The Washington times., 1902-03-30
PRELIMINARY RACING SEASON
Lighting Plant Will Be In
stalled at the Track.
CRACK RIDERS TRAINING HERE
Atlanta's New Bowl - Tim Hurst For
sakes Baseball for the Cycling Sport
Freeman and Walthour in Shape
Bald's Trainer Shot.
The cycling game is booming.


Fourteenth and East Capitol Streets, is
making every effort to get the big bowl
in shape for an early preliminary season
of racing. Indeed. it is the intention of
Manager Osgood to give several exhibi-
tion events before the season at Ben
ming closes. in order to give the talent
and lovers OF sport generally visiting the
city an opportunity of seeing the wheels
go round on one OF the fastest. if not
the fastest, and safest board tracks in the
country.
So that everything may be in ship
shape and in position to put on the best
kind of front. a small army of painters,
carpenters, plumbers, and what not is at
work carrying out the contract, which
calls for complete delivery in ten days.
Lighting Feature.
Hardly before the preliminary season,
but surely by the time the regular sea-
son begins, the management will have
installed lighting plant of its own. and
it will be one OF the most complete in the
country.
Last year a number of good events
certainty of the lighting department of
the Coliseum. Upon one or two occasions
the lights went completely out. and re-
fused for hours to shine again. Naturally,
this had a bad effect upon attend
ance, and the company was the loser by it.
Profiting by this exnerience, il is pro-
posed TO put kitson hydro carbon plant
OF fifty lights each, with 2e00 candle
power. To this there will be no going
out until il is put out. 1t will be absolute
ly safe, there will be no flicker and sput
ter. and, best of all, there viii be no
shadow 1t viii be as clear and bright as
sunlight and the riders can always let
themselves out without 4 dumping or a
distraction from shadows.
Twenty-fve-Cent Bleacher Seats.
Another welcome innovation will be the
addition of some 1.50O bleacher seats,
which will be sold for 25 cents.
This is only one of the many features
the new management has in mind TO carry
out for the comfort Of its patrons;
Coed Car Service.
The Washington Traction and Electric
Company is showing a greater interest
than ever in the Coliseum, and. realizing
that it benefits itself as well as please5
its patrons by giving good service On all
its lines, has agreed to make special ef-
fort this season from May l TO October
to provide as many cars as may be neces-
sary before and after the races at the
Coliseum, and to have as many reserve
cars at the gates as the attendance may
require. and the public is assured that
everything possible will be done for its
comfort.
With the assurance of good, quick car
service the management feels now more
than ever that this will be the banner
year in bicycle racing. and, in keeping
with the prospects, it will furnish weekly
or semi-weekly cards which will be sec
ond to none in the racing circuit.
Tommy Hall at the Track.
So fast is the Coliseum track and so
well adapted is our climate to training
purposes that many Of the crack riders
of the country. including the motor cy
cllsts, have arranged to do all their pre-
liminary work here. A number are al
ready here.
Tommy Hall. the little Englishman who
made so good showing in the last six
day race. is already here. in company with
Albert Champion, the Frenchnlan. Both
Hall and Champion will follow pace this
year. and are to do their preparatory
training the local track. Hall has
for pace-making artillery two tandems
of nine horse power, one of eight one OF
four and two singles OF four horse power
each.
These men are in such fine condition
now that they are fit to get out tomorrow
for a bruising distance event, and they
express themselves as more than pleased
.,-i.h h. he;
Mcfarland and Eddie Bald
The little English wonder and his cle7er
French partner will be Joined. probably
tomorrow. by Floyd A. Mcfarland, one of
the best all around American riders on
the track, and Eddie Bald, who has been
getting in shape at Hot Springs. Mr.
Eckhart, who controls the management of
many OF the best sprinters and distance
men now in the racing game is so well
pleased with this locality as a training
ground that he states he will in a week
or so add considerable number TO the
fast flying colony already at the Coliseum.
Batchelder on New Tracks.
Chairman Batchelder and c. Ross Klos-
terman, of the board of control, returned
short at Jacksonville. Mr.. Batchelder
having always been a firm believer in
this city as a cycling centre, has worked
TO arouse the interest at a number of
other points. Jack Prince will build the
new Savannah track as the result of the
visit OF the board members and will also
construct Norfolks new track in May
before going to Philadelphia to complete
the track there. JacksGsville win be the
scene Of a new track next fall but is not
ready now. Hot Springs. Little Rock. and
New Orleans viii also wait until next
fall
Atlanta's New Track.
Although banked to an angle of sixty
five degrees the Atlanta track has not
been found too steep for racing. In fact
ii is not steep enough for the motor hi
cycles at the speed now being followed.
The track has a radius of but ninety-slx
feet, or not much wider than an ordi-
nary city street, yet the motors are hurled
at the bank at forty-fye miles an hour
and come round into the straight without
a wabble- The motor-paced racing has
been SO spectacular that Atlanta patrons
OF the sport have gone wild over 1t.
Although the wiEner OF his race against
Caldwell, according to the race conditions
which prescribed that in event OF acci-