Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-08-18
BICYCLING.
a Lightning Bicycle Ride---nown >
Mountain Grade Which Fell Three
Hundred Feet to the Mile.

1t was $50 feet above Silver Brick
station, and nine miles distant from
the village. From the works up to
the mines there was a broad, hard,
smooth road, used for carting ore
down from the mines and hauling
supplies up. The average grade
down the mountain was 800 feet to
the mile; in some PLACES it was steep
er. and at intervals almost level.
BY constant practice | managed at
last to ride my fifty two inch Univer
sity roadster up the whole slope to
the Spondulix, of course resting at
levels, but my chief delight was the
coasting down again; it required
skill, a good deal of nerve, and a
firm grasp Of the brake.
One evening an accident occurred
to one of the men engaged in the
mine l instantly got out my bicycle,
explaining that | could go swifter
than horse down the slope. In a
few minutes l had on my riding suit
and was off.
The night air was clear and crisp;
the full moon, except in few curves,
shone directly into the gulch, light
ing up the road. Leaning well back,
with my legs over the handles and a
firm finger ON the brake, [ allowed
the wheel to glide down the first
long slope at a speed which l had
never dared to venture before. Find
ing the motion safe, L allowed the
machine to run still faster. Over the
first level l shot like an arrow. Down
the next slope l seemed to glide with
the rushing wind. Then / turned a
curve and ran into the shadow of the
mountain upon the next level. Know
ing every inch of the road, however,
1 did not slacken my speed, except
very slightly.
AS flew over the top of the next
slope, steep plunge of nearly half a
mile, another curve completely shut
out the moon, making the road al
most as dark as a pocket Here |
put down the brake hard, and checked
my speed materially. Still l knew
the road so we'll that l had no fear.
But just as | was on the steepest
plunge of the slope
Clink!
Something flew from the machine
like a bullet. Instantly the wheel
darted forward like the rush of a
frightened bird, while the brake lever
came home to the steering bar under
my finger.
The brake had broken short off the
elbow!
There was nothing to check the
machine, which was running away
with me, with over five miles of
mountain grade before me, and the
chance of meeting a team at any
moment in the dark. / might have
leaped backward off the machine at
the instant of the break, but five
seconds afterward it was too late. To
attempt dismount would be certain
death There was nothing to do but
stick to the saddle and take my
chances
When the accident happened to the
brake l was just entering dark
curve in the shadow of the mountain.
The wall on my right appeared dark,
almost invisible brown, while the
chasm on my left was of an inky
blackness. As l rounded the hollow
of the curve l could see the moon
light shining far ahead on the point
Of the elbow which / must turn
where the road was channelled into
the wall. AS l approached it / had
the sense and nerve to run on the
outer side of the road, close to the
edge of the canyon, thus giving my
self as broad a turn as possible. l
found by the track of the wheel after
ward that at the sharpest turn had
actually ridden within three inches
of the extreme edge for several rods,
where, if / had been going at less
fearful speed, the wheel would GER
tainly have slipped over the edge
and carried me down a fall of 1000
feet.
Safely past this, the worst point,
the remaining curves were easy.
Thus far there had been no time to
think. My actions were more in
stinctive than reasoning. My mind
was wild, confused whirl of sensa
tons and fears.
But now as I shot down the last
steep incline, suddenly I Experienced
terrible mental shock. 1t was
caused by hearing the tinkle of a bell
far below and seeing the spark of a
lantern such as the mine teamsters
carry in front of their wagons. There
was team, perhaps train of teams,
coming up the road! In few sec
onds I should be upon them. The
shock made me think, and that clear
ly. If the teamster was walking be
side his team he would be on the in
side, next to the mountain wall, and
the team would be in the middle of
the road. If he was riding, the team
would be kept near the mountain
wall, and at a safe distance from the
outer edge of the track. Either way
my best chance was to pass on the
outside. AS l approached, therefore,
I ran close to the outside edge of the
track, and flew by in safety, hearing
the teamster shout as / did So Here
it was lucky that l was going at such
speed, for the teamster saw the red
light of my lantern when ! was near
ly a mile distant, ard, recognizing it,
he started his team toward the outer
edge of the road, SO as to give me
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