The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-21
MISS YATMAN COLLAPSED.
FINISHED HER SEVEN "CENIUIIES"
IN n TITI1BLE CONDITION..

tho stnrt-Says She'll he All Right Soon.
Miss Jane c. Yatmnn Of 2l5 East 115th
street, New York finished her sel'-imposed
task OF riding TOO miles in continuous century
fashion at Valley Stream L. l.. at o'clock yes
terday morning In nerves and vigor she was a
wreck when she ended the long journey
awheel. Che rode the last forty-nve miles
under the protest OF every sense she had and
completed what she had undertaken only be-
cause friends urged her on. Her condition
was not due TO the last century nor the last
half OF 1t. 1t was not the cxertion OF riding
nor the strain on the nerves that caused her
collapse 1t was stomach trouble. such as
might have attacked a big. athletic man when
he was doing nothing except loaf about his
homo that caused her to change from
a bright. strong and CHEEKY young woman at
Z T. NJ. to n feverish. deirious one at 1890.
In this condition. through pounding rain.
over slippery roads. under the i'm perious guild
ance OF friends. and falsely borne UP by stimu-
lnnts. Miss latmnn attained the chief ambition
OF her life. and completed a ride OF 100 moro
miles over the road than any woman ever did
before. The elapsed time OF her ride was
eighty-one hours and Ave minutes. According
to the rules OF the Century Road Club OF
America. under which she rode. 1t was neces-
sary for her to make the distance in eighty-four
hours-twelve hours for every century. She
was. therefore. two hours and fifty five minutes
ahead Of her schedule at the finish In spite OF
her condition. The best previous record was
six hundred miles in the full time OF seventy.
two hours. made by Mrs. Jane Lindsay on
Sept. q.
1t was minute or two before the officially
fixed time OF A. NJ. that a woman on a wheel
who could be recognized as Miss Yatman only
because OF prior knowledge and information
rode up to the hotel at Valley Stream. whore
her Headquarters had been since last Saturday
night. Her sprightliness and individuality
wero lost like those OF a beautifully curlod
ostrich feather after n dip in the surf. She was
lank. forlorn bedraggled and gibbering. On
each side OF her was a friendly member OF the
Century Road Club. who kept close in order to
catch her should she fall. On one side was
Paul Thomas. and on the other William Whit
man. whle ahead rode ". E. Tucker and at
tho rear H. ]. Genrich. She was assisted from
her wheel and she stepped to the ground with
a hystcrcal little laugh. She was led around
tho corner OF the hotel. and thore. in the dark
ness. was picked up bodily and carried up
rear stairway to where hot bath was being
For this spectacle tho score OF enthusiastic
road riders and the few who had travelled
through, tho rain from the neighborhood
fire and cannon crackers were set Off, Tho
roadway blazed with pyrotechnics. while up.
btdlIS lno young woman TuNeu III u FEVER. Unu
finally went to sleep. pencil in hand while trying
to make her last registry on the hotel book.
twenty sn she .ae
What happened to Miss latman was due to
sse!f neg Get consequent upon her indcpen-
trainer or handler that athletes employ. She
thought she could ride seven centuries in
iness one afternoon. and started out few
hours later to satisfy herself in her oninlon,
sS SnfaGHG advsS ana instruct RS
She took the advice of the score and
6 G.rs wh0
and giving what they thought was good advice.
The advice conlcted and the stomach trouble
she suffered in silence from the beginning of
her ride T1s only when il was ,2o late for
berner Of her allliction.
As stated yesterday. Miss .Yatman finished
es to in be ne ys ssH was 9nS
only 1aional but wwitty She then said to
that she Ind before she had passed the old re-
cord Of 800 miles. 1t Is probable that this, ro-
she began be- frstu She wanted In rest and
spite OF protest She said she was burning up
and had an angry thirst, At955 miles. which
a.condition that made il speculative whether
she would finish the seventh century. TO say
nothing Of riding still smother. as It had been
! Intended. The worst period was that In which
the. last twenty-five miles were ridden. She
arrived at the hotel, which constituted her only
She had dozen things botherIng her and had
It not been for her good ,natuEsd DISPOSITION
more ice water and, it was suspected by some.
was given some stimulating drug. and at II 80
RSn d s0t a at A Sasy lat and tn.
other points through which she had to pass
early In the evening, as it did in the city, Out
Miss }aspan nntshed her VS. miles 1.-THE the
rde on"s d started Il dowpog
after which it was originally intended that sho
would ride to the little bridge on the Msrrick
Stream stnn Where ali the even one Hundred mes
were onded.
This last lap. over the triangle she had rid
den many tinles in less than an hour and
| half. required two hours and seventeen
minutes to cover Only those who wheeled
ing were the experiences of that ride.
Her pacemakcrs were retcent when, ques-
sS oreneon 70 alter sRe esl had sshty
| recovered Miss iatman said she had caused
many dismopnts by complaining that her
tire punctured. and had sat down in the mud
and rain AND tried , TO- sleep while the pace
She was willing to quit and sleep in the rain on
| the road she said.
When the collapsed rider reached the hotel
at 3O7 with five miles yet 70 20. the, pace
| makers, men Injured to hard riding in all kind.
them Me' oei W on the o"r Ike great d"ss e and
| called for brandy The storm was enough to
| beat down tho endurance OF n mule One OF
the pacemakers called out; Fourteen grains.
| Tom. quick" When asked what was given 20
Miss Iatman the only answer obtalnab!c was;
| Brandy" The pacemaEers surrounded her
| and out on the road In the darkness it was i'm
possible to sec what was being done.
Fresh pacemakers were started out and
| she was urged on to Rockville Centre and back
| again in order to complete the necessary five
| mi los and have a margin for safety.
| In spite OF the deplOrable ending there is no
| doubt about the genuineness OF Miss Yatman's
| ride. The distance was not measured by
| cyclometer. hut was over course that had been
surveyed ofncially for the Century Road Club
OF America. tho amateur organization that
| fosters century runs and regulates road rncinR.
| There were at least thirty members OF the
| organization. among them the State officials
who took an active personal interest in the per-
| formnnce and saw that everything was dono
| properly. There were also some who from
| motives OF rivalry and jealousy were watching.
| ind the conditions were too simple and opeu
| to permit OF any false recording.
| In all Miss latman was OF her wheel about
| twelve hours In the eighty-four, q nj although
according to her statement she slept only two
| hours. sho laid down and rested several times
| when she could not leep. In all she lost six
| pounds during the ride, on which she started
| At $50 on Saturday night. A pound and
| half OF this was lost between 2:3O i. NJ. on
| Wednesday and the finish yesterday morning
| She expects to gain what she lost and several