The times., 1899-01-08
LOUIS GIMM THE WINNER.
Close of the Remarkable Twenty
FnGr-Hour Bicycis. Rte.


New York, Jan. AT no bicycle race
ever held in Madison Square Garden has
there been d finish more thrilling than
that OF the twenty-fOur hour contest that
ended a few seconds after 10 O'Clock TO-
night
During the last minute of the long and
trying ride four men, VINO mad been
pedaling without rest since las; night,
rode like fresh sprnters. as if life were
at stake while seven thousand persons
stood on their seats and yelled steadily.
The race was won by Louis Gimm by
half the length Of & wheel. while only a
few inches separated the second and third
men, Pierce and Turville. Frederick, the
fourth man, was u length behind TurviiIe.
The race. which was The first Of the
kind ever held in this country, was re-
markable for the fact OF there being five
men from which to pick the winner when
the last mile was begun, hut more re-
markable for the furious fnish of the
last minute. Al one minute before the
time expired a bell was sounded. Pierce,
who had been riding second Ia The single
file then circling the track. Immediately
jumped and, like fash, gained a lead OF
thirty or forty yards The other three fol-
lowed and all four rode like demons from
that time until the end. lIerce held his
lead for three laps, hut he mad jumped too
soon and KILLED himself and IN the last
lap Of the big race he was oYCrhauied ana
beaten out by a few feet
The reason for the hard struggle Of the
men was the scale Of the prize LIST. II
meant a difference of hundreds Of dollars
to have second place instead Of first The
first prize was 81 zoe ana the second $40.
There were eight prizes. The other three
prize winners Julius. Hale and Miller
were removed from the track al S:i5
o'clock to give the others chance. Gimm
the winner, is a PittsburE hoy. who mas
won reputation as road rider.
The eight men who viii receive prizes
finished as follows GinIm. 4Jy miles
( Pierce, 450; Turyille. 100; Frederick, i50;
Lawson, 44g. laps julius. 457, laps;
| Hale. 1873, / laps; Miller. 422. laps
! The crowd that went 10 TIE Garden last
night 10 see the start stayed late and some
remained until daylight. During this aft
( ernOon a r-siZeG crowd was on hand,
7 but in the early evening hour it was light,
/ the spectators not numbering over 1000.
. AS the time for the finish drew near the
| building filled up and there was abundant
enthusiasm vented every time the men
/ sprinted.
The dropping behind OF Miller. which
was due to an attack OF Illness aJ 6 o'clock
/ in the morning, was plainly It disappoint-
| ment to the spectators, with whom he was
I the most popular man because OF his two
! six-day victories.
| Miller continued TO ride pluCEi!y until
| the end, although he was thirteen miles
/ behind. The dropping out process began
within Two hours after the beginning OF
| the race. Pilkington being the first to quit
| Before 3 o'clock this afternoon the list oi
/ cutters numbered nine.
/ At O'Clock tonight when 3S2 miles and
| l,233 yards had been ridden. five men were
| continuing the fight on even terms At this
+! time Stevens was showing me way. and
| behind him were Frederick Pierce. Tur-
| vile, and Gimm. shortly after 6 O'Clock
| in the evening Frederick made a clever
jump and got lead Gf nearly half lap
7 He held it for several circuits. riding we'll
up On the track away from the pole Then
! Lawson, who was in the slow bunch
pulled away from the pole. ana got in
the way of Frederick SO as 10 completely
| block him. Frederick had 10 wabble his
! way between Lawson and the string OF
men skirting about al the pole, and he lost
his lead.
AT 1:O5 Stevens succumbed 20 the strain
and quit. There were not any of The
drawn and pinched faces that were seen
in the six-day race. but the men suffered
severely because OF remaining on theiI
few minutes for to do SO meant The loss