The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-14
ANOTHER GREAT WHEEL RACE
SIx-DAY STRUGGLE COMMENCED
AT SAN. FRANCISCO.
Eighteen Starters, Including All the
Long-distance Riders-Started Out
at Slow Pace.

San Francisco, Feb 1S.-At 1856 to-
night eighteen men started on their
long journey in the great international
six-day race at the Mechanics pavil-
ion, under the auspices of the Ameri-
can Cycle Racing association of New
York and San Francisco. For the past
month these riders have been steadily
preparing in this city, on the roads out
| at. Golden Gate park, and eighteen bet
ter-conditioned and brightereyed men
never started in, such a contest. Pre-
dictions of the men favor $3.50 miles
as the distance which will be covered
during the week, and at least six of
| the men expect to go through the first
twenty-four hours without dismount-
| ing. Several of the men will not stop
riding until they have gained the lead,
so they assert tonight, and the battle
promises to be very warm. The track
favors the breaking of records.
Miller, Waller, Michael, Elkes, Bald
and other champions pronounce it the
fastest track ever built withindoors,
and no complaint is heard from the
long distance pluggers other than re-
garding the banking. which is eight
feet in sixteen and pretty steep for
the finishing hours of the race. The
contest is to run IA hours, whereas
contests of like nature have always run
142 hours, owing to the style set many
years ago by Sir JOHN Ashley in the
great pedestrian matches at Agricul-
tural hall at London.
The full list of the starters is:
Charles w. Miller, Chicago; Frank
Waller, Oakland; Burns w. Pierce,
Boston; Frank Alberts, New York;
Louis Gimm, Pittsburg; John Lawson,
Chicago; j. w. Nawn, Ireland; Oscar
Aaronson, Sweden; Teddy Hale, Ire
land; E. D. Stevens, Buffalo; Oscar Ju-
Illus, Sweden; Fredericks, Switzerland;
Charles Turville, Philadelphia; C. W.
Ashinger, New York; John Chapman,
Atlanta, Ga; Tom Barnaby, Boston;
Henry Pilkington, Philadelphia, and
George Hannant, Klondike.
A SLOW START.
In the first minute of the race Frank
Waller of Oakland lost two and one
half laps by the loosening of his sad
die. The field started slower than is
customary in races, and on the high
banks some of the men nearly came
down from side slipping. At lilo
Champion Miller started after a lap,
but Chapman checked his career right
there. Nearing the close of the first
half-hour, Chapman succeeded in lap
ping the field, and Hannant and Pix
ington dropped a lap. Later on in the
hour the pace again quickened, and
Barnaby shot around the bunch, with
Pierce in tow, taking the Bostonian out
for a lap and tying Chapman. The
miles were made in good average time.
In the first half-hour Chapman led,
with eleven and three-fourths miles,
and at the hour the Atlanta sprinter
again had the lead, with twenty-five
miles and five laps, the track being an
eighth of mile in circumference. The
s1D i Tn.
leading; two miles. oil; five miles.
12:49 1-5, with Chapman leading. and
ten miles, with the same riders in the
lead, 25:19 80.
Previous to the start of the contest
the trainers rugged up their quarters
on the back stretch. Here they placed
their kitchen outfits, for all the cook
ing is done on the track side, many of
the riders not Intending to leave the
track for three days.
TurVille, Pierce, r Waller and Miller
say that under no conditions will they
dismount until in the lead
Over 5000 people gave the riders a
warm send-off and there was none to
leave at the close of the first hour.
Score at end OF first hour:
Barnaby, % miles. laps: Pierce. 1926;
Chapman, 22.5; Miller 22.4; Waller
22.4; Albert, Gimm, Lawson, Nawn,
Aaronson, Stevens, julius, Fredsricks,
Ashinger, Turville, all % miles, 1 laps.
Hale % miles, laps, Hannant and
Pilkington, % miles, laps.
PRELIMINARY EVENTS.
The sport preliminary to the start
Of the siX-day race was fast and furi-
Gus at times. The star performance of
the evening was the breaking of the
world indoor record for one mile by
Harry Elkes of Glen Falls. n. Y. He
rode the distance, paced by two tan
dem teams, in 1:50 IS, cutting 8 3-5
seconds off Simpkins' record.
Summary:
Half mile handicap, amateur-W. J.
Davidson Us vards) won, E. F. Russ
(scratch) second; r. Robinson (25
YARDS third. Time, 1:O1 3-5.
One mile open professional-Eaton,
Elizabeth, n. j., won, Stevens,
Ottumwa, Ia, second; Downing, San
Jose, third; Furman. Los Angeles,
fourth. Time, 2:16 So.
Exhibitions:
Henry Fourier. on motor cycle, one
mile. Time, 1852 3-5.
One mile, paced, Harry Elkes- Time,
80 %. (World's record)