The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-11
New York. Dec. 10. 1897.

New York. Dec. 10, 1897.
The great six day bicycle race nj
Madison Square Garden has narrowed
Eseif down to fifteen ridcis. Miller still
retains lead of nearly a hundred miles
over Rice, the Wilkcsharrc miner. All
midnight he was something like ma
miles ahead Of the worlds record and
with a hours to spare, he had covered a
distance up to within n few miles of the
great record established by Hale last
year of 900 miles.
The great surprise of the night was
the rctiremcnt of .Riverre, the French
man. He Is believed TO be actually out
OF his mind. is in pitiablc physical
condition and is now under the care Of
physicians. Like most of the others in
the race Rivierre has given evidence
during the contest of having partly lost
his mind. The awful strain after the
first day of riding had In n measure
mentally unbalanced him and this af-
ternoon he leaped from his wheel and
made an assault OH an imaginary foe
In one or the boxes. swearing ana jab-
bering In his native tongue His train
ers rushed TO him and put him on his
wheel but after making few more
laps he repeated the performance with
even more insane rage than he had at
first demonstrated. The rcsuE was that
lHvlerre had again to be taken from the
track 10 return no more.
Another man who has quit the lists
is Moore He had n terrible fall during
the afternoon while going at n high rate
of speed. Crashing into the rail, he cur.
himself badly and WIS carried OF the
track almost unconscious The shock
was too great for his dcb!Iitatcd condi-
tion and he will be seen no more IN the
present race.
But Miller. that wonderful specimen
of physical development, still rlods
along. lie has ground out more miles
in a given time on a wheel than ever
any man did before. lie has s9nhsiSscd
under the most telling strain with less
sleep than was thought possible for any
man and with it all an examination OIL
him tonight by the Police surgeons dis
closed the fact that his condition was
normal and that with the exception OF
muscular soreness and 4 slight dcadncss
of the limb5 he was in excellent condi-
ton, and would be able to continue to
the end without much danger of col
lapse. According to various trainers
about the track, Miller is beginning to
have hallucinations. He complained to
his trainer about noon that the people
In the building were throwing sticks
and stones at him and that he had TO
ride over hurdles.
Rice. who is second man in the con-
test, though nearly n hundred miles
behind the leader, Is standing by his
colors with dogGed determination. I'll
was said during the day THAI he had
oc n ln tot off I,nt hi ii,!
which he has been riding through the
night shows that though he might have
requested this, II is not the spirit OF his
wshcs. He is In to Stay to the end and |
hia trainers think that he will he much
nearer the Chicago man at the end Off
the next twelve hours than he Is at
present. AT all events he got rid of Il
dangerous rival when R!vierre left the
track. For hours =; had been nip and
tuck with these two ut one time. the
one leading and at another time the
other. Ricc's physical condition is also
announced 10 be good.
Close up 10 Rice. the third man, now
that the Frcnchman is gone, Is Schin |
neer, a fellow townsman Of Miller. |
Though he has had several nasty tum-
bles during the race Schinneer has never |
for a moment lost any OF his pluck or
determination. He has n lead of 80 |
miles on Hale, the former champion,
and barring accident, will undoubtedly |
finish third.
Hale. with plenty of sleep. compar-
atlvely speaking, has the best appear |
ance of any man on the track. He has |
really taken things leisurcly bu; new
ertheless. at the present writing Is
nearly forty miles ahead of his old rec
ord OF last year. This Is about what
his schedule called for, but when the
schedule was made up no account was
taken of such marvellous speed as has
been maintained throughout the race.
after Waller had set the pace. Those
who expected Hale to move UP in the
last day or two are apt to be disappoint-
ed. for he is two full centuries be-
hind the plucky leader
OF the others, Waller has proved him. |
sslf to be the strongest hearted. He
did a los OF sprintins tonight, and he |
has a strong following among the spec |
taforS, Enterman, the youthfuI Rrnok