racing situation clarified. and that is lust "hd1
has been done. Hereafter there will be the
amateur and the professional, and II VIII remain
with the riders themselves which side OF the
fence they went 10 ride on. All the Ciass -
men go back amateurs, but the majority Will
be found in the professional class as soon as
the racing season opens. Who will be at the
head Of the Racing Board is unsettled as YET.
The power of appointment is vested in Sterling
Elliott and he will have nothing TO say on That
point for the present
The present year will see the beginning Of
several important improvements in the streets
and roads of the North Side. and the completion
Of others One Of these which will interest
wheemen most is the widening Of Aqueduct-ave.
from 80 to 100 feet and even 40 feet In parts.
Probably most of them will be as surprises 10
learn that they have ever ridden on 1t as was
the man in the French play who discovered that
he had been talking prose as long as ne nad
talked anything. This is generally
known by it's former name of Macomb's Dam
Road. and, indeed, Is so styled on the Few lamp
posts which IL boasts. But the change TO Aque-
duct-ave. was formally made years ago and is
recognized in the City Directory. This thor
Harlem River and some four blocks from it. be-
ginning about opposite High Bridge. Its length
IS 10000 feet or little over three miles. coming
10 an end at the proposed Jerome Park reser-
voir. At this point 1t crosses the Kingsbrldge
Road.
But the cycist will not have to stop here. A
fine road. 100 feet wide, is to be laid out around
the reservoir. The Mosholu Parkway and Van
Cortlandt Park just to the north and directly
ito .har, and
Aqueduct-ave. will be continued as Lind-ave.
into Sedgwick-ave. Thus 1t will virtually begin a
short distance from the northerly spur OF the
rev Central Bridge, or Macomb's Dam Bridge
as some old inhabitants still prefer 10 call H.
The steep grade will thus be avoided and the
heights along the Harlem will be reached over a
Fl adual ascent. The Board of Street Openings
in September passed resolution for the opening
OF Aqueduct-ave., and Louis A. Rise. chief topo-
graphical engineer Of the Department OF I'M
provements of the Twenty-third and Twenty
fourth Wards. is preparing the necessary maps
When these are finished commissioners will be
appointed for condemnation proceedings. The
Lind-ave extension is also In this stage. the
maps now being under way.
Aqueduct-ave is nova delightful country road
lined with fine trees part Of the way. Some OF
these trees will have TO be cut down. much as
Mr.. Rise regrets the necessity He favors law
for the planting Of other trees for all that have
TO be sacrificed In the couise Of municipal i'm
provement. Once AqueductAve. Is turned over
to the contractors. It wiz probably be
nightmare 10 wheelmen for many months. 1t
was covered with crushed stone last fall, and is
now in excellent condition when dry. The work
IL certainly should be done with the least pos
sible interference 10 traffic. When finished AQue-
duct-ave will doubtless be Of ne show boule-
wards OF the city. There will be Inc Of trees in
the centre. with roadway on either side. Where
the width is lao feet park spots will be laid out
With all this In view wheemen whOare suScep-
tible TO rural delights will regret b lose the
charm Of the old Macombs Dam Roai. with It's
stretches of deep delicious shade and its vistas
Of green fields.
At present Aqueduct-ave. is generally reached