New-York tribune., 1900-06-24
RODE UNTIL HE DROPPED.
W. A. LA DUE FALLS FROM HIS WHEEL
AFTER RACING TWENTY-FIVE MILES.
HIS HEART oVERsTRAINED IN A TEAM
PURSUIT RACE ALMOST AT THE
POINT OF VICTORY

| ever seen by amateur professional rider in
this or. according to well established records In
any other country. After the first mile OF the
race La Due had only comrade left to help
him. After the fifth mile La Due was forced 10
travel alone and he accepted the challenge with
all Of the speed and courage he showed In some
of his short distance races last year Unaided he
travelled more than seventeen miles against the
other teams and when at last he seemed about
to overhaul the only remaining the track
he fell exhausted and unconscious from his wheel,
making the sensational ending of bicycle
race ever seen at the track by the
1t was at meet held by this club last
year that w F. Wahrenberger made a similar al
though nearly wonderful record and Wah-
renberger was heralded throughout the country as
a rider Of marked courage and endurance. dem
onstration meeting held. and Wahrenoerger
was toasted and presented a loving cup for his
unprecedented performance. And now La Due.
Cold Spring lad. ast0pishes even the veteran racing
men and trainers with performance worthy of
going down in cycle racing history with the nerve
wrecking ride behind locomotive made by Charles
NJ Murphy last
The annual meet of the Kings County Nheelmen
is always looked forward to by those fond of cycle
racing and in the face Of rather threatening
weather Yesterday the attendance was good Most
of the well known professionals had entered, and
about all OF the speedy amateurs in the district
had announced their intention compete. Good
sport was assured. but the best efforts of the
professionals paled into insignIfcance compared
to the work of amateur. who untn yesterday
had not boen placed in the first class by some of
the experts La Due won the State championship
Of the League of American Wheelmen last year.
and secured third place at the League of Ameri-
can Wheelmen National meet held at Boston. IN
a recent race at NewbUrg he showed that he was
determined as well as strong but in his yes
terday he gave illustration of courage, deter
minaton and stamina seldom. If ever, displayed on
any flea Of sport Veteran six day riders watched
this young mans struggle with open mouthed Won
der and could not understand it, Experts of the
fal1 Fta+ y,1ipi
work that way for his college or club but never
for money or a wager. Others. more ancient and
classical compared La Due with the Spartan
Ieonidas who held up the Persian army at Their
mopylse. Another suggested that the new cycling
hero be called "L.eonidas" La Due, and the name
will certainly sound better than of the idotic
nicknames given to the riders in this section.
ALL DROP OUT EXCEPT LA DUE.
The race in question was called interclub team |
pursuit race unlimited. Each of four clubs selects
its three best riders and started at four
given points on the track at equal distance from
each other The riders pace and assist their club |
mates until exhausted and then drop out, the sur
vving team to win the Yesterday the |
Harlem Wheelmen started Lake, Schriver and
Bedell: the Kings County WheeImen. Schofeld |
Brown and Rogers; the Newburg Wheelmen La |
Due Thomas and Grace and the Riverside Wheel |
men, RetIiff, McClelsnd and Beyerman. Grace quit |
after going mile. and this left the Newburg team
Handicapped with only For two miles the |
teams kept their distances Then the Riverside |
team began to waver and at four miles the New !
burg pair passed them and put them out of the |
struggle At five miles Thomas found the pace too |
for him, and he forced to retire leaving !
Due alone the track 70 keep at the unequal !
task. Schrver quit minute later. and the Harlem
team had only two men left. The Kings County |
team was still intact, Harlem having Lake and |
Bedel left while La Due carried all the hopes of
the Nevburg delegation. And he fighting the |
unequal battle nobly for he actually gaining
the other teams.
Ten miles were made at a terrific clip with La |
Due having the best of It, the time being 24I6 3-5
At eleven miles Bedeu quit and Lake also left !
alone TO fight fer the honor OF Harlem With the |
Kings County team still intact the Kings County !
Wheelmen slowly overhauled Lake. Schofeld left |
his fellows, and by sprinting for furlong he man
aged to pass Lake and send the latter from the |
track. This squirt. however, put Schofeld out of
the race as well
And then the real struggle began. which ended /
only with the utter collapse of a rider who did !
not know what the human heart is capable OF |
wfthstanding The spectators by this time were !
upon their feet yelling frantcaly, and every time
the pucky Cold Spring passed the stand !
e arT vas eag og4 to the their e0 Te a
anxious 10 get out on the track and help out the |
against such terrible odds. Between the eleventh |
Kings County Wheelmen team. and the eyes of
the three remaining men seemed fixed in their
durance. In This mile La Due gained at least thirty
the seventeen miles in 4l:52 20 killing pace for |
shook on their wheels but could not afford TO |
stop with that hyng demon in maroon and black
chasing them, Al twenty miles La Due mad @ @tur-
i tb ing SAMMY @ Wbeeinen Team Ing g,aitnc % thn H
within 200 yards OF his rivals and his hair
matted in front Of his face that il impossi-
bic see his expression from the grandstand.
UNCONSCIOUS BEFORE HE FELL
Another lap was made and La Due was within
one hundred and fifty yards Of the Kings County
Wheelmen team and not a spectator was seated
at this time Men, women and children yelled
were so hoarse that yelling pain. It looked as
II he would win the remarkable struggle in
hotel La Due was seen &c throw one hand into the |
Several riders standing near the track rushed |
topple to the cemented track. But they were too |
late. for La Due. without apparently slackentng his
thud and then rolled over. According to his own
statement and that of the physician who
hastily summoned La Due was unconscious before
he struck the track ANXIOUS ana Wiling hands !
picked up the rider and carried him. stark and
lection Of nitro-glycerine was given and the rider
was able TO sit up few minutes later; lie stil
Ten minutes later he was himself again, but weak,
he rottered like a child learning 10 walk when
he tried to leave his cot Nhen questioned La Due
said that he had not been hurt by the fall as far
he could tell, and that he did not remember
track He said thar the last thing he could recol-
ect when he was passing the stand He real
he could see his rivals just ahead OF him. Then
tried put on an eXtr- squirt, and as l did so my
heart seemed 10 burst and then | went blind and
hearts could stand such strain for that
length Of time and thar la Due had simply col
apsed utterly. He did not think that any bad re-
suits would follow the accident. The officials OF
the Kings County Nheelmen made the announce
ment that the club would make La Due handsome
prize for his plucky ride. Then the spectators
ready 10 go home, for commonplace racing after
such performance was trivial and of little mo-
ment.