SILENT WHEELS AND LOUD FALLS. - Bicycle Tournament Mechanics' Pavilion - Elwell - cartoons - The San Francisco Call, 20 Feb 1895

SILENT WHEELS AND LOUD FALLS. Bicycle Tournament Mechanics' Pavilion Elwell cartoons 20 Feb 1895, Wed The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com

SILENT WHEELS AND LOUD FALLS.

BICYCLISTS WHO TOOK HEAVY HEADERS AT THE PAVILION LAST NIGHT.

THE CURVES ARE DANGEROUS.

TO GUARD AGAINST FATAL ACCIDENTS THE FENCES WILL BE PADDED.

The second night of the bicycle tournament at the Pavilion proved beyond all question that the track constructed with a view for fast racing is a genuine slaughter course. This view was taken by the wheelmen after they had become converted to the idea that something should be done to guarantee the contestants' safety from broken bones. Immediately after the finish of the races a meeting of the bicyclists was held, and the manager promised them that the curves at either end of the course would be arranged to-day in a way that in a case a rider should get a spill he would receive no great injury.

The fences around the mounds will be padded, and the curves will be enlarged so that the riders will not need to cramp themselves in making sharp turns.

Smith and Haley were the only starters in the first heat of the quarter mile class B scratch race. On the second lap Haley, who was leading, turned the west corner rather sharply and took a header, giving his opponent a clear track. Smith won easily in :39 2-5.

In the second heat the starters were Ulbricht and Lacey, both of whom came here from Los Angeles to participate in this tournament. Ulbricht took the lead and kept it to the finish. Time, :35 4-5.

In the third heat there started Osen and Wells. Osen made a great dash to head off Wells on the first turn, and in so doing he came to grief as he slipped a pedal in rounding the first curve and got pitched. Wells won at ease in 40 sec.

In the fourth heat Foster and Terrill started. The former took the lead, but on rounding the first mound Terrill put on a great spurt and passed Foster. Terrill retained the lead to the finish, winning in 36 sec.

In the final dash of the quarter mile class B race the starters were Wells, Terrill and Ulbricht. Smith withdrew, as the company was too warm for him. Ulbricht took the lead, with Wells second and Terrill third. There was no change in this order to the finish, Ulbricht winning in 35 sec.

In the half-mile handicap, class A, with first and second in final, the starters were Fawcett 25 yards, Conger 40 yards and Menne 15 yards. Fawcett dropped out after riding three laps and Menne made a great effort to catch Conger, but the latter proved too much for him, and he won by 6 yards in 1 min. 11 sec.

The starters in the second heat were McFarland scratch and Lemmon 35 yards. The latter made no attempt to close up the gap on his opponent, as he was certain of a place in the final according to the conditions. The winner's time was 1 min. 16 sec.

The starters in the third heat were Fred Day 30 yards and E. Mauls 50 yards. It was a repetition of the former race. Day made no effort to win. Mauls' time was 1 min. 14 3-5 sec.

The starters in the fourth heat were F. Fuller, 25 yards; P. Metcalf, 25 yards; E. W. Decker, 35 yards; E. S. Battles, 60 yards. In the second lap young Frank Fuller dashed into the fence just after turning the east curve and was completely knocked out. He was carried unconscious to his dressing-room, and many ladies who had witnessed the accident left their seats and went home. The race was won by Decker, with Battles second. Time, 10 2-5 seconds.

In the fifth heat the starters were G. A. Nissen and Frank M. Byrne, both of whom started from scratch. The pace was by no mean fast, as the riders were secure for a place in final. Nissen won in 1 minute 35 4-5 seconds.

In the sixth heat there were three starters, namely: M. F. Rose scratch, Ernest C. Barley 45 yards, and A. H. Agnew 60 yards. It was a good race from start to finish, and was won by Barley, with Agnew second. Time, 1:12 4-5.

In the seventh heat the starters were: E. Languetin 20 yards, A. Guenther 60 yards, and W. L. Thompson 60 yards. Guenther slipped a pedal and fell. The race was won by Thompson in 1:11.

In the final of the half-mile class, a handicap, Conger, McFarland and Mauls started in the first heat. It was won by Mauls, with Conger second. Time, 1:11 2-5.

In the second heat Nissen, Byrnes and Battles started. This was a rattling good race and was won handsomely by Battles, with Byrnes a good second. Time, 1 min. 84-5 sec.

In the third heat the starters were Thompson, Barley, Agnews and Languetin. This was another good race, which was cleverly taken by Thompson, with Barley a good second. Time, 1 min. 9 2-5 sec.

In the last dash of the final of this race the following clever riders rode up to their respective marks Byrnes, Conger, Battles, Thompson, Barley and Mauls. This was hot going from the crack of the gun to the finish.

Everybody looked for some heavy spills and in this they were not disappointed. Barley was the first to dash into one of the side fences and go completely over it. Next came Mauls,whose bicycle struck the fence on the summit of the eastern mountain, and by the merest fortune he was saved from breaking his neck by clinging to a rail. The women shouted and some of their screams could have been heard a block away. Certainly the race afforded enough excitement for the most exacting lover of break-neck episodes.

The race was won by Battles with Conger second and Byrnes third. Time, 1:09 1-5.

The last event of the evening was a two-mile class B handicap, divided into three heats. In the first heat the starters were: W. Foster, scratch; H. H. Dilges, 150 yards; R. Cushing, 120 yards; E. Ulbricht, scratch. The latter, closely followed by Foster, made a great race to overhaul the leaders, and in the tenth lap they flew past Dilges and Russell. The race was now between Foster and Ulbricht. The latter continued in the lead, with Foster close up, and in the final lap they both again passed Cushing, and Ulbricht won handily from Foster in 4 min. 58 3-5 sec. There was a good deal of interest manifested in this race and the winner was loudly cheered.

In the second and third heats, which were put into one, the starters were Lacey, 100 yards; Pillsbury, 175 yards; Terrill, 60 yards; Osen, scratch. After completing 7 laps, Pillsbury left the track, giving the three remaining riders room to make a good finish. Terrill, who was in the lead, kept his place until nearing the finish, when Osen seemingly sneaked in ahead and the race home was lively. Osen won the event, with Terrill second. Time, 5 min. 9 sec.

It looked very much as if Terrill did not try to keep Osen out of first place. He slowed up when Osen passed him and Lacey.

The final race of the two-mile handicap was the most exciting event that has been seen at a bicycle tournament in many moons. The starters were Foster, Osen, Ulbricht and Terrill. Osen cut out a killing pace the moment the gun cracked, and his competitors were digging in as best they could until the last lap, when Terrill, Ulbricht and Foster, who were abreast in rounding the final turn, met with an accident. Foster attempted to pass Ulbricht and the latter swung slightly off his line, and the result was a heavy collision when the contestants were going under full swing. Terrill got a heavy fall, but was up quickly, and fell again in trying to get away from Foster's wheel.

Ulbricht rolled down the grade and the three bicycles lay in a heap at the bottom of the curve. Osen had gone in ahead and won. Terrill and Ulbricht noticed about the same time that second place was open for some one, and they grasped their wheels in hand and ran for the tape. Terrill out-footed his opponent, and won the place by a few feet. Both riders were so completely exhausted that they fell into the hands of their friends at the finish. Time of winner, 4 min. 56 1-5 sec.

F. D. Elwell acted as referee last evening in place of Mr. Welch and filled the position very satisfactorily.

Neither Edwards, Ziegler, Harbottle nor Coulter participated in the races last evening. Edwards is saving himself until after the tournament, when he will again try for the straightaway records at Livermore. About the middle of March Edwards wants to try for track records at San Jose, so he is saving himself now, not wishing to suffer injury on the track at the Pavilion.

It seems strange the Falcon team will not compete in any more of the Pavilion races. Harbottle was injured Monday night and cannot ride, but Coulter and Ziegler are all right. It is said Ziegler is afraid of the track, and furthermore is unaccustomed to the Falcon wheel, and has no confidence in it on the steep grades of the Pavilion track. Coulter is too slow for Wells, Terrill, Osen or Ulbricht, so has wisely decided not to participate any more.

Ziegler will ride an exhibition mile on Friday night, and try for the indoor one-mile record.

In the handicap race the scratch men have a hard row to hoe, seldom catching the limit men.

W. L. Thompson showed remarkably good form in the class A handicap, and will bear watching in the future.

Frank Fuller and W. H. Hovey were considerably injured in their fall last night; so much so that it was necessary to take them to the Receiving Hospital.