Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-08-02
| LIGHTNING BICYCLE RIDE
Down q Mountain Grade which
Fell Three Hundred Feet 10 the

| ouC IllHe, INC SpOuulllh,O SOloTdtio
was the highest on the range. 1t was
2,G70 feet above Silver Brick station,
and nine miles distant from the village.
From the works up to the mines there
was broad, hard, smooth road, used
for car,ing 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
sleeper, and at intervals almost level.
BY constant practice ] managed at
last to ride my tifty-two-inch Universe.
ty roadster up the whole slope to the
Spondulix, Of course resting on levels,
but my chief delight was the coasting
down again it required kill, a good
deal of nerve, and "a firm grasp of the
brake.
One evening an accident occurred to
one of the men engaged at the mine |
Instantly got out my bicycle, explain
ing that could 90 swifter than horse
down the slope. In a few minutes |
had Oh my riding suit and was off.
The night air was clear and crisp (;
the full moon, except ina few curves,
slone directly into the gluch, lighting
up the road. Leaning well back, with
my legs over the handles and firm lin
ger on the brake, | allowed the wheel to
glide down the first long slope at speed
which l had never dared t. venture be-
fore. Finding the motion safe, lallowed
the machine to run faster, and still fas-
ter. Over the first level shot like an
arrow. Down the next slope l seemed
10 glide with the rushing wind. Then
| turned a curve and ran into the shaC
ow of the mountain upon the next level.
Knowing every inch Of the road, how
ever, did not slacken my speed, except
very slightly.
AS flew over the top Of the next
slope, a steep plunge Of nearly half a
mile, another curve completely shut out
the moon, making the road almost as
dark as a pocket. Here put down the
brake hard, and checked my speed ma
terially. Still knew the road so well
that had no fear. But just as | was
on the steepest plunge OF the slope
Clink
Something flew from the machine
Ike a bullet. Instantly the wheel
darted forward like the rush of a frigh'
tened bird, while the brake lever came
home TO the steering bar under my fin.
ger.
The brake had broken short off at the
elbow
There was nothing to check the ma
chine, which was running away with
me, with over five miles Of mountain
grade before me, and the chance OF
meeting team at any moment III the
dark. | might have lcaped backward
off the machine AT the instant of the
break, hut five seconds afterward it was
too late. 10 attempt dismount would
be certain death. There was nothing tU
do but stick to the saddle and take my
chances.
When the accident happened to the
brake was just entering a dark curve
in the shadow Of the mountain. The
wall on my right appeared a dark,
almost invisible brown, while the chasn
on my left was of an inky b:ackness
As rounded the hollow of the curve
| could see the moonlight shining far
ahead on the point Q the elbow which
must turn where the road was chan.
nelled into the wall AS | approached
il had the sense and nerve to run on
the outer side Of the road, close to the
edge of the canon, thus giving myself
as broad turn as possible. found by
the trat k of the wheel afterwards that
at til" sharpcst turn had actually rid
den within three inches Of the extreme
edge for several rods where, if ! had
been going alta less fearful speed, the
wheel would certainly have slip
ped over the edge and carried me down
Il fall of 1000 feet.
Safely past this, the worst point, the
remaining curves were easy. My
actions were more instructive than
reasoning. My mind was IL wild, con-
fused whiri Of sensations and fears.
But now, Us i shot down the last
steep incline, suddenly l experienced
a terrible mental shock. TWAS caused
by hearing the tinkle ola bell far be-
low and seeing the spark Of IL lantern
such as the mine transfers carry in
front of their wagons. There was a
team, perhaps train of teams, coming
up the road If the teamstcr was
walking beside his team he would be
on the inside, next TO the mou tain
wall, and the team would be in the
middle of the road If he was riding,
the team would be kept near the noun
tain wall, and at q safe distance from
thr outer edge of the track. Either
way my best chance was to pass on the
outsi e. AS | approached, therefore, |
ran close to the outside edge Of the
track, and flew by it safely, hearing
the teamster shout as did so. Here
it was lucky that | was going at such
speed, for the teamster saw the red
| light of my lantern when | was nearly
started his team toward the outer edge
of the road, so as to give me the safest
passage ON the inside but | passed
him before the team could be driven
over, Otherwise | should have surely
run into them.
And now the wheel ran along the
level to the bottom Of the mountain
still my trighttlll velocity did not per-
ceptibly dinin sh. ran on past the
works, and into and along the villag"
street. Luckily the street was covered
thinly with sand-not enough to make
it bad riding, but sufficiently to gradn-
ally slopa Coasting wheel. My speed
slackcnrd perreptibly. Still | ran
Learly through the village, and then
managed to turn n broad corner and up
the slope of il side street, which finally
checked my speed so that ! ventured to
drop my feet cautiously and take the
pedals, after touching them as they
came up 70. u number of revolutions, to
help check the machine.
And 50 finally stopped and lraped
10 the ground exactly in front of DR..
Camerun's house.
On mounting at the mine house
had looked at my watch, after u habit
| had and now from the same habit,
| looked at it again, ! was not aston
isll-d to find that had made the nine
miles from the mine to the Doctors
a few seconds less than thirteen min
ules. Allowing six and a quarter
for the first two miles, before the brake
gave way, and / must have made the
last seven miles in less than six and
minutes. firmly believe
that I covered seven III les in less than