The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-18
lie Defeated Eddie McDuffee
and Establishes a Fifteen
Mile Worlds Record.
McDuffee Kept the Lead For
Fourteen Miles Of the
Exciting Event.
0REATESTRACE EVER WITNESSED
Thousands Of Enthusiasts at Charles River
Park-Records Smashed All Along the
Llne-Pacemakers Galore.

Boston, June 1S.--No grander race
spectacle or harder fought battle was
ever witnessed on an American cycle
p.,th than the 15-mile match race be-
tween Jimmie Michael and Eddie Nc
Duffee. decided at Charles River park
yesterday afternoon.
Fourteen thousand persons yelled
themselves hoarse as they witnessed the
struggle. When McDuffee. at the end
OF the 18th mile, was forced to surrender
the lead to the doughty Welshman.
there went UP such q shout as has sell
dom been heard on a race track.
All previous records. from the mile up
70 the Is miles. were lowered. and the
average time OF each mile was I'm. 56 2-5s.
The sight OF - many pacing machines.
from triplets up to sextuplets. was one
TO marvel at. The race taught Dave
Schaefer. Michael's manager. never to
again rely upon triplets to bring his
men to the front. He said after the
race that had McDuffee been handled
right he would have won.
McDuffee lead all through the race up
to the last Of the 18th mile, when his
PAGERS became worn out and tine little
Welshman behind a fast triplet forged
ahead and won by 100 yards. The
weather conditions were well nigh per-
feet, there being only slight breeze, and
$1,000 people enjoyed the sport i'm
mensely.
The conditions of the MichaeI-Mc-
Duffee race were exceedingly novel.
Each man was allowed as many PAGERS
ss he pleased and the PAGERS were al
lowed to ride all sorts of machines. The
result of this was that there were three
sextuplets, two "quints," three or four
'Quads," and q number Of triplets, all
on the track at nearly the same time.
while as fast as the men on one machine
became tired another lot took up the
unwearied racer and carried him along.
McDuffee's PAGERS were nearly all on
sextuplets and -Quints." while couple
OF triplets did great work for Michael
The race started at $50. after good
afternoons sport, In which an American
record for new race, the two-mile
tandem competition standing start, was
made in 4:051-5, by the Butler brothers,
Michael and McDuffee waited till their
PAGERS had developed speed, and as the
sextuplet and the triplet rushed past the
starting point the two fiiers jumped In
after them. McDuffee, behind the big
sextuplet, almost Immediately forged
ahead and was so yards in the lead when
the first mile was finished. For two
miles there was no change, but in the
third hot triplet picked up Michael and
noticeably cut down McDuffee's lead.
McDuffee soon made up his loss, and
at the beginning of the fifth mile was
about 200 yards ahead. The constant
change of pacemakers kept the crowd at
fever heat. Three big sextets did great
work for McDuffee, especially that
manned by the Butler brothers and four
other fast men.
At the eighth mile McDuffee was over
1-6 Of a mile in the lead and his pace
makers were making it warm for him.
In the ninth Michael began to gain, the
hard work telling on the sextets, and
soon there were but 100 yards between
the flyers. Not once did either man
dorp behind the pacemakers.
In the 10th Michael caugh the Mel
rose man, and for half lap they raced
side by side. McDuffee. however pulled
out and soon had 80 yards lead in the
11th. In the 18th, one Of McDuffee's
sextets picked him up very badly with
the result that Michael caught up, and
after a mile more the two were again on
even terms. BY this time there was
continual roar Of applause as the men
came flying around after the pace
makers, and this was redoubled when
Michael rushed ahead at the beginning
OF the last mile.
In spite of the fact that the two sex
tets and a quad" successfully picked
up McDuffee, and apparently set the
hottest kind OF pace. nothing could catch
the little Welshman and ne rushed across
the finish 100 yards ahead in the fastest
15-mile race ever run In this country, IL
not in the world. The race was for
5000 q side.