Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28

receipts and the championship OF America.
number OF officers at the fort were behind
the military man, while Max and Al Roeder
furnished the slmoleons for Prince. AS Is
well remembered the soldier lost, but he
derived much consolation from the fact that
the achievement was never before equalled
In the history OF the wheel
On the night OF the close the old
Coliseum held not a soul less than 5000
people. Every seat was occupied and every
inch OF available space on the commodious
promenades held its excited and screeching
biped. The Second regiment band was on
hand and struggled hard and manfully to be
heard above the din OF the insane crowd.
Up to a quarter past 10 there was but
little excitement. but at this juncture, as the
great struggle began to near the wind UP,
the vast throng began to grow nervous and
occasional spasms of thunderous applause
filled the big building. The two grim riders,
however. seemed to imbibe no inspiration
from these vociferous plaudits. Each man,
with a face pale as death, furtive, eager
look in his eyes, kept steadfastly at work
logging along at the tireless pace that had
marked their progress through the long
weary day. Twenty minutes after lO the
referee cautioned the racers about the rules
governing such contests on the final spurt'
and almost instantly the building was
metamophosed into a veritable panue-
monium men, women and boys stood up IN
tremendous volume of sound would raise the
roof The police hurried frantically along
their respective patrols, alarmed lest tne
overwhelming excitement would cuimlna.e
| IN some unforeseen disaster. Trainers, oack-
ers and handlers were helpless amidst tne
| bedlam OF not inharmonious sound, ana the
| picture was one that will live long In the
memory OF every person so fortunate as W
| be looker-on.
| Prince and Reading we're both wild-eyec
and nervous but at the uproarious sigma
| they bent low over their glistening wheei'
and one of the most marvellous spurts evel
| witnessed upon a race course began. heaa
| ing was perceptibly ratified, and, while III
| rode like some fabulous bird upon the wing
| his gait was wobbly and uncertain. Prime,
| glided after him like specter OF deati
and on the upper turn of next to the las
lap was neck and neck with the aiihos &
rrenzied soldier and in another second nj
ebony-clad form was seen cleaving the al
| in the lead. ,,,
The noise that here burst upon the jostlin
throng was something actually frightfu
The official timekeeper, A. b. HUDSON, an
the referee stood on chairs at the opposit
ends of the tape line and as the final second
were rolled off the excitement knew II
bounds Down the home stretch came IN
riders, Prince an eyelash. ahead OF IN
soldier, and both plying nerve, einew an
fiber until 1t looked as III they must ,
dashed to pieces against the further wal
Reading was slowly but surely gaining upo
the stocky Englshman, but when they snt
over the line, by mighty effort, in whic
he fairly seemed to make his wheel leal
Prince managed to get three or four inche
the best of it.
scene of wild confusion followed, sue
I a scene as probably never took place upon
, race track before or since. Prince relaXe
his deathlike grasp on the handles OF n
machine and fell into the arms OF his viSllar
| trainers In a dead faint. Reading, too, wa
ready to drop from sheer exhaustion an
both men had to be carried to their tents.
The awarding of the race and the presents
ton Of superb diamond medal to tn
victor occupied but few moments NOR
and the great event passed into histor!
Possibly the score of the evening, with re
: capitulation for the six days, will be In
teresting to racing men by way of CON
parson with their work today on the In
proved safety. They follow: