That August afternoon had been warm and muggy and as the sun set in the evening, the road was still wet from a big storm that had passed through. As darkness settled on the city, the gas lamps of the streetlights began to cast their faint glow. And it was then, at night, that the real chaos began — a sudden disruption to the usual rhythms of the street. It came with the thunder of hooves and the crack of a whip. Horses were barreling down the road, flying at top speed, carts bouncing along behind them, their drivers urging them on to ever greater speeds.The Victorians were going street racing.