The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-13
A GREAT CONTEST.
The End OF the Madison Square
Garden Race.
MILLtR'S REMARKABLE RECORD.
lie Ride. s,OOa Mile. Ia One Hundred and
Tor'y-ws Ilourt, oa'y Talking -Four
Hours sleep. THE awful Physical strain
Two Contestants Insane from Fatigue.
The Police Compelled to Interfere.


shows conventions ana mass meetings
has Madison Square garden held such g
tumultuous crowd as last night The
whirring wheels that had enclrcled the
broad track, thousands and thousands
of times propelled by shadows of what
were once athletic men, proved !rresist-
ible magnets,
Men OF all degrees Of wealth, position
and character fought and struggled like
mad men 10 get in front of their fellows
around the ellipse,
All because man had succeeded IN
riding more than 1000 miles on bicycle
In 142 hours and still lived, and dozen
of his fellows had eeHrted insanity and
innumerable physical Ills in chasing
him for six sleepless nights and days,
and neither common sense nor the
strong arm Of the law had interfered.
After 9 o'clock only four tail-enders
were on the track and FuH3or went forth
that combination Of riders and train
ers had been formed 10 hold up the
management. Miller came out, how
ever, at 0:45, lie was checrea again and
again. Then Hale, clad In q suit of
green tights, rode around. ana the band
played 'Killarney." Gray, Beacon and
others who had moi yet ridden ], 900 miles
pushed along 60 as 10 save their en-
trance money. To I'LL up tirne a pursuit
race was put on. and Eddie McDutlie, OF
Boston, was defeated by Fred Titus. Of
this city. The distance was three miles
and time 6:25-2-5
At this juncture Anna Held entered
The garden dressed in gray, aud carry
a..sr :, bau1a14 ~ uin1Atg Cha tVag nrp.
coded by q messenger bearing a huge
wreath OF American beauties and laurel
leaves. This was feature OF the even
ing.
Edouard Taylore, middle distance
champion OF France, then came on and
rode two miles unpaced in 4 minutes
o 3-6 seconds. This Is a track record for
Madison Square garden.
At this time an announcer climbed
upon the bridge over the track and an
uounced that Anna Held would present
her wreath to tho winner, Miller, who
would ride around the oval with Hale,
the winner of the 1896 contest. Miller
was induced to come out and ride u two
mile exhibition race, paced by Weinlg
and Newhouss on a tandem When he
emerged from his dressing room and
trundled his wheel down TO start, the
whole house rose as one man and simply
beloved. "Mlllerl Miller. 'Rah for the
worlds champlon" rose above the din.
There Is a pretty romance in Miller's
ride. He has plugged away like an au-
tomaton all week. with but one object In
view. A maiden Ia the cause Of Miller's
rare exhibition OF pluck and speed. She
lives In the vicinity OF Ogden avenue
and Twelfth street, Chicago. She has
promised her heart and hand TO the
doughty Teuton That heart and hand
he win claim when he returns to the
Windy City.
A hard struggle was in progress
through last night and the early morn
ing for second place. Rice. the Wilkes-
barre boy, despite the fact That he has
been In great pain and by no means him
self the last twenty-four hours, rode on,
with Schinneer pursuing him like a
shadow. Between and II. m. Rice
and Schlnnecr cnllided, Both fell from
their wheels. but neither was seriously
hurt. About an hour later the two men
stopped once more, aud II looked as II
neither OF them could continue.
The trainers and the crowd rushed
toward the rail where the two men lay
half dead. The trainers had to fight
their way through to get TO their men.
They placed the riders on their wheels
and again started them on their way.
A few minutes later Rice slid off his
wheel and rolled down the incline,
crashing into Entcrman's wheel. En-
terman was thrown headlong.
Rlce's wheel was bent and broken. hut
another was quickly procured, and the
Wllkesbarre lad with an ldotic stare In
his drawn face, wobbled around the
track once more. After Skinner and
Rice had once more fallen they were
IL "A
short rest.
Hale. who has been gradually gaining
upon Skinner, was in good shape, The
winner of last years contest showed few
signs Of the strain which he had under
gone
About 5000 persons stayed all through
the night at the garden and watched the
fifteen men in their remarkable eNhibl-
ton of human endurance.
As the hours dragged slowly on and
the haggard riders nenred their goal,
their mental condition became worse.
Rice was raving nearly all the time.
He thought he had lost his eyes, and
became angry with his trainers because
they would not give him tissue paper to
fiji up the eye sockets. A little later
Rice was convinced that Teddy Hale
was the only friend he had IN the world.
His pleading with Hale not to leave him
was plteOuS.
Miller, on his wheel, seemed as strong
as ever, and his mental condition was
not nearly so bad as many of those who
followed hundred miles behind him.
But off his wheel he was as weak us Il
little child He had to be lifted from his
saddle. md could not stand without sup
port. Tho transformation which always
accompanied his rcmountlng was mar
Vicious.
Waller exhibited that spasmodic ener-
gy which characterized his riding when
he was in the lead He was evidently
making u desperate effort to overhaul
Hale, and appeared to be In excellent
condition Hale kept up his steady
pace, and took things quite coOlly.
About II O'Clock Rice cohffdcd 10 his
trainer that one side OF his head waa
coming OFF He insisted that he would
iosc IT, so large baHdtRe was tied
around his head, and hc wag satisfied
The police surgeons made another de-
scent upon the garden Jus. before 9
O'clock I'm che afternoon, and two OF the
riders were ordered from the track. All
of the competitors were made TO submit
to examinations, but all except Golden
and Cannon were pronounced able 10 30
on. These two meH were almost tlol FOR
seventh place. and neither would quit
the track unlesa the other dld The Bur-
icons agRcalea.. e Tho lgaiaera 70 take
Oh, How Thew Hurt.