Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-17
ROOT and F0CLER.
Winners Of Six-day Bicycle Race at
Madison Square Garden in
a WhirlWind Finish.

IT,. r;tt'. has been in some respects
the nusst notable held. There have been
more accidents than in previous con-
tests greater crowds. more brillan
sprintS and NOR protests on Judges
rulings than ever before. incidentally
the cry Of fake has been heard as
much. if not more, than in previous
contests.
Interest: has been added To the con-
test b. tlv plucky fight mad" by Bob
by" Wait -FOUR. His team partner Hugh
Mclean. .lCt with serious injury six
hours after the start Of the race In no
way dauntcG. Wal'hour suffered tn"
penalty of n lap and paired with John
NY Bn;ICH. whose partner and br,thc,'.
Menus Ec'rll, was. also incapacita;c1
by accident
These two working against a handi-
cap which has always proved too for
midablr fo.- six-day riders in contests
in years be fCre. gained their lan S..N-
eral times hait as there was IL spill they
We're obligc,g to forfeit whai they had
recovered, Il uder the ruling II th:' ref
ereeS.
Nevertheless they remained in the
contest up to the final sprint in which
only the leading teams Wer" allowed To
participate. The contestants in tn final
| lap made up a. larger field than md be
| fore competed in q final siN-davS' bicy-
! Gle race. In fact if, rs han been fire.
urently charged. the leaders had made
ne effort to run away from each other.
| they could .lOt have deliberately
| reached the last squirt on more even
terms. Those who dropped out Yer"
either injured or cXhaus'"sl 'ath"r than
| left behind.
| There was much talk of police intelfer-
ence during the latter half Of the week
| and intimations that tn" ra"" might he
stopped because of obiccti"rHhc features
| attendant upop the exhibition. but be
| vond Some criticisms by the board OF
| health. a few changes IN the exits ordered
| by the building department and extra po-
| lice detailed to preserve a semblance OF
orucr. nothing was done
| The crowds remained to the end.
| There was Il scrambl" for points
! Of vantage by thousands who did not in
| tend to miss the finish Thousands more
were destined 10 see nothing but tho tops
of bobbing heads as the racers circlcd
the saucer-shap"d track on the last ~
| laps, but these laler cheerei as heartily
| rs the more fortunate spectators. There
were many women present, though they
were outnumbered q to one by the men.
During the last few hours Of the rae"
thor" was presented a picture the Xix"
Of which has seldom been seen in Madison
| Square Garden. Seventeen thousand per
| sons Joined in Il continuous uproar from
until 10 o'clock. dividing their cheers
| between their favOritcS among the rid
| crS No inch of room was ,InoCcupicd in
| the boxes galleries and in the arena, ana
| at least 1H0 persons stood under til"
| track at the east and west ends. unabl.
| to got a glimpse T the riders. Even at
ter orders were given to close the door;
| Madison avenue WAS blocked with q surg
ing crowd and many even attempted vio-
| lcncc in their frcnZicd attempts to gain
| the inside. Polio reserves to the num-
her Of 30 had all they could do to pre-
serve order in the street.