The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-06-17
A LIGHTNING BICYcLE RIDE
Down IL Mountain Grade which Fell Three
Hundrod Feet to the Aiie.

Our mine, tho Spondulx of Colorado, was
the highest on tho range. It was 267O feet
tnut from the village. From the works up to
the mines there was II broad. hard. smooth road,
huuiing supplies up. The average grade down
tho monnt,lin was 800 feet to the mile in some
places 1t was sleeper. and at Intervals almost
BY constant practice / MANAGED at last to
ria" ny fity,two.inch Cniversiiy roadster %. a up
resting ut levels. but my chief delight WAS the
coastinG down again; 1t roluired skill good
One evening an accident occurred to one OF
the mon ens:ed At tn" mine infta unnii got a
minutes had on my riding suit and was on
moon. except 10 u few curves. shons directly
into the gulch. lighting up the road Leaning
T r n n WIN lin si oyer tnS G ,ha @h ah
glide down the first long slope at a speed which
I,ai never dared to venture before. Finding
faster. and still faster: Over the first level
shot in. an arrow; Down the next slosne
turned curve and ran into the shadow OF the
mountain At, upnna IN" next eys; hnoT;ing every
speed r ."s Very p slightly o' not S'"'N'n
As new over the tor OF the ne xt slope. s,esp
plunge OF nearly half mile. another curve
completely shut ont the moon making the
down the brake hard. and checked my speed
materially still know the road so well that
had no fear. But just as l was on the s,eepost
plnnSn, Of tho slope
| Something few from the machine like bull
| let. Instantly tho wheel dartcd forward like
the rush Of n frightened bird. while the brake
| lever came home to the steering bar under my
Tine brake had broken short Off Mt the elbow
| which was running away with me. with over
five miles OF mountain grade before me- and
| IN the dark might have leaped backward on
the machine ut the instant Of the break. but
five seconds afterward it vas too late To- At
| There was nothing to do but stick to the saddle
aud take my chnnces.
When this accident happened 10 the brake
was lust entering dark carve in the shadow
Of IN" mG%nn.ain Tho wall on my right az
ihe ,chasm on my left was OF an inky black noss.
As rounded the hollow of the curve could
See ,hS u, m, mooniGht t., shining Tar ahead on the
ro ID WAS channelled into the wall. As l ap-
nroaNehed il ! had the senss AID nerve to run
turn us possible. / found by the track OF the
had actually ridden within three inches Of the
eAtreme edge for several rods. where. II had
Sssn cng It less fearful sreed the wheel
carried mo down u fall OF 900 feet.
salniy pas, this the worst n point, the remain,
no time to think NV actions were more in
stinetve than reasoning: NV mind was wild.
But now. MS shot down the last steep inclne.
suddenly experienced terrible mental shock
| It was caused by hearing the tinkle Of II bell
their wagons. There WAS q team, perhaps a
train q teams; coming up the road In a few
me think, and that clearly II tho teams'er
on the inside. next to the mountain wall.
and the team would b. in the middle Of the
rsad II h" WAS TdnS tho would be- kept
| from the outer edge Of the track. Either way
my best chance was to pass on the outside. As
| approached. therefore. ran close to the out
side edge OF the truck, and flew by in safety.
hearing the tear shout rs did so. HIRE 1t
was lucky that was going at such speed. Tor
| the teamster saw the red light OF my lantern
| when WAS nearly y mile distant. and. recog-
edge OF the road. 90 as 10 give mo the safest
| Ias s ~. on the inside but passed him be-
| l should have surely run into them
And now the wheel ran along the level TO the
bottom Of the mountain; still my friKhtfui ve-
past the works. and into and along the VILLAGE %
with sand mot enough. 70 make It bad riding.
Wheel ny snssd p siSs bfSa' s
managed to turn broad corner and up the
my speed no that ven;ured to drop my isst
cautiously and take the pedals. after touching
them as they came up for number of revolu-
And so i finally stopped and Isaped to the
ground exactly in front 81 DIR. Ca meron s house.
| On mounting ut tine mine house had looked
the same habit. looked 1T 1t again. I was not
astonished to ind that had made the nine
milss from the mine 70 the Doctors In q few
six and quarter for the first two miles. before
ast ssyon gave va" and must have made the
saven ~ lies In toss than six and half minutes.