New-York tribune., 1915-03-17
ROLLER SKATERS
HOLD CARNIVAL
IN THE GARDEN
Big Crowd Out for Sprint
Races Leading Up to
Long Grind.
RACERS ADDICTED
TO GAUDY RAIMENT
CoStabilc, Winner of the Recent
Street Race, Carries Off Mile
Event for Amateurs.


Willie Richie the CalIsvrnia Fight
weight, who outpointed F-eddis Welsh,
the worlds champion, one nigh: last
week, fired the gan last night that
started the first of series of roller
skating sprint races in Madison Square
Garden.
While Willie did not shov a. much
familiarity with the pistol as he did
with the boxing gloves, he did the part
assigned to him with general approval
from the crowd of about two thousand
"roller fans"
The sprint races were preliminary TO
the twenty-four-hour team rae for
the championship Of the world, which
negins at one minute after midnight
tonight, with eighteen of the fastest
teams in the world toeing the mark
There was plenty of enthusiasm
when the first event, a one nile race
for amateurs, began TO the ucrom-
paniment of the braying Of brass
band in the centre Of the arena Rol-
'er skaters, according TO hose who
performed in the Garden last light,
nre violently addicted to gaudy raj
mcnt, and the sweaters they woe as
they shot around the banked track put
the colors of the rainbow to sname.
J Costabile, who won the recent
rtreet race from l55th Street 70 the
Grand Central Palace, captured the
cpening race from big fell, with c..
Witzel second and Jack Gala, Of C"ney
Island, third. Costabile showed q
great burst Of speed on the last lap,
and won by six yards. The time, 2:4O,
was fast, and the crowd roare1 its
approval.
The two-thirds of a mile sprint. for
professionals. brought out thirty
starters, and the race was run in five
preliminary heats-two semi-hnals and
a final with sprints galore to thrill
the crowd.
Arthur Launay, Of Newark. was the
speediest in the final sprint for the
tape, beating Arthur Egllngton, Of
England, by inches. with Jack Wood
Forth, Of Washington. in third place.
Launay was always well up with the
leaders and timed his sprint with per
feet judgment. nippinG Eglington when
only ten feet from the finish. His time
was l:23
A feature that made Il hit with the
spectators was a half-miie paced match
between Roland Cioni. the sprinting
champion Of the world. and Willie
Blackburn, the New York State cham
pion.
The thunder % the big motorcy-
cles az they sped about the track, with
wind shields TO aid the skaters. aroused
the rootcrs 20 great heights Of excite
ment, and the Garden was in an up
roar as the men fought for the lead.
Cioni showed greater skill in cling
ing to his pace and defeated Blackburn
in straight heats. The time for the
first heat was one minute fiat, and the
second heat went 10 the italian In 0:59.
with Blackburn three yards back.
Max Hess, a one-armed skater from
Scranton. Penn, won thrilling race in
the two-mile amateur handicap event.
beating out Costable IN the dash for
the tape by fully fifty yards. Hess's
ability to keep his feet while taking
the banked curves at hich speed was
a source Of wonderment to the onlook-
ors.
The Scranton boy did not seem to
feel the lack Of his right arm, and
fairly skated the big field into the
ground in the twenty laps Of the
course. He started from the Award
mark and finished in 6:25, while the
crowd rose from the seats and cheered
him right Justify.
Allie Moore, the international dis
tance champion, was the lone scratch
man in the three-mile race for pro-
fessiouals and conceded big marks to
half a dozen speedy rivals. Arthur
Eglington. with twenty-five yards, Jonn
Tinney and Joe Laurey, both starting
from the o8-yard mark, were too much
~
sprint, however, and finished 10 that
order with Moore fourth, exhausted
B. his efforts TO catch the leaders.
line i'm this race was S:Ol.
The last event on the programme
saw a fast field facing the starter in
q fve-mile handicap affair, with Fred
die Martin, who, with Frank Bacon,
won the last twenty-fOur hour race
at the Garden. on the honor mark.
Harry Mcdonald, who used TO be in
the first rank Of amateur ice skaters
some twenty years ago, was starter
in this contest, While awaiting the gun
Mcdonald admitted he was the oldest
man i'm the skating game to-day. II We
got a nine-year-old boy up there in the
seat. " said Mcdonald. "and he wants
TO see his old man skate. Pm just In u
for the fun Of the thing tonight"
The race was won by Steve Shlpley,
Of England. from the twenty-fve-yard
mark. with Willie Blackburn second
and Martin th.rd. Martin and Black
burn soon caught the long mark men
and then awaited the right moment for
the dash TO the tape, but Shipley had
a little too much speed and won by
2 feet. Mcdonald did not get In the
money. $40.
one milo amate,ir-Won by J. Costshis; c. Wit
gel second. Gala. ti'd Tine ? 20 49,
Two nile amstcur thsudIcapl Won N MAI
Ves, tH yarG4i. T. Cosishle ls-rs'ch). scohd'
= be MAYO 90 yardsi. thfd Tms. -
Tso-thIrds ~ me Iprp,csSoua)-No -
A-hur L.lnay. Auhu- Lg aston. second. JGcE
Wooiworh fhIrd. Tine l.-3
One-haf mic pac"i msicH. between Roisnf
Ciori and willie 3 aefburn 0bcst two out ~ three
heatsl-T-s' heat. won by Conf. time. 0;6v. Sec
ord heat. Won d. C'oai. time. o -
Three Il..e professional hard.gspl-Won BY A.
thur Ee'iuz'oI t-T ye~lsl John rnuey iNA ya'l'l.
Second. Joe Laury lss fari,I. turd Tine. sol.
one mile exhibition ty 10 and Cioli Tine. 70.
Five mile hand zap lpro'css 1nai Won ~ H'r'e
Shiplry 80 SEt@l Willie u acaburu iscfs,chi.
secoud. Freddie Martin lscE4tehl. Third Ime'
u 05.
COOPERSTOWN FOUR WINS