G. E. Kroetz
Clubs
It was only a few minutes before o'clock when the ten men who were to ride the first relay lined up on Market street, near Tenth, and awaited the word to go. The immense crowd pushed and jostled with each other to get a glimpse o the riders, while others who preferred to see them pass lined both sides of Ninth street for blocks. At exactly 9 o'clock to the second Starter McGlynn gave the word and the riders were off over the cobbles, each striving to reach Ninth street first, that he might have the advantage of leading down the cable slot as far as Potrero avenue. Kroetz of the Olympics secured the coveted position, and led the others a merry chase down Ninth street. The order was: Kroetz, Olympic; Bozio, Imperial; Robinson, San Francisco; Hardenbrook, Garden City; Languetin, Bay City; Schleuter, Acme; O'Brien, San Jose; Pratt, Alameda; Hanson, California, and Boyden, Reliance.
All went well until the end of Ninth street, when Boyden fell turning into Brannan. He fell again on Potrero avenue, but pluckily remounted and chased after the bunch, now nearly out of sight. He caught Hanson, California, who had fallen further on. Pratt, Alameda, punctured his tire and was 5 min. 47 sec. behind the leader at the end of the relay. Languetin and Robinson lost their pedals on the six-mile hill and this lost them time. Owing to the poor condition of the road on the first relay, the wonder is that no more nor worse accidents occurred.
Hardenbrook, Garden City, led by two seconds over Kroetz, Olympic, at the end of the relay, with the Acme man, Schleuter, third. The following table shows the relative positions and riding times:
FIRST RELAY.
Position
at
finish.Rider. Club. Time. Actual
Riding
Time.1 G. Hardenbrook Garden C 9:28:08 28:08 2 G. E. Kroetz Olympic 9:28:10 28:10 3 T. Schleuter Acme 9:28:57 28:57 4 A. E. Bozio Imperial 9:29:03 29:05 5 E. Languetin Bay City 9:29:32 29:32 6 F. Hanson California 9:30:00 30:00 7 M. J. O'Brien San Jose 9:30:27 30:27 8 R. Robinson San Fran 9:30:31 30:31 9 A. M. Boyden Reliance 9:30:56 30:56 10 W. T. Pratt Alameda 9:33:55 33:55 Fastest time - 1894, 30:00; 1895, 29:35. The relay packets were exchanged with lightning rapidity here to the riders of the second ten miles, who were off and out of sight in a few seconds. Krafts, the Bay City man, rode fully up to the expectations of his club mates, and though the road was in bad shape, made the ten miles in 27 min. 12 sec., which was fastest time and brought his club up from fifth to third position. The Acmes went back one place, while the Garden Citys and Olympics still held first and second respectively. The Imperials dropped from fourth to seventh, and the Alamedas clinched their mortgage on last place.
