The record-union., 1897-07-06
YESTERDAYS WHEEL RACES.
SHARP FINISHES, BUT NO REC
ORDS BROKEN.
Ziegler a Winner, as Usua1-Sacra.
mento Amateurs Make a
Good Showing.

That clean, properly conducted wheel
racing is becoming immensely popular
with the public was again demon
strated yesterday by the fact that fully
5000 people-more than one-half OF
Whom We're 1adies-assembled at Oak
Park to witness the contests held on the
new track there under the manag cement
of the Olympic Circuit
The grand stand, where the seats
We're all reserved, was completely filled,
the bleachers''-where no one was
bleached-were packed, and the big
crowd overfoWed into the center of the
grounds, where scores of ladies stood
throughout the long afternoon, so in
tensely interested were they.
There We're no records broken yes
terday, as on the day Of the initial
meet at Oak Park, when the figures in
several instances were lowered, but the
races were ali exciting, especially in
the finishes. It seems to have become
the custom with racing men nowadays
TO almost ignore the matter of making
fast time. and to LAY up until near
the outcome and then depend on a
sharp sprint TO win. There is a rem
edy for this and it should be applied
in all cases. That is, to place a time
limit on each race, or heat, to ride below
which viii disqualify any contestant.
Yesterday was a perfect day for rae
ing. barring a light breeze, and with a
track equal to the best in the world
there was no reason why better time
should not have been made. However,
l1A fiV1fC
and the crowd went wild with delight
in nearly every instance
During an intermission Harry ("Tril-
by') Fowler Of San Francisco gave one
Of his remarkable exhibitions of trick
riding. It is simply wonderful what
Trtlby' can do on over, inside Of or
under a bicycle-a machine so cranky
that even experienced riders have to
treat it with the utmost consideration
if they would avoid being thrown.
The crowd about the press stand,
which sits low on the ground, was so
great that the reporters could see only
the starts in each race and a few yards
OF the finishing sprints, so that it is
impossible to give anything like a full
description of the riding in any Of the
numerous events.
Rosenheim of the Reliance Club Of
Oakland came here with quite reputa-
tion as an amateur rider He certainly
Is fast, and it must have surprised him
greatly when Bob" Smith of the Capt.
tai City Wheelmen went past him in
the finish of the final heat of the mile
novice race as if hurled from a cata-
pult
Smiths friends went wild with de-
light over his victory, and when he
returned to the score they lifted him
from his wheel upon their shoulders
and carried him from the track to his
dressing room.
Otto Ziegler, the great San Jose
rider and holder of records of various
distances, made a grand finish in the
mile open professional race, which he
won hands down in 2:15. He was well
back in the bunch of riders 80 yards
from the score, but from that point
he fairly flew past Allen Jones. Davis,
Whitman and Downing, and as he
crossed the line he was looking back
at his followers and smiling.
In the second heat of the two-thirds
mile amateur event Pete Hallauer
came to grief near the outcome. He
was near the front and set out to ride
past Rosenheim, but just then the
latter cut out across Hallauer' route
and there was a collision that threw the
Sacramentan and tore all the spokes
from the front wheel of his machine
Fortunately Hallauer escaped serious
injury, though he was badly bruised.
There We're several others who came
to grief also during the afternoon, but
no one was badly hurt.
The spectators differed decidedly
with the judges in their decision on
the final heat in the two-thirds. mile
amateur event. Hirsch led over the
score by apparently half a wheels s
length, with Leitch second, and there
We're all sorts of "Ohs!" and "Ahs!"
when the announcer gave out that
Leitch had won. 1t was one of those
mistakes that men will sometimes
make, however, for nobody believed
the judges intended to give Hirsch the
worst of it.
Young, Payen, Leitch and Hirsch of
the Capital City Wheelmen demon
strated their fitness to go in any anna
teur company, and before the season
ends they may be expected to add
many scalps to their belts.
Dixon and Boyden of San Francisco
gave a one-third mile tandem exhibi-
tion. making the circuit in 0:33 20, es-
tablishing a coast record, and Young
and Shearer of this city rode a very
fast mile on a tandem.
Camera Club members were out in
force. and snap shots were taken OF
riders, officials, spectators, etc., from
various positions.
The officials in charge of the races
were: Referee, L. S. Upson; Judges,
]. S. Chedd r. NJ. Welch and l.. I. An
drews; Timers, E. Christ, j. E. Little
and Z. f. Stoddard; Starter, r. c. Len
ME; Announcer, Horace Crocker; Scor-
ers, Z. T. Hampton, T. L. Martin, NJ.
c. McLennan, S. J. Mcknight and H.
A. Crocker; Umpires, Geo. H. Laven-
son, Bart Mcdonald and W. A. Hubert;
Committee, NJ. S. Lavenson. Chairman;
c. J. Atwater, Secretary; L. S. Upson,
c. E. Wright, J. A. Woodson and j.
f. Mcdonald.
FIRST EVENT.
One-mile novice-First prize, gold
medal: second, silver medal First
and second in each heat and third in
fastest heat to qualify for final.