Evening star., 1900-10-05
"Maxey" Long Breaks Three Running
Records at Gutenberg.
QUARTER MILE IN II SECONDS
Vardon Has the Lead in the Big
Golf Tourney at Wheaton.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS

On an lmpTOV1SeQ portion OF lne OlQ SIut-
tenberg horse racing course--hard, dead,
and sloping upward for the first 300 yards
Maxwell W. Long of the New York Ath-
letic Club yesterday created three new
worlds records for $50, 400 and 44O yards,
making them in O.36 2-5 O42 1-5 and O47,
| respectively, and demonstrated beyond the
shadow of a doubt that he is the fastest
Sprinter Of the age. Moreover, the condi-
tons yesterday under which these perform
ances were made were unfavorable for
record-breaking that the assembled judges
were unanimous in their opinion that the
young athlete had not shown his top speed.
and that, with perfect conditions Of track
and weather and the stimulus of number
of fellow-competitors and an enthusiastic
crowd Of spectators, he would have Topped
another second from the quarter-mile rec
ord
The former record of O.47A for a quarter
mile straightaway made by Wendell
Baker of Harvard at Boston, Mass, on July
/, 1886
1t was just $40 o'clock when Long
emerged from the training quarters and
walked around the circular course to the
back stretch. Here q running stretch
straightaway had been improvised by
sprinkling and rolling the loose. gravelly
top dressing of the old horse track. 1t was
smooth and hard and entirely dead, with
none Of the spring of a cinder track 1t had
been carefully surveyed by e. j.. Giannini
composed of John r. Van Wormer, F. M
Housing, L. r. Fisher and E. ]. Keane of
the New York Athletic Club, James E. Sui
| lvan of the Knckerbocker Athletic Club
and j. p. Boyle Of the Pastime Athletic
| Club.
E. J. Giannini Of the New York Athletic
Club was starter and H. Arnold of the
at the start. At the 35O-yard mark three
timers were stationed. Samuel See and
Henry Lyons Of the New York Athletic
Club and F. G. Abbott of the Newark Ath-
letic Club. George H. Taylor and Robert
Lyons Of the New York Athletic Club and
j. P. Boyle Of the Pastime Athletic Club
were timers at 400 yards. and Robert Stoll,
Bartow s. Weeks and Evart j. Wendell Of
the New York Athletic Club and Charles
Dieges of the Pastime Athletic Club were
timers at the finish. assisted by at least a
half dizen volunteers. There were in all
about forty spectators.
For the first furlong w s. Edwards the
speedy sprinter Of the Knickerbocker Ath-
letic Club. had been chosen to set the pace,
while F. G. Walsh. Longs clubmate and
ofttime opponent stood on the 2aD-yard
mark ready to take up the pace at that
point.
At exactly 5:15 the signal to get on the
line was given. and Long took his position
next to the tape line which marked the
course. Edwards took the outside posi-
ton.
The starting signal was given by a pistol
SlOl n ndHukeTCnle1 was dropped at the
same time, but the precaution was unnec-
cessary. as the flash Of the pistol was seen
with more diStinctness and the time was
taken from that.
At the pistol flash the two white, crouch
ing figures seemed to spring to double their
size. and the group OF starters faded into
the background. 1t was soon seen that Ed
wards though running at his top pace, had
a lead of less than yard. AT the 2:2O
mark he dropped out, and the anxiousy
expectant Walsh took up the pace.
On came Long, running IS for life his
head thrown back, his mouth open, his
face set and drawn, his fists clenched and
every feature and muscle indicating the
intensity Of his effort. AT the 40O-yard
mark he received a rousing cheer from the
finish. the shouts Of encouragement which
arose sDurred him to such extent that
Walsh was hardly able to hold him. and,
despite his advantage beat him by less
than a yard across the line.
A comparison Of the timers watches
showed that Stolrs indicated 0:47 Is, Wen
dell's O:46 4-5 and Weeks and Diege's. 0:47
each, which was accepted as the time.
Although Longs athletic career dates
back less than five years, 1t has been re-
invincible at all distances from 100 yards
to a quarter Of mile, and has won met
ropolitan, national and intercollegiate
championships at those distances. While
abroad last summer he defeated the best
foreign athletes and established a new
Scotch record of O:49 % for the quarter
mile in a pouring rain. After his return
to this country he won the metropolitan
championship at 100. 90 and 440 yards; the
national championship at 100 and 440 yards.
losing the 220-yard race because 1t was run
Immediately after the quarter-mle These
achievements were followed by the creation
of a new worlds record at Travers Island
last Saturday and three more yesterday