Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-11
SIX DAY RACE.
Records Smashed and Several Teams
 Forced Out By the Pace

Records Smashed and Several Teams
 Forced Out By the Pace
 Of the fourteen men that the crack of the pistol started on the nerve rack ing six days journey in Madison Square Garden just after midnight Sunday. only nine were bending to the task of breaking worlds records last night The other five had fallen by the wayside. Ill the glare of thou sand lights these ten still were speed ing round and round the steep board track The swift pace. the shutting back and forth. made spectators heads swim. One scarcely could look f or more than minute over the inside rail, ana then he grew dizzy. Hardly one i'll the vast crowds that occupied the seat ing spaces outside the arena but won dered how these riders could maintain their balance on that perpendicular course.
 Records were broken in the first twenty-four hours, the mark set by Gimm and Pierce being moved along more than four miles by Bikes, Gou- eol1Z and Pierce. who were in the lead at midnight. In that time, too, Charles Miller. the individual champion. had been raced to his finish. Indeed, he was able to stand the terrific pace only i was forced to retire.
 There was something startling in the announcement late in the afternoon that H. F. Bleecker of Brooklyn. whose team mate was Frank Albert of New York. had been poisoned and was dead. This report so far as 1t relates tO Blpecker'S death was untrue. He was poisoned. however. just as he was going out to relieve Albert. He was given a sponge full of ammonia solu- ton to mop off his face with, and he sucked in a quantity of the liquid and collapsed. He was in such serious condition that an ambulance was sum moned from Bellevue hospital, and he was taken to that institution. As soon as he recovered. however, he went back to the Garden, but then it was too late to make up for the many miles he and his partner had lost.
 Miller, whose retirement caused great surprise. suffered almost from the start with a weak stomach. It is said that he had taken Il poisonous pill by mistake, but investigation by the phy- sician in charge showed that this was not so. His physician said Miller $ collapse resulted probably from an overindulgence in cold drinks prior to the beginning of the race. At any rate when the time came for Miller to relieve Walthour. his partner, he was unable to come to time.
 Walthour still continued riding, in the hope that Miller would recover suf- ticiently to go on even for brief period. but the old siX-days champion was not equal to the task, and Wal thour also was compelled to quit the track when he seemed to be as good as any one of the contestants.
 ,lN +I, hot l, f1 out were Colgan and Dickerson. Dubois and Krebs and the Mclean brothers. Dickerson was unable to keep up the pace that the leaders cut out. although Colgan was still in good condition, while Dubois and Krebs and the Me Leans were used up. So fast was the pace that all the riders except two | were ahead of the worlds record at 10 o'clock last night.
 The three leaders, Elkes,, Gougoltz and Pierce, were three laps ahead of the Gurville and Waller teams. The | McLeanS and Kaser and Ryser were eight laps behind, while Muller and | Accoutrier were more than five miles 1 in the rear
 All through the evening there were | many rousing bursts of speed while ! the thousands of spectators cheered | The best of all was that of the three 1 men in front. each one of whom vainly
 tried to shake off the others. Bikes 1 went out like a cannon ball when he caught the others loafing. Gougolt2 and Pierce were after him like a flash l but the Glens Falls sprinter had gained
 half q lap on the former rider and | three quarters on Pierce. ..
 The crowds shouted themselves 1 hoarse. The Erenchman and the Can ! adian responded gamely. They bent | over the bars and shot round and
 round in swift pursuit. Foot by foot
 they picked up the lost distance, and i when the three came together again
 they had gained q lap on the others i but still were on even terms.
 Score at 1 q. m.: