NEW BICYCLE RECORD. - San Francisco Chronicle, 06 Aug 1894
NEW BICYCLE RECORD.
William Christ Won the Handicap.
An Honor for the Olympic Club.
Incidents of the Exciting Ten-Mile Race From Alameda to Haywards.
The Olympic Club Wheelmen's ten-mile handicap road race took place yesterday morning over the straightaway course from High street, Alameda, to Haywards, and resulted in the breaking of the Coast record by William Christ. This is a victory fully expected by the knowing ones and is a great satisfaction to the club and its many friends, as it again places the record where it was before being broken by Otto Ziegler.
Christ covered the ten miles in 27:15, thereby overcoming Ziegler's record by twenty-six and three-fifths seconds.
The start was delayed, there being a misunderstanding regarding the time, and the limit man was not started until 10:24 o'clock, the scratch men leaving at 10:30. A large crowd had assembled at the starting point. At the finish fully 300 wheelmen and admiring friends congregated to welcome the tired and dusty riders as they arrived. Excitement was intense as the finish was approached and one would have thought that a cycling Derby was on to have beard the wild shouts as Christ crossed the finish line in the dust. It made no difference to members of the other clubs that the winner was an Olympian. They cheered heartily for the plucky rider. W. H. Gildert finished second and Robert Long, one of the scratch men, made rapid head way, but could get only third place.
It was expected that either Long or Haley would win the time prize, but Haley was off his usual good riding trim and finished ninth. There was some doubt as to Long's time, many believing that it was given out wrong and that he rode a minute faster, but the timers and scorers will not admit it.
Immediately upon the announcement that Christ had broken the record a delegation from the Acme wheelmen entered a protest, claiming that the timers did not catch the time of Christ correctly, but it was not allowed and the record stands 27:15 for the ten miles.
The day was the right sort for hard riding, it being rather cool and foggy and no wind blowing to impede progress. Eighteen men started, and all but three finished.
H. C. Hahn and J. W. Mullin were unfortunate, each taking a tumble, which destroyed his chance of winning a prize.
F. W. Fuller about four miles from the start felt his tire go flat, end, dismounting, found that the valve had given away. Of course, he lost his chance in the race. Five men finished under thirty minutes and the rest inside of thirty-two.
At the finish the crowd was so excited that it was difficult to keep the people off the road. Finally they became so unmanageable that they left only a narrow lane through which the racers rushed.
B. W. Bernhard finished in an exhausted condition, but recovered after being attended by a physician, who was on the ground.
The breaking of the record entitles young Christ to a special prize to the value of $15, offered by the Olympic Club for any of its members breaking a Coast record. The riding of Christ was remarkable, this being his maiden race, and it caused a great deal of satisfactory comment.
Besides winning the special prize from the Olympic Club, Christ also wins the time prize, an embossed gold fob, and the first prize for the race, a diamond locket. W. H. Gildert won a scarf pin, R. L. Long a traveling case, J. P. Plagemann an electric bicycle lamp, H. C. Ramsay a bicycle pump, Frank Hunter a club sweater, Martin Espinosa a pair of bicycle shoes and Leonard Gill an embroidered club cap.
Following is a list of the entrants, handicaps, net time and place at finish:
| Name | Handicap Minutes |
Net time |
Place at finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Christ | 1 | 27.15 | 1 |
| W. H. Gildert | 3-1/2 | 31.10 | 2 |
| Robert Long | Scratch | 27.50 | 3 |
| J. P. Plagemann | 2-1/2 | 30.25 | 4 |
| H. C. Ramsay | 3-1/2 | 31.28 | 5 |
| Frank Hunter | 2 | 30.12 | 6 |
| M. Espinosa | 3 | 31.20 | 7 |
| L. Gill | 3-1/2 | 31.52 | 8 |
| W. H. Haley | Scratch | 28.23 | 9 |
| L. H. Cox | 2-1/2 | 30.54 | 10 |
| J. E. Fagothey | 2 | 31.20 | 11 |
| C. Naumann | Scratch | 29.25 | 12 |
| H. Gunn | 1 | 30.30 | 3 |
| B. W. Bernhard | Scratch | 29.31 | 14 |
| A. W. Acheson | 6 | 35.25 | 15 |
The officers of the day were:
Handicapper - Leon B. Thomas, O. C. W. Referee - John F. McGlynn, O. C. W. Judges - S. G. Scovern, O. C. W.; Dr. H. C. Massie, O. C. W.; E. Unger, O. C. W.; Captain Dodge, B. C. W. E. B. Jerome, Reliance. Timers - J. R. McElroy, O. C. W.; C. N. Ravlin, G. C. C.; Lewis Hunter, O. C. W.; Captain Robert Butler, G. C. C.; George P. Wetmore, B. C. 1W.; J. F. Hancock, B. C. W. Starter - F. H. Kerrigan, B. C. W. Scorers - William Stinson, O. C. W.: J. J. O'Brien, O. C. W.; Charles Watt, O. C. W.; H. F. Wynne, G. C. C.; George H. Strong, Reliance; Joseph Desimone, G. C. C. Marshals - V. E. Mathews, O. C. W.; F. L. Hadenfelt, O. C. W.; A. C. Thornton, O. C. W.; J. M. Becket, O. C. W.; Captain Dewitt Van Court, Acme. Umpires - Captain W. N. Brunt, C. C. C.; E. E. Stoddard, O. C. W.; V. Stow, O. C. W.; R. R. Russ, O. C. W.
ROAD RECORD BROKEN.
The Time for Thirty Miles Lowered Over Five Minutes.
SAN JOSE, August 5. Floyd McFarland to-day broke the Coast road record for thirty miles. He made the trip from tbe Mercury office in San Jose to the Advocate office in Gilroy in 1h. 49 m. 49s.
Oscar Osen's time made on his trip to San Diego as 1h. 55m.
