The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-11
Rivferre Taken on the Track I'm y
Raving Condition, and Others show
ing Signs of Insanity.
STRAIN PROVING TOO GREAT
ONLY FIFTEEN IN THE CONTEST AT 2
O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
Miller over $50 Miles Ahead of the
of His Nearest Opponent.
,ecIal to the Indianapolis journal.

NEW YORK. Dec. u.-At 2 o'clock this
morning fifteen of the thirty-six men who
started in the six-day bicycle race at Madi-
son-square Garden last Sunday at midnight
were still circling the tr4ck in an effort to
be in the contest at the finish tonight. The
race is solely one of physical endurance.
and the weaker riders are beginning to drop
out under the strain. One man has gone
raving crazy and others show signs of mem
tai weakness. Some of the riders move
around like automatons, with eyes glazed.
Sometimes there is a tumble and then it
is known the fallen rider has been asleep.
The fall arouses him temporarily, and he
is put back on his wheel and the strain
begins again. Several doctors have pro-
nounced the race as the most barbarous
sport imaginable, and they say all the rid
ers viii feel the effects of the strain for
life, If they survive the contest.
The police authorities, however, have not
attempted to stop the race. They make ex-
aminations, but do not interfere unless the
rider is so near dead a casualty is feared.
At 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon Police
Inspector Brooks, with Captain Sheehan, OF
the Tenderlon precinct. and Police Sur
geons Palmer, Johnson and Nesbitt, entered
the garden. They advanced to the stands
occupied by the riders and their trainers
and ordered the bicycle riders to disrnount
one at time and submit to a physical ex-
animation. One after another the riders
climbed off their wheels. They were at
once handed over to the surgeons of the
police department. The pulse and heart
were examined and the temperature taken.
All of the riders, except Enterman, passed
examination and were allowed to continue
in the race. The doctors ordered Enterman
- &11r- III
a very close inspection, but after a lengthy
consultation, he was allowed to continue.
Rice's actions Immediately after the ex-
animation would lead one to believe that
he had been given a stimulant. He was
thoroughly aroused from his former stupor.
and for time set hot pace for his COM
petitors. Enterman's trainer complained to
Referee Batcheldor that somebody had been
giving him ice to eat before the examina-
tion. Enterman was slightly out of his
mind, and kept calling for schooners Of
beer.
MILLER'S GREAT LEAD.
Miller still retains a lead OF nearly hum
dred miles over Rice, the Wilkesbarrs
miner. AT midnight he was something like
295 miles ahead Of the worlds record. and
with twenty-four hours to spare, he had
covered a distance up to within few miles
of the great record established by Hale last
year of 1900 miles.
The great surprise of last night was the
retirement of Rivierre, the Frenchman. He
is believed to be actually out of his mind,
is in a pitiable physical condition and is
now under the care of physicians Like
most of the others in the race Revierre has
given evidence during the contest of having
partly lost his mind. The awful strain
after the first day of riding had in a meas
ure mentally unbalanced him and Friday
afternoon he leaped from his wheel and
made an assault on an imaginary foe in one
Of the boxes, swearing and jabbering in his
native tongue. His trainers rushed to him
and put him on his wheel. but after making
few more laps he repeated the perform
ance with even more insane rage than he
had at first demonstrated. The result was
that at S:45 p. m. Revierre had to be taken
from the track to return no more.
Another man who has quit the list is
Moore. Moore had terrible fall Friday
afternoon While going at high rate OF
speed he crashed into the rail and cut him.
self badly. He was carried off the track al
most unconscious. The shock was too great
for his debilitated condition and Moore will
be seen no more in the present race.
But Miller, that wonderful specimen OF
physical development, still plods along He
has ground out more miles in a given time
on wheel than any man has before. He
has subsisted, under the most telling strain,
with less sleep than was thought possible
for any man, and with it all the examina-
ton of him last night by the police surgeons
disclosed the fact that his condition was
normal, and with the exception of muscular
soreness and a slight deadness of the limbs
he was in excellent condition and would be
able to continue to the end without much
10 nf
Rice. who is the second man in the con-
test, though nearly hundred miles behind
the leader, is standing by his colors with
dogged determination. 1t was said during
yesterday that he had asked to be taken
off, but the manner in which he has been
through the night shows that though he
might question this, 1t Is not the spirit OF
his wishes. He is to stay to the END, and
his trainers think that he will be much
nearer the Chicago man at the end OF the
next twelve hours than he is at the press
ont At all events, he got rid of a danger
Gus rival when Rtvierre left the track. For
hours it had been nip and tuck with these
two at one time one leading and at another
time the other. Rices physical condition
is also announced TO be good.
SCHINNEER'S WORK.
Close up to Rice and third man, now that
the Frenchman is gone. is schinneer. a
fellow-townsman of Miller. Though he has
had several nasty tumbes during the race,
Schinneer has never for moment lost any
of his pluck or determination He has
lead of ninety miles on Hale the former
champion. and, barring accidents. Will un-
doubtedly finish third man.
Hale, with plenty of sleep, comparatively
speaking, has the best appearance of any
man on the circle. He has really taken
things leisurely, but nevertheless, at the
present writing is nearly forty miles ahead
cf his old record of last year. This is about
what his schedule called for, but when the
schedule was made up account was
taken of such marvellous speed as he has
maintained throughout the race after
Waller had set the pace. Those who ex-
pected Hale TO move UP in the last day or
two are apt to be disappointed for he is
two fall centuries behind the plucky leader.
OF the Others Waller has proved himself
the strongest hearted. He did a lot OF
sprinting last night, and he has strong
following among the spectators
Enterman, the youthful Brooklyn rider.
who yelled for beer in his delirium yester-
day. has returned and is making his miles
with ciock-ike regularity.
The police authorities last night again
insisted on an examination being made or
the men by the police surgeons The re-
suit was a report by the surgeons which.
SO far as statistics go, showed very satis-
factOFV condition 0f affairs axpanf IN fl,n