Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-24
WON BY A. G. KENT
Ten-Mile Amateur Race on the Con-
duit Road.
WAS RUN OFF IN 4 SNOW STORM
Start Was Made at East End of
Glen Echo
THE RESULT WAS A SURPRISE

The ten-mile amateur road race open to
LEGAL riders, started this morning
| shortly after IL O'Clock on the Conduit
road course, and was witnessed by quite a
number of persons, despite the bad wealth
/ er. The program showed forty-three en-
| tries, and friends Of the riders gathered at
| the finish at Cabin john Bridge Hotel to
give them a warm reception. The race was
| won by A. G. Kent one of the limit men,
who had handicap of four and one-half
| minutes.
The winning OF the race by this rider was
in the nature of surprise to many. who
looked for some of the favorites to capture
| first and time prizes
| There was a heavy mud. while the falling
| snow was anything but agreeable to either
the spectators Or the racing men. The
, road was not in the best condition. True.
| 1t was not so bad as many thought 1t would
| be- but it was bad enough. The course was
wet and heavy and productive Of anything
| but good time. This fact seemed to have
| very little influence on the racers.
For fully an hour before the race the
| riders met at Cabin John Bridge Hotel.
where dressing rooms were provided free
! for the spectators. They remained there
until the time for the start drew near.
The Start.
When the start was made there was a
| strong northwest wind blowing. and this
| in itself was bad enough. but the snow.
which was falling quite lively, cut into the
face of the riders like pieces of falling glass.
| Last year the start made in the driv-
| ing rain. and this year the weather condi-
lions We're almost as unfavorabie. Most of
The riders were prepared to meet the condi-
| lions of the weather. Few were dressed in
the regulation cycle racing costumes.
Only one man, as far could be seen.
was in practical racing suit. The others
were dressed to suit the weather condi-
| tons. One rider wore large pair of Cog
gies, to keep the pelting snow from his
eyes.
The start was not made on schedule time.
| In view of the Indictment weather the man.
ayers of the race gave all of the time need
| ed for the contestants to appear. There
were forty-three men entered to ride, but
out of the number less than thirty started.
| The weather caused majority to refuse to
ride. while some of the contestants did not
show up. probably acting under the belief
! that the race would be postponed.
The usual delay characterized the start.
| All but one of the contestants met at Cabin
| John Bridge Hotel and stuck close to the
| warm rooms.
| When the word was given to start for the
| was not the usual lively interest. The
| riders rode to the place in small groups
| and 1t was nearly twenty minutes before
| all of the contestants were present.
| The start was made at the spring a short
| distance east of the entrance of Glen Echo.
| This place is nearly a mile distant from the
| bridge hotel, and while the ride was with
! wind. yet very few of the men cared to
| take it. The judges of the race remained
| at Cabin John Bridge Hotel, while only
| the referee, starter and timers went to
| the spring. The delay in giving the riders
| their numbers took UP a little time.
| When this was done, the numbers of the
| riders were called off, according to the time
of the handicap, 50 that no additional time
would be lost. The limit men were quickly
lined up, and while the men behind them
| were being put in place the front men shiv-
| cred and shook from the cold.
| The Starters.
| According to the program, the limit men
| were J. n. Pistol. with 61a minutes; A. G.
| Gensler and ]. r. Rabbit, with minutes;
| Harry Gensler. with "a minutes; II. Will
| liams and l.. J. Woodbridge, with SO min
| utes; F. P. Grogen, with minutes. and ].
Q. Bardraff. with the same handicap, failed
| to start. The limit men were therefore A.
| G. Kent, F. Bresnahan and l.. /. Lauve.
| the latter from Georgetown University,
! looked upon as a sure winner Of the race.
| Kent really had handicap of AZ minutes,
| but he did not take 1t, and with the others
| started the AZ -minute mark. T. ". Will
| son and ]. H. Grant were the next men,
| each having AZ minutes.
The other contestants and their hanGicaps
| were as follows: G. o. Gosorn, +. w.
Moore, A. ]. Christman and H. T. Sheehy.
| four minutes; H. d. Talbert w. F. Maher
| II. u. Smith, ttrea and three-quarter min
utes; P: BallMger, William H. Lewis and
| w. f. Copephaven, three and one-half Min
| utes; A. H. Dawson and George w. Cole
man, three anC oEe-quarter minutes; C. s.
| Brush, w. w. Talbert and c. l.. Plemmons.
| three minutes; E. S. Byrnes, John Walker
and j. o. Boyd, two and one-half minutes;
E. j. Murphy and II. S. Matchett, two min
utes; J. A. Galeski. William Brearley and
| G. ]. Butler enc and one-half minutes;
| Howard Ehlne and RaVard T Wrapn
| one minute; Guy E. Mitchell and Robert
H. Stone, one-half minute: C. L. Miller and
Leo B. Dannemiller, the latter from George
| town University, scratch.
| When everything was ready the men were
sent off with no delay. Beginning with the
| limit men the riders were sent away by the
| report of the gun. There was no delay,
| and the start was made without miShap.
| When the scratch men Were sent off the
| timers pressed their watches, and the Off
| cial time was commenced. 1t was just
| 11:224O when the first men were started
| and before 80 every man was off
| There was only small gathering at the
| start.
| AS soon as the last men were showed
| off the crowd directed their way to Cabin
/ John Bridge Hotel. the point where the fin-
| ish to be made. Everybody arrived at
| the bridge in plenty of time for the finish
After the men had been out twenty-three
! or twenty-four minutes the officials Of the
race were called together. No one believed
| that the ten miles would be covered in less
than thirty minutes. but to prevent any
sun prise the officials wers gotten out in
| plenty of time.
Some Mishaps.
! The first accident of the race occurred
] short distance beyond Cabin John bridge.
| The three limit men in some manner be-
came mixed up. Through this accident
| Lauve was thrown out of the race. His
| frame was bent and the rear wheel thrown
SO far out of true that 1t was impossible to
| turn 1t. He returned to the bridge, while
! the others kept on. This accident was
much regIetted, as Lauve was looked upon
| as winner.
| The second man to appear after the start
| of the race was John Walker of the Airing
| ton Wheemen. He met with a mishap
| above second Cabin John and was forced
| to return. While the course appeared to
| be all right, the surface of second Cabin
| John bridge and the sharp turn at the
| west end caused many falls.
| Fully half dozen riders went down at
| this point but besides being covered with
| mud, were uninjured. On the return trip
| Fred Moore and several other riders col
| lded at what is known as the Devils
| EHhpw"