The record-union., 1897-08-07

PHILADELPH Aug. 6.-The open
ing races of the eighteenth annual meet
of the L. A w. was held to-day at
Willow Grove. fourteen miles from this
city, before 1860 spectators. 1t was
the most successful in the history of
the organization in point of attendance,
enthusiasm and good racing. Several
State records were smashed, and Arthur
Gardiner of Chicago came within 20
of a second Of beating Hamilton's rec
ord for one mile paced. He succeeded
in lowering the fast mile made by j.
s. johnson at Chicago last year by 40
of a second. Gardiner was paced by
two quads, one ridden by WenZel the
Trueville boys and Coburn, and the
other with w E. Bucker, Crooks,
Brown and Stenzer. He crossed the
line like a flash for the start, and never
ceased his pace until the finish, in
1:39 So, breaking the State record of
1:45 80. held by Earl Kiser. Starbuck
also took a try at the record, paced by
a quad and a triplet. His time was
144 80, also breaking Kiser's record.
Both these events followed the sched-
ule races for the day. In the latter
the honors among the professionals was
won by F. J. Loughead of Sarnia, Ont,
who crossed the tape in three trials,
two finals, and a second man in a third
final. In one of these finals, the one
mile professional he broke the State
competitive record of 2:04 40 by cover
ing the distance in 2:03 3-5. He cap
tured the quarter mile championship in
b seconds.
Among the amateurs honors We're
more evenly divided, with the best rae
ing done by Pea body, Johnson, Midden-
dorf, Schaede, Krick and Miller.
The day was perfect, and the sun
was not long up before hundreds of cy-
clists were pedaling along the historic
and picturesque York Road towards
Willow Grove, and even greater num-
bers We're taxing the railroad trains
and trolley cars to their utmost. The
heat from the sun was tempered by a
cool northwesterly breeze, and there
was an almost total absence of humid
sity.
There were early morning runs to
League Island Navy Yard at the low
er end of Brown street, across Rope
Ferry bridge to Paschalville, Pa, re-
turning by way of Woodland avenue,
West Philadelphia, to Broad street,
where the columns merged into the
WisSahickon Drive, and the big sched-
uled run to the track began.
The trials began promptly at 3
O'Clock, with several thousand specta-
tors At 12:4o there was a recess for
lunch Meanwhile the seats We're rap
idly filing up. and long before the hour
for resuming it was evident that the
crowd would be enormous.
At 3 O'Clock the track was cleared,
and racing began again, continuing un-
til 6 O'Clock, without the slightest
hitch. During the entire day there
We're but two or three spills, and no.
body was hurt by these
Tonight Willow Grove Park was
given over to the wheelmen, and the
visitors saw exhibitions Of trick and
fancy riding, a display of fireworks and
a general good time.
Tomorrow promises to be the ban
ner day, and the seating capacity of
the track Will be taxed to the utmost
The races VIII begin at 8 O'Clock under
the same officials, with the exception
that ex-Chairman of the Racing Board
Gideon will be relieved by Albert Mott
of Baltimore, the present Chairman,
as referee.
HOW THE RACES RESULTED.
BICYCLE TRACK (Willow Grove,
PAD. Aug 6.-The racing cracks were
awake early this morning and after a
good rubbing down took preliminary
spins on the track preparatory to the
trial heats which were to be called at
9 o'clock
AS early as 8 o'clock the crowd had
been arriving and with the first heat
pulled off, a good crowd was present.
The day was perfect for racing. A light
breeze prevailed from the northwest.
Everything was in proper condition for
fast time.
The wheelmen all expressed them
selves immensely pleased with the
three-lap board track, which was es-
pecially built for this meet. 1t was
banked several feet at the turns and
forty feet wide at the finish, solid as a
rock and lightning fast.
Johnny Johnson. who was injured
Wednesday while training on the track,
was out this morning, trying his stiffen-
ed legs. He appeared to be in rather
bad shape and there was every evidence
that he would not be able to race
The first three men win qualify in the
two-mile handicap. professional, and
the two-mile handicap, amateur, and in
all the other races the first two, with
the exception of the quarter-mile
championship. professional. in which
only the winner of each heat will enter
for the finals
The first event was the wo-mile han
dicap. professionals. This was in six
heats, and in all there were about
eighty entries. first three to qualify.
First heat-F J. Loughead. Sarina,
Ontario (scratch), won; ". E. Becker.
Minneapolis Cforty yards, second; E j.
Titus, New York (dfty YARDS, third.
Time: 461s
w. c. Sanger was scratch man in the
second heat of the two-mile race with
Arthur Lee. fifty yards, and H. r.
Steenson, Dayton. twenty-five yards.
The pace was slow and the men rode in
bunch throughout. A E. Wing 600
yards, Won; w. c. Sanger, second; c.
r. Newton tsixty YARDS, third. Time
5:03%5.
Tom Cooper had the tape in the third
heat and the nearest men were j. A
Newhouse, twenty-five yards, and Dock
Brown, fifty yards For the first few
laps the pace was fast but they soon
punched and Tapped to the finish, when
the winner crossed two lengths ahead.
Cooper (scratch) won; Fred Adams,
Washington 600 YARDS, second; ]. A.
Newhouse. Buffalo Gwenty five YARDS,
third. Time-5:0625.
Arthur Gardiner Of Chicago was