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The idea of calling his Derby Association ''Transcontinental" was a shrewd device on the part of Promoter Seltzer to prevent his event from seeming too sordid, add a touch of the outdoors. A Roller Derby course is 4,000 mi. long. In the Coliseum last week, a map at one end of the arena showed that contestants, skating 85 to 110 mi. per day, from 1:30 p. m. until 12:30 a. m., had last week covered a distance equivalent to a journey from San Diego to Chicago. As they set off around the Coliseum for New York, favorites to win were Cousin "Libby" Hoover, an Italian team of Gene Vizena and John Rosasco, a deaf-mute named Jay Levy who has taught his waitress-partner to talk with her hands, the Bogashes, bearded John Devitt. Exhibiting one minor but inflexible characteristic of certain tree-sitting, dancing, walking and roller-skating marathoners, Devitt vowed not to shave until he was leading the event. Next spring Promoter Seltzer plans a Roller Derby in New York.