ONE RECORD BROKEN. - Byrne Went a Half Mile at San Jose in 1:01. - The San Francisco Call - September 10, 1895

ONE RECORD BROKEN.

FAST TIME THE DAY'S ORDER.

Dow and Smith Made the Tandem Competition Mark for the Coast.

SAN JOSE, CAL., Sept. 9. - The Admission day race meet of the Garden City Cyclers attracted a crowd of fully 6000 people to the grounds of the club this afternoon. The stands, were packed with people, and the audience composed largely of ladies, who evidenced great interest in the sport.

The races were called promptly at 1:30 o'clock. A strong wind on the backstretch made it seem improbable that any records would be lowered, but the men rode their best, and as a result fast time was the rule.

The Garden Citys introduced a novelty which was very much appreciated by the audience and tended to keep the enthusiasm running high. A first-class band played popular airs during all the races, and while the music tended to distract the press representatives it enthused the racers and made them ride the faster. By the way, the club should provide better accommodations for the newspaper men. Writing on one's knees in a crowded, shaky bandstand is somewhat difficult and tire- some.

There were six heats of the one-mile handicap, class A, made necessary because the race had seventy-five entries. The heats were all well run and brought twelve good men into the final. They were: Freeman (unattached), Squires (Acme), Willoughby (Watsonville), Lefevre (Acme), Dieckman (Reliance), Holling (Bay City), Downing (Garden City), Gooch (Oakland), Belloli (San Jose), Ackerman (Petaluma), Seaward (Garden City) and Wing (San Jose).

The twelve men were well bunched at the second lap and came down the back-stretch together. Wing had the lead and won from Ackerman in 2:14 4-5. A pair of blankets would have covered the other ten, they were so close behind.

The one-mile scratch, class B, was divided into two heats and Long, Jones, H. C. Smith and Edwards started in the first. It was a pretty race all the way, the men changing position and pace constantly. In the race for home Long jumped the bunch and won handily from Jones in 2:29. Edwards was third.

The second heat had Foster, Hall, Slater, Cushing and Nissen as starters. Nissen tried Long's jump on the back-stretch, but could not hold it and Foster and Cushing soon passed him. They raced neck and neck to the tape and the judges decided it a dead heat. Hall was third. Time, 2:29 3-5.

When the final heat was ordered run, tandem pacing was put in to make it fast. Delmas and Moody were on the tandem, and Jones caught on behind them with Long, Foster and Cushing following in the order named.

The pace was fast, evidently too fast for Jones, for he slowed up on the second lap, and Cushing dropped out. The others would not set pace, and all slowed up to almost a standstill. It was evidently a prearranged scheme of Jones and Foster, the Olympic men, to do up their former club-mate, Long, and the audience soon discovered their purpose, and hissed them loudly as they came around the second time. They loafed around the third lap, and spurted for home from the last two hundred yards. Foster won, Jones second, but the referee declared it no race, and the decision was loudly applauded. Such tactics tend to disgust the public with bicycle-racing, and as they support it, they are the ones to please. Foster declared he would protest the referee's decision, but Chairman Welch of the racing board stated to THE CALL representative that he thought it would serve no purpose, and he would sustain the referee's decision.

When the second final was run Foster refused to compete and so only Jones, Long and Cushing started, following the tandem in the order named. Cushing fell on the first turn, but quickly remounted and chased after the others, for which evidence of pluck he was loudly applauded. Jones was awarded the race, though many thought Long won, as he was so close to him. The time was 2:20 4-5.

Cushing was a good third.

The mile tandem race, the second ever run on the coast, was interesting as a novelty and fast time was made. The starters were: Dow and Smith, Garden City; Benson and Hardenbrook, San Jose Road Club, Reid and Birdsall, Californias. The first-named won the race quite handily in 2:11 4-5, with Benson and Hardenbrook second. The time made is the coast competition tandem record. These tandem races are interesting and meet-promoters would do well to introduce them more frequently.

There were seven heats to the half-mile scratch, there being fifty-one starters. The winner of each heat qualified for the final, and the successful ones in their heats were: Squires (Acme), Willoughby (Watsonville), Byrne (Imperial), Edwards (Olympic), Ives (Reliance), Barley (Imperial) and Dieckmann (Reliance).

Smith and Dow (Garden City) paced the race on a tandem and made it very fast - so very fast that the world's competition record for the distance was lowered. Frank M. Byrne of the Imperial Club won the race, and his time was 1:01. The best previous performance was that of C. C. Collins at Denver, August 25 last, whose time was 1:01 4-5.

Byrne's ride was wonderful considering the high wind blowing, and he deserved the hearty applause he was accorded. He has long been known as a remarkably fast man in his class, and the Imperials can well be proud of him. The two-thirds of a mile handicap, class B, was divided into two heats, six men in one, five in the other. Jones and Long fought out the first in good style and finished in the order named, Foster taking third. The time was 1:28 1-5. The second heat was not so fast, Tony Delmas winning it in 1:42 4-5, G. A. Nissen second, Wilbur Edwards third.

The final was a great race between the back mark men for second and third place, as Delmas with his 65 yards handicap was too far ahead for them to hope to catch him, and he won as he pleased in 1:34 4-5. Foster barely beat Long at the tape after a great race down the stretch.

The following is a summary of the events:

One-mile handicap, class A, first heat - H. B. Freeman, unattached, first, 50 yards; H. W. Squires, Acme, second. Time, 2:18.

Second heat - J. E. Willoughby, Watsonville, first, 60 yards; P. M. Lefevre, Acme, second. Time, 2:14 2-5.

Third heat - N. Ackerman, Petaluma, first, 30 yards; F. H. Seaward, Garden City, second, 85 yards. Time, 2:20 1-5.

Fourth heat - J. H. Dieckmann Jr., Reliance, first, 30 yards: A. L. Holling, Bay City, second, 80 yards. Time, 2:20.

Fifth heat - H. Downing, Garden City, first, 85 yards; John Wing, San Jose Road Club, second. Time, 2:12.

Sixth heat - C. D. Gooch, Oakland, first, 120 yards; T. Belloli, San Jose Road Club, second, 65 yards. Time, 2:17.

Final heat - J. Wing, San Jose Road Club, first, 125 yards; N. Ackerman, Petaluma, second, 30 yards. Time, 2:14 4-5.

One-mile scratch, class B, first heat - R. L. Long, Bay City Wheelmen, first; Allen Jones, Olympic, second. Time, 2:29.

Second heat - W. F. Foster, Olympic, and Russell Cushing, Garden City, tie for first place; T. S. Hall, Bay City, third. Time, 2:29 3-5.

First final - W. F. Foster, Olympic, first; Allan Jones, Olympic, second; no race; time too slow.

Second final - Allan Jones, Olympic, first; R. L. Long, Bay City Wheelmen, second. Time, 2:20 4-5.

One-mile tandem - Dow and Smith, Garden City, first; Benson and Hardenbrook, San Jose Road Club second. Time, 2:11 4-5.

Half-mile scratch, class A, first heat - H. W. Squires, Acme, first; A. G. Hayne, Petaluma second. Time, 1:11.

Second heat - J. E. Willoughby, Watsonville, first; H. Downing, Acme, second. Time, 1:19 2-5.

Third heat - F. M. Byrne, Imperial, first: J. S. Gosbey, Reliance, second. Time, 1:09 1-5. Fourth heat - J. E. Edwards, Olympic, first; N. Ackerman, Petaluma, second. Time, 1:17 1-5.

Fifth heat - Jesse F. Ives, Reliance, first; P. R. Mott, Reliance, second. Time, 1:13 3-5.

Sixth heat - E. C. Barley, Imperial, first; T. T. Kell, unattached, second. Time, 1:21 2-5.

Seventh heat - J. H. Dieckman Jr., Reliance, first; H. Hutchinson, Acme, second. Time, 1:17.

Final heat - F. M. Byrne, Imperial, first; H. W. Squires, Acme, second. Time, 1:01; world's record.

Two-thirds of a mile, handicap, class B, first heat - Allan Jones, Olympic, first, 30 yards; R. L. Long, Bay City Wheelmen, second, 25 yards; W. F. Foster, Olympic, third, scratch. Time, 1:28 1-5.

Second heat - Tony Delmas, Garden City, first, 65 yards; G. A. Nissen, Acme, second, 35 yards; W. J. Edwards, Garden City, third, scratch.

Final heat - Tony Delmas, Garden City, first, 65 yards; W. F. Foster, Olympic, second, scratch; R. L. Long, Bay City Wheelmen, third, 25 yards. Time, 1:34 4-5.

Taken altogether it was a great day's sport and the audience went home satisfied with having seen the best bicycle races run on this coast in many a day.

In the forenoon the annual parade of the California Associated Cycling Clubs was held through the principal streets of the city. All the various clubs of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose were represented and many from outside towns. The clubs rode in the following order: Acme Club Wheelmen, California Cycling Club, Imperial Cycling Club, Olympic Club Wheelmen, San Jose Road Club, Garden City Cyclers, Royal Cycling Club, San Francisco Road Club, Outing Road Club, Bay City Wheelmen, Reliance Club Wheelmen.

The line was reviewed passing the Court-house and two valuable prizes awarded, one for best appearance and another for the largest number in line. The California Cycling Club won the former, and it was generally conceded that they deserved it, as they rode well and looked very attractive in their new uniforms. The Acmes had the largest number in line, forty- three men, and they won the prize by a narrow margin, as the Olympics had forty-two.

The judges of the parade were Mayor Austin, H. M. N. Spring and Howard E. Alexander.

The officials of the races were:

Officer of the day, J. W. Macaulay.. G. C. C.: referee, Al Col., G. C. C. Judges - George H. Strong, R. A. C.; E. Ross Lozier, B. C. W.; H. A. Alexander, G. C. C. Timers - F. A. McFarland, S. J. R. C.; G. P. Wetmore, B. C. W.; H. M. N. Spring, G. C. C.; A. C. Thornton, O. C. W.: J. Kitchen, A. A. C.; J. B. Carey, G. C. C.; Ed N. Radke, S. C. W.; H. F. Wynne, C. C. C. C. N. Ravlin, G. C. C.; starter. J. A. Chase, G. C. C.; assistant starter, George Osen, G. C. C.; clerk, W. R. Lipsett, G. C. C.; assistant clerks, H. H. Herndon, G. C. C., R. J. McFarland, S. J. R. C.; scorer, E. Williston, G. C. C.; umpires, M. M. Alvarez, G. C. C., L. E. Whiting, G. C. C., F. Smith, S. J. R. C., D. McKenzie, S. J. R. C.; announcer, W. F. Knapp; physician, Dr. J. N. Johnston.