Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-27
HIS FORMER RECORD STANDS
Edward fayion Weston Fails in His
Attempt Against Time,
DOES OVER ONE HUNDRED MILES
Old Hero of the Footpnth Makes u
Gallant Effort to show He IL
Good u Man ns
Ever.

NEW YORK, Dec. 26.-When Edward
Payson Weston, the 5S-year-old pedestrian,
at 10 o'clock tonight left the track on which
he had endeavored to equal his record, 1lS
miles in twenty-four hours. he had walked
1O3 miles and 426 l-3 yards. The old man
went to the office OF the skating rink, in
which the track was situated. threw himself
on a cot and wept bitterly A number OF
friends gathered round and sought to comfort
him, but Weston refused to be comforted
and reproached himself for his failure. The
veteran started out bravely in his effort to
prove that he was no worse than he was
twenty-five years ago, and more than half
the day kept it up. Then he was seized with
vertigo and was obliged to leave the track
for longer periods than he had planned. lie
was obliged, after walking a few larc, to
reverse the direction in order to overcome
dizziness. About bali past tonight Wesio
reached the 100 mile mark and the spectators
cheered him, but the cheers did not gladden.
the heart Of the grdy-haired pedestrian. who
realized that he must fail He left the track
and sat for a few moments in one of the
boxes, where he burst into tears. Again he
took the track and sought to wipe cat the
miles that stood between him and victory
and added three miles ani i2G - yards to
his score before the Clock struck 10. During
Westons last half hour on the track he was
spurred on by the SKATERS, who kept pace
with him and congratulated him on his good
showing
The band, too. played lively airs and the
old man spurted in response. Weston un-
dertOok the task of equaling his record of
1lS miles in twenty-four hours made when
he was 33 years old, to illustrate how reg
ular and temperate life Conserves mans
vigor and makes him strong in his later
years Weston was sent off on his journey
at the Palace rink at 10 o'clock last night
with the encouraging cheers of big crowd,
composed principally of scientists society
men, professional men, prominent city Off
cas and the like. He walked steadily until
/ o'clock today, covering, with few min
utes rest. seventy-two miles. After thirty
minutes rest he appeared again on the track
and continued his journey well ahead of the
schedule. He went off at rapid pace and
the scene was like those in the Madison
Square garden in the old days when Weston
ran around the track lashng himself with
little switch to keep his blood in cirGula-
ton.
"I'n cover 100 miles within twenty-four
hours easily" he replied.
The old fellow actually seemed to grow
younger as he went faster. There was no
exhaustion depicted on his face. on the con-
trary there good healthy color in his
cheeks and his eyes were clear and bright.
About . o'clock he had covered seventy-four
miles. An hour later the score showed that
he had seventy-scven miles and four and a
half laps to his credit. His seventy-siXth
mile was covered in 1882, the record OF the
trial to this point. Shortly after 3 o'clock
when the veteran was well under way he
had an attack of vertigo, which compelled
him to leave the track and he was absent
forty-nine minutes. On his return he set
off at a brisk pace. but after going an hour
or more he was compelled to retire again.
At $3.50 his record was ninoty-fve mills and
he had only covered twenty-three miles in a
little more than seven hours.