Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-28
OPENING MAY Is
Coliseum Event Finally Fixed
for That Day.
GREAT MOTOR RACES
MEET MANAGER KLoSTERMAN's
TRIP TO BOSTON FOR RIDERS.
Nearly All Local Clubs Represented at
the Track Now-Lighting
Plant Arrives.
GREAT MOTOR RACES

Final arrangements have been completed
for the opening OF the great Coliseum. at
l4th and East Capitol streets. on Friday
night, May y. next. with motor cycle rae
ing on every Friday night thereafter. 1t
was intended at first to open before that
date If the weather permitted. as extraordi-
nary interest has been aroused in the forth
coming motor cycle racing season, but the
local labor disturbances delayed the impor-
tant work of reconstruction and building.
and therefore Manager Osgood determined
not to throw open the gates until the ed.
This will AFFORD the contractors painters
and others all the needed time FOR the car
rying out of the extensive scheme Of i'm
provements.
The races and riders for the inaugural
meet have not Yet been announced. but the
greatest card of events ever Witnessed in
Washington on a similar occasion Is conf
IDENTIFY promised. Mr.. c. Ross Klosterman,
the District N c. A. chairman, who oper-
ates the Coliseums at Philadelphia and Bal
timore, is meet manager OF the Coliseum
here, and he is now backing the chief cycle
stars for the opening here and at Baltimore.
the season at the latter beginning May -,
and the riders coming direct to Washing
ton.
Decoration Night Meet.
Contrary to custom the meet on the Goth
of May will be held Decoration night. as
both Manager osgood and Mr.. Klosterman
are confident that the public will prefer
seeing the motor cycle racing at night.
Mr.. Klosterman spent all OF last week in
Philadelphia, Atlantic City. Vailsburg. New
York and Boston In looking over the riders
now in training at. the tracks in those cities.
In this way he keeps I'm touch with the men
and their condition, enabling him to make
more advantageous entries than otherwise.
Local Amateurs.
Pretty nearly all the amateur bicycle
riders of the city are now in active training
at the Coliseum and from morning till dusk
the track huns with the roll OF their
wheels. The Arlington Wheelmen will be
installed in their club room at the track
next week and Captain Battenberg expects
that many as twenty Of the members
will be undergoing rigid training all sum-
mer for the various amateur events that
will be run off in conjunction with the ex-
citing professional motor races.
The Yale wheelmen already are individu-
ally strongly represented by Capt. Rhines
and his formidable contingent The Navy
Yard Wheelmen have Mitchell hard at work
to defend their colors, and the Deyant and
other local clubs are showing great active
interest. Miller. the champion one and two
mile amateur rider of the District. Joined
the training force at the Coliseum today.
and his. coming lent strong impetus to the
others. Now that the opening has been an
nounced the amateur riders are on the qui
vice. Rhines has his single motor wheel at
the track every day and sets pace one after
another for all his staff of riders.
Arrival of New Lights.
The apparatus for the Kitson Hydro-car-
bon lighting system, which the Coliseum
will use nearly exclusively this summer,
reached the track last Saturday. Local
Agent Naylor promises to install it at once.
there being over fifty lights to be used. lie
states that when the 100000 candle power
system is in operation the Coliseum Will be
the best lighted track in the world. and
with light that never goes out. each lamp
giving 1900 candle power illumination.
This assurance that no more races Will be
spoiled l. lights dying out will be received
with great satisfaction by the multitudes
that have become welded TO the fascinating
motor cycle racing game. This certainty
alone will do more Jnan anything else TO
quadruple the amount of attendance this