Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-16


terday afternoon. 1t was successful IN
every respect, except in attendance. 1t
was an ideal day, the track was III
splendid shape and fast riders were
entered in the different events on the
excellent programme for the afternoon
These conditions should have packed
the grand stand with spectators, but
the crowd was a disappointment. 1t
gems next to impossible to get pay
ing attendance at bicycle race meet
lin this city, and it is very evident
that the efforts Of those who take an
interest in this form Of sport are not
properly appreciated.
The heavy rains of the past few
DAYS, assi.Ited by the big roller, put the
track in fin shape. Two Of the races,
the mile professional and half-mile
amateur. we've declared off, the riders
failing to come within the time limit.
The multiple race was disappolnt-
ment, from the fact that no triplets or
ouads participated, and the tandem
won easily over the singles. The
pursuit race was mite resting for time,
but became very tanb9 when the men
rode around the track without any APP
preciable change IL the distances
separating them. The best events
were the handicap races.
Only one Of the riders entered for
the track record, made an effort to
lower it. The record for a mile is
156 1-5, made by A. A. Zimmerman
a few years ago. George A. Banker
went after it, and was paced by two
tandems. The first carried him around
in good shape, but the second did noS
pick him up properly. His time for the
mile was 2:04.
The first event was the mile profess
sional On which there was a time
limit of 2:25. There was a good field
of starters, but the riders showed a de-
cided disposition to loaf, and finished
in 2:32, Banker was first w. c. Kun
KEEL second, and w. H. krupps third.
The race was declared off.
The two heats in the half-mile ANA
teur were very closely contested. The
first was won by G. A. Briant in 1:22,
Carroll E. Beatty second, H. F. Berry
third. The second heat was taken by
McLain, who won in one of the pref
test spurts of the afternoon on the
stretch. Time, lis. w. r. Lanam
second, Alfred Kaufman third. The
six riders named entered in the final,
in which the contest fer first place was
hot between McLain and Briant, but
the latter was pocketed at the finish.
McLain won, Kaufman second. The
time was too slow, and this race was
also declared off
In the multiple race, Banker and
Walters started at the stratch on d
tandem, and Kunkel, Matthews and
Barbee on singles with 100 yards han
dicap. The tandem closed up on the
singles before the first half was fin
lshed, and it became a contest for sec
ond place, which was won by Kunkel
Time, 2:13
In the pursuit race, Beatty was the
first contestant put out of the business,
the honor falling to Briant. Herman
fredrichs was then caught by Lanam
and retired. On the eighth mile, Bell
quit. Plever, Lanam and McLain
maintained a steady gait for several
miles. On the twelfth Lanam spurted
up to Plever, leaving but two contest
ants. The two riders were called off
by the judges, and first place was given
10 Lanam. McLain's friends were not
pleased with the decision.
The two mile handicap, professional.
was one of the best contests of the af-
telnoon. Nearly all the entrants started,
but Banker, the only scratch man. did
not appear in the course. The men got off
well at the scratch, but the handicap
men were trifle slow. At the first half,
Barbee, the local rider. forged to the
front. Soon after four of the riders
dropped out, and Barbee and Krupps al
ternated in setting the pace, with Walter
kunkel and West punched about 80 yards
IN the rear The riders in front gradual
iy increased their lead, and the rear
squad apparently realized that they now
had to cut down the distance. They set
tied down to fight for second place, riding
leisurely around the lower turn on the
last lap While Barbee and Krupps were
turning into the scratch they collided.
and both went down against the fence
Neither hurt, and both hastily
mounted. Barbee was two feet in the
lead and going at fast clip, but within
twenty feet of the tape he was passed by
krupps, who made a great squirt Kun
kel won third place after hot fight. Wal
ker fourth. Time, 5:0S
The most exciting race was the conclud-
ing event. the fve-mie handicap. anna
teur- BriaTt and McLan were the
scratch men. There were more starters
IMAM in any race of the day. The extreme
handicap men went around at a fast pace
and those in the rear were compelled to
work hard. On the third lap the scratch
riders caught the 125 yard men, and in the
next lap Speiler and Bell dropped out
the race was very pretty by this time
with the riders in two squads, the rear
squad gradually cutting down the dis
tance which separated them from the
leaders. On the seventh lap Br,ant and
Mcclure had crawled up to the leaders.
and ten riders We're punched with five
struggling hopelessly behind. on the
eighth lap. all patiently followed the pace-
maker saving themselves for the final Of
fort.
At the pistol shot on the final Ian Rri-
ant, McLain and others spurted for tbe
lead. Garden and Swan. both of this CITY
were in the center of the bunch of riders
and in crossing the tape. both were
thrown from their wheels. That all in
the rear did not go down was remarkahla