New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-13
A FAST TRACK TO BE BUILT.
GOOD THING IN STORE FOR RACERS
AT THE L. A. w. MEET
WHAT THE WILLOW GROVE PEOPLE WILL
Do-MoRE PLANS FOR THE GREAT

| Do-MORE PLANS FOR THE GREAT
GATHERING
| Philadelphia June 12.-Professional and anna
teur racing men all over the country cannot fai
to be interested In the announcement that the
races TO be held in connection with the eighteenth
annual meet Of the League Of American Wheel
men, which will be held in this city August H.
will be run off on one Of the fastest tracks In
the country. II not in the world. The Executive
| Committee In charge of the meet was last Fri
| day informed by the Willow Grove people that
three-lap board track costing close to $4,000
would be laid the present track before the
| Fourth OF July. This Is how 1t all came about:
On Decoration Day the first meet OF the sea-
son was held on the Willow Grove track. and so
great was the attendance az, 800 paid adms-
| sions and about 5000 deadheads. who surged
| into the Enclosure after breaking down the fence
! that the arrangements eyes were opened to the
possibilities OF financial gain In properly con-
Quoted bicycle meets on large scale. IL
was also brought to their attention that had the
weather been rainy in the morning. or. In fact
| had rain fallen the previous night. 1t would nave
been impossible to pull off the races on the pres
! ent clay and -cinder track and a result they
| would have been thousands OF dollars out or
| pocket. 1t therefore with desire to pre-
vent any considerable loss through the poor con-
| dition Of the track on August and that 1t
| was decided to lay down a wooden track, and at
| once.
| While the complete specifications for the new
| track have not yet been made public the more
| important known. The foundations
I are to be Of stone. on which will be set up the
supporting timbers which will be Of heavy pine.
firmly bra ed with iron stays and bolts. For the
surface 2i4 yellow pine. selected stock will be
| used. These boards will be laid lengthwise and
| bent the turns. giving what experts consider
| to be surface offering the least possible re-
sistance. The entire construction, the surface as
we'll as the supporting work. will be thoroughly
| coated with waterproof paint. With view to
| preventing the annoying glare so often COM
| planned Of by racing men, the surface OF the
track will be painted an ove-green color.
With an extreme width Of 40 feet along the
| entire homestretch. the new track will taper
down to a width Of 90 feet in the backstretch.
! The sweep from the straights into the turns Will
receive special attention. and the lines will be so
| accurately adjusted that. as Mr.. Ashnger prom
| ses III you could get quad or sex team TO
| go in 80. your track would hold them safe
| enough" The extreme banking will be upward
| of s feet at the apex Of each turn
The management has become convinced that
| wiu prove Inadequate for the 9th and 1th OF
| August and has made arrangements to increase
them to 25.OOO These immense stands, sur
rounding the track on three sides. VIII form ex-
ceent wind shields and fast time will undoubt-
eddy be the rule.
| Although the dressing rooms at the WILLOW
| Grove track are unusually large, pleasant and
airy Chairman Dimon, of the Race Meet Com
mittee proftng BY the mistake of the Louisville
officials last year. will not compel the confess
ants to remain there during the races, put VIII
provide place of vantage from which the rae
ing men and their trainers may coHIor taol!
view the contests. This Enclosure will be in front
of the grand stand. alongside the press box. II
has been arranged that the quarters iol TIC
i,nigbts of the pencil will be sufficiently large 10
accommodate 800 that the press box VIII occupy
tho snace between the front Of the stand ana the
rail- and that there Will be four tiers Oh SID 9rooa
II is quite probable that the Arena az br0au
md Cherry SITS only one block from the CITY
| Hail will be secured during the meet TOT ,ne
storage Of wheels and as general RENDEZVOUS III
,bo Making M OF parties to participate in the
various runs and side trips when VIII DE taken axe,
under the chaperonage OF the various sun III
n1ittees of the Tours and Runs Committee. Inc
arena Is admirably adapted for an athieuc en-
tertainment and arrangements may be mace tor
holding the Entertainment Committees pis
smoker there.
This wears big accessions to League ranks
from, Pennsylvania can be directly traced 10 the
| anerpizinr influences accompanying the prepara-
| ,ions for holding the L. A. w. Nationai Meet
| IN the metropolis of the State. Since the news
| Of Philadepha's success in securing the nee'
was flashed the wires the dlVisioh lieiI.
| bership has been almost doupied one yeai , 80
| tho Quaker city contained but one League ciup'
, NOW there are four, and several other oreaniHa-
| tions are endeavoring to secure the necessary
percentage of League members 10 Wairai. tne
| filing of applications FOR l.. a. W. cruz 'ei'
Gates.
That illumination. the annual parade, which
at former League meets has been looked upon
as n necessary evil, will probably be dispensed
With as It would undoubtedly take up valuable
time which can be utilized by the Visi'ors 10
much better advantage. That other tlIne,n ION,
ored nuisance the annual photograph VIII
n,.a rrohahlv have to go by the board. the i'm
oseihilitv Of any successful result with tne nuge
ro,,.d that will be sure to be on hand having
convinced the Executive Committee tha' 'he
game is hardly worth the candle.
The manufacturers pageant will also be
oorsn,cuous by its absence-that is to say, the
Executive Committee will have no mana III 'he
management Of such an exhibitioh
MICHAELs NO LONGER UNDER The BAN
paltlnore June 1s-Chairman Mott. or the l.. A.
W poc,no BOARD announces In special bulletin
Tho RECENT Of the following cable dispatch: London
Jun. r. 1s97-Mchaels's suspension removed In
consequence Of this Mr. Mott declares that
,,,hoa,s IA eligible in Il Territory under the jurs-
jic,ion Of the Teagu" Of american Wheelmen. This
removes tho embargo il this country against the
o riding on American tracks because of certain
Indebtedness to the English Cycle League.
SHE HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE.