CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 41

CYCLING NOTES.

BY DEMON.

While returning along the Anderson's Bay cycling track from the 'nterprovincial football match last Saturday, I noticed a cyclist riding along the track dodging in and out among the large number of pedestrians. All was well so long as the rider kept to the side of the track, but when he took a cut into the middle, made a dive through a group, and then going dead slow, took an opportunity of wriggling through another group, there was an end to p?ace. I half expected that the rider would have been knocked off his machine, and at one time, when he brushed his dirty tyre against the coat of a pedestrian, only the good temper of those arcjmd kept that man on his machine and safe • fwm a rough handling. While lat all limes like to have my rights as a cyclist respected, I feel that thers are others than myself to be considered, and it seemed to mo that when the track is so crowded as it was on Saturday after tne match, that it would have been better for one's safety and more considerate to the public to have walked the machine along, and, as some other riders did, waited | till there was an opportunity of riding with- : out inconvonience to others who were making a perfectly legitimate use of the track by walking on it. There are three more big matches to come off, and while cyclists aa a whole are careful of the feelings of others, there are some who are less thoughtful, and a hint may not prove amiss. The Coburg (Victoria) Cycling Club's 25-miles Road Race was won by J. Muir. In connection with the race it was remarkable that tho competitor to arrive third, W. Goodall, is a man of over 50 years of age, father of eight children, and grandfather of 11. He is well known on the roads, doing the most of his travelling to and fro as a reformatory inspector on the wheel, and it is related that many a young rider, thinking to take him on and break him up by scorching, has been badly taken down by the greyhaired veteran. He rodo the 25 miles in Ihr 20min 21see. Ernie Wall has entered for the Austral Wheel Race, and, provided the handicap ia aceptable, will go across to Australia to make an effort to land tlie big prize. The Championship meeting of the National Cyclists' Union took placo at the New Brighton Tower grounds on Saturday, June 10. The One Mile Amateur Championship was won by Paul Albert, the German rider, who, at Vienna, won the Milo World's Championship. The time was 2min 32 l-sßec. The final of the Mile Professional Championship went to S. Jenkins, 1; T. J. Gascoyne, 2; J. Green, 3. Jack Green succeeded in capturing the quarter-mile distance from F. W. Chirm and S. Jenkins ; but Jenkins won the five miles, followed in by Green and Howard. Paul Albert scored again by winning the Quarter Mile Amateur Championship. A Christchurch telegram says: — The proprietors of the D.C.L. whisky distillery in England have given the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, for competition among members, a challenge shield, valued at £750. The design is to hand, and will bo executed locally. The prize money to bo offered at tho next Austral meeting, to be run off on the 2nd, 9th, and 16th of December, on the Melbourne Cricket ground, will total about £1000. The Austral itself will be worth £500, divided into £300 for first, £150 for second, and £50 for third. Last year £350 was offered for the winner. A feature of the carnival will be a Peries of contests named the Commonwealth Stakes. The distanced will be one, two, threo, and five miles. The first three events are worth £20 apiece, and the five mile_carriert £100 in prize money. As was anticipated, the record of C. Murphy, who recently rode a mile in 65sec, was made on a specially prepared track, alongside a railway line. The English papers conlain the following account of this astonishing ride: — The scene of Murphy's performance was the mo.sl level five mile 3of the Long Island railway track. He rode between the outer rails alongside the locomotive, on planks 50in wide, across which tho mile finish was painted. The only aid to his speed was a wind shield, consisting of a board built out 6ft from the roof and sides of the car. His bicycle was of ordinary make, weighing 211b, and geared to 112. His wheel did not swerve siu until he commenced slowing up at the end of the mile. Then the wind shield on the train car outdistanced him, and the terrific onward suction of the wind made his wheel wobble so violently that he nurowly escaped a frightful fall. It vms impo'-siblo to pt-op, and he was flying: to tho end of tha track planking with fearful swiftness. But jiiul. th«ie he managed, to jump free from, his rtM chins, and r.iighUd 1 -.Ai'viuredi lie w*u found gasping and pen-

piring, with his pulse at 90. It soon, however, j returned to normal. It was his life's ambition j to do a mile a mimile. He admitted that he j felt nervous and frightened at the start, for j he realised that collision with the wind shield meant a shocking death. Richardson, the overland cyclist who is making his way up the West Australian coast, must be having a very rough time of it from the following aeount of a portion of his ride : — " Got here (Raeburne) yesterday at a little after noon. I've had a terrible time since leaving the terminus of the telegraph line at Murgoo. Rain, rain, rain all the time ; have hardly been dry since I left Perth. When "i left Boolardie my next stage took me to Manford, a slieep station. Roads heavy, and rain falling continually. Camped at night in the scrub, and endured the terrible downpour all through the darkness, but couldn't get any sleep for rain. Roads to Willy Willy were terribly bad. Rain still continued, and I camped at a lambing station all day, being unable to get along. Then I got into the mountains and stony hills, eventually reaching the Gascoyne. The country was rough, with hills like Greenmont — wild, grand hills, with the lonlincss of Australian bush, as lonely as lonely could be. It appears to me to be highly auriferous country, but it has not been prospected to any extent. When I got into marshy country, beyond the ranges, the rain came on again, and off came by chain ; and I trudged through the mud and slush, dragging the bike along with me until I reached the Mount Clare cattle station. The manager, Mr Richard, assisted me to get across, the Gascoyne River, with horses, who swam half a mile with the machine and myself hanging on. Twice again that day the marvellous Gascoyne — a grand river — had to bei -crossed. Though the current was very strong, it was not too deep to wade through, and with the bike above my head, I forded it, with the water up to my armpits. I struck the Thomas River Police Camp next day, and eventually got through the Bangemall gold find, after riding along the mountain ridges, and traversing almost impossible tracks by moonlight. The Lyons River was the next to be forded, and I had a great feed, after getting across at Hatchos's cattle camp. I made for Shephard's camp from there, intending to get along by moonlight ; but the eclipse of the moon, which you no doubt saw in Perth, put the track in total darkness, and I had to camp in the scrub. I never felt so miserable before. Wet through to the skin, the ground wet, no fire,' nothing to cover myself with, and bitterly cold, I passed a wretched night. I offered up thanksgiving when daylight came, and I got going again, stiff, hungry, and bad .tempered. 1 got to Hepburn's camp that morning, and : had a fine feed, and another before I left in the afternoon. Lefroy's cattle station was my next stopping place. On my way to M'Carthy's station, I reached a well on th© fir3t night, and camped in the scrub near. The blacks visited me, but they were quite friendly, though 1 kept an eye on them. They : were on tho tramp, and had camped at the ; well for a time. All night long they kept the ' fires going, and till midnight sang in their ■ weird, wild fashion, which gave me the creeps. i A long, low wail, and then short, broken yelps j in a high key, by an old black gin, with the deeper guttural notes of the men, proiluce a peculiar discord, which, in the dark stilly night, becomes terribly monotonous. The 'gins' came to my camp, and asked for 'bacca,' j but I had none. For two hours one of them, a lean, skinny creature, about 20 years of age, ; sat opposite me, and gazed at me without f uttering a sound. Then she suddenly disapt peared in the darkness, and when I left in the [ morning, an old 'gin' told me that her 'man' | had discovered her there, and, taking her off, i had asserted his conjugal rights by administerj ing a sound thrashing, and forbidding her to ■ set eyes on the 'white fellah' again. I got to M'Carthy's station at 3 o'clock that afternoon. I hunted round after having a feed, and, finding an old bool, set to work to mend up my j shoes, which had rotted as the result of being j continually wet, and from the rough usage. j After leaving here the roads got worse; but j after plugging against head winds and through I the muddy tracks, I succeeded in getting ; through to Roeburn yesterday, my cyclometer showing 1155 miles. My 'jigger' is a beauty. Talk about the cottered joints! They hold splendidly, and the machine is as rigid to-day I as it was when I left Perth." A later wire states that Richardson arrived at Balla Balla, • 130 miles north of Roeburn, on Wednesday ; last. It will be recollected that as a result of the smarfi up at the Melbourne Exhibition , track, where Plugger Bill Martin was badly ! injured, L. Corbett was charged by Martin i with inflicting grievous bodily harm. To the ! surprise of most people the accused was com1 mitted for trial, and now news comes that the I Crown has decided that there is not a case j to answer, and will not file a presentment, a j decision that will be commended by most ) people, for while there must be sympathy j expressed for Martin at the accident, very few 1 agreed with him thai the smash up was brought i about deliberately. I The executive of the New South Wales Cyclists' Union recently invited some of the American and English men-o'-war's men then in Sj'dney Harbour to their smoke concert at Quong Tart's rooms, Victoria Markets. The occasion was tha distribution of the badges and Wolfe'i schnapps prizes to eaoh n.eiaber of the union who completed the 100 guiles at the uoio/i century run hold on Queen's

Birthday last. Thers was a very large gathefc. ing of cyclists, fully -500 being present. Inf the front seats sat the men-o'-war's men, ancl when half of the programme of songs had beer* performed Mr A. Edward said that he wished! them to give a hearty welcome to the men-o'-' war's men present. Enthusiastic oheers weref then given. Mr Edward, continuing, said thatf they felt the American and English people were the same.— (Great cheering.) In the recent war in which America had been en-« gaged, that country had the sympathy ancf support of Englishmen throughout the world* and Australians — (The cheering was now intense, and lasted for several minutes.) I& must be pleasing to the men-o'-war's men tof see this token of brotherly love. Referring; to the century run, they had to thank Messrs Moses Moss and Co. for their gift of 150 bottles of Wolfe's schnapps. The number, of successful competitors in the run was 14-?^ - Immediately on Mr Edward resuming his.se&w three men-o'-war's men mounted the platform.. Hanging from the top of the stage were tha English 'and American flags. Charles Morgensen, of the U.S.S. Celtio, caught hold o£ : one flag, and E. J. Palmer, of H.M.S. ! Pylades, held the other; while O. W. Peters, j master-of-arms of the U.S.S. Celtic, standing r underneath the two flags, called out, "Is there ! anything on earth that can haul them down?" In a moment the excitement was intense, and j the cheering lasted fully five minutes. The j men-o'-war's men then cheered the cyclists. The programme was a very long one, and consisted of songs, both sentimental and comic, and all were splendidly given. The concert was the most successful that the union has yet held.— Sydney Mail. The time limits worked admirably at I the English championships meeting, "and rac- | ing was (says an exchange) something like racing was in the old times, with the exception of the tandem championship, which was outside time, and declared void-, although ridden inside smin. The times throughout wera fast — indeed, in. some of the quarter-milo events equalling and beating the unpaced record. Paul Albert, the champion ol Germany, who last year, at Vienna, signally defeated all-comers for the mile amateur championship of the world, was the only foreigner competing for the National Cyclists' Union championships this year, and, as might have been expected, he won both the amateur events in the most decisive manner (says the Cyclist)Albert, upon winning, came in for a big rel ception at the hands ' of the public — a fact; which appeared to surprise and please him more than anything else, for he candidly admitted to us that it was quite unexpected"* But then Albert has never ridden in England before, and, indeed, with the exception of the Vienna gathering, never before outside* Germany. Although almost the finest sprinter in the world to-day, irrespective of class. Abort informed us that, aa his studies required his attention, he would ride only in the German championships this year, and was nob intending to do more, though w© have a fancy we may after all see him at Montreal to uphold his title won last year. An innocent-looking chap (says th«* Irish Athletic and Cycling Record) walked into a city depot last week, and politely askedt j for^the loan of a pump. While inflating hia front tyre the agent took occasion to throw his eye over tKe machine, and^ noticing ' &. tooth broken .off the rear sprocket, asked the. owner how it happened. "Well," said the •guileless youth, as he worked energetically aft the pump, "my machine was fitted with a lower gear than I desired, and a friend oE mine told mo that if I had a,' less number o£ teeth on the back sprooket the gear wouldbe higher. It was a pretty tough job, bub with the aid of a file, hammer, and chisel managed to knock off one of the teeth." Th'q agent was so amazed at this new method of increasing the gear that he allowed the youthi ful rider to depart without enlightening him , on the subject. The Acetylette is the name of a new lamp, says the Field, which Salsbury and Son are putting on the market. Tt is a handsome lamp, well plated, and weighs, when charged for use with water and candle, no more than 12oz. When required for use the reservoiu is partly filled with water and the candle ia introduoed through the door into the reservoir, where it is held by three vertical spring's, much in the same way "as the chimney of a lamp. The candle consists of a cylindrical tin box, 2£in Idng by about lin in diameter. The ends of this are soldered on, and each ist pierced with a small hole; that at the bot~ torn is the larger, and admits the water from tho reservoir, while 'the hole at the top ia exceedingly minute, and suffices for the egresa of the gas. A quarter of a minute after the candle has been placed in the reservoir thai gas developed streams out of the small hola fit the top and can be lighted. If produces at jet of flame |in to lin in length, of the intense whiteness and brilliancy characteridfcta of acetylene. This lighfburns brilliantly fos two hours. It cannot well be used a second; time, as when once, the carbide ' .h*s been ! damped it loses a great deal of its power. The > cost is about Id per hour. During a race held at a.cyobng meeting at Berlin a thunderstorm took place, and a flash of lightning struck the wire fence separating the public from the track. There were a largo number of persons leaning agamft tha fence at the time, and forty of them were immediately thrown to the groud. Of thesa three were killed, and twenty others were aeriously injured. A. race of automobile machines (automatic motors) was concluded in France on July 24- with extraordinary results.- One machine of 16-horse power travelled 1+23 miles in 44- hours 44min— an average of one mile m I.BBmin. • ' A good story is going the round of tha ! French papers recounting an adventu-e that happened to Huret during the Bordeaux to Paris race. • Between Pvuffec and Couhe-Verrto he led, paced by Girardot's motor, and fol-,-lowed by Charron, who was pacing Fischer. Charron's car was furniflhed with a very powerful acetylene -lamp, which brilliantly illuminated Huret's back and threw a heavy shadow on the back panel of the car which was pacing him By degrees the rays seemed to exert an influence over Huret similar to what many .riders experience at the steady trot, trot of a horse close behind them, and he quickened hie pace till he was going at fifty kilometres an hour. And still the panel of his pacer was lit up by the acetylene behind. " Faster. ! faster ! " he cried to Girardot. " Charron i 3 on mo ! " And accordingly they went faster,; till at last the terrible light seemed to wane. Tin.? only caused the ridei to redouble his efforts ; but still he could not utterly shake "off his" persistent follower. By this time .it was, aa we should say, beginning Jto ,get on, his nerves, and he wildly" cried for more pace. Pognon, who was with Girardot, began to fear that -Huret wa<. losing his and turning round, asked what more he wanted ; were they not going all sixty, kilometres an hour ? "Charron ii on ma," shouted Hnret. "Look at the light of his lamp on the back of your car. It is quite white." Pognon felt his < worel fom* realised, but suddenly h« undo-:-*.

Btood, and burst into a lpud laugh. " Why it is the moon I " he explained ; and so, in fact, it was. Oharron and Fischer had long been Jef fc far behind. Thus was the Bordeaux-Paris ■record broken by a cyclist ; not paced by a fcaotor, but pushed on by the moon.