River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-06-07
ALIGHTNING BICYCLE RIDE.
Down a Mountain Grade Which Fell
Three Hundred Feet TO the Mile.

Down n Mountain Grade Which Fell
Three Hundred Feet 60 the Mile.
Orr mine, the Spon6ulix, of Colorado,
was the highest on the range. 1t was
two thousand six hundred and seventy
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 carting ore down from the mines
and hauling supplies up. The average
grade down the mountain was three hun.
dred feet to the mile; in some places il
was sleeper, and atintervals almost level.
By constant practice | managed al
last to ride my fifty-two-ineh "Univer-
sity" roadster up the whole slope to the
Spondulix, of course resting at levels,
but nv chief delight was the coasting
down again; it requires skill, a good
deal of nerve, and 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 a horse
had on my riding suit and was off.
The night air was clear and crisp: the
full moon, except in a few curves, shone
directly into the gulch, lighting up the
road. Leaning well back with my legs
over the handles, and firm finger on
the brake, | allowed the wheel to glide
down the first lying slope at a speed
which never dared to venture before.
Finding the motion safe, / allowed the
machine to run fast, and still faster.
Over the first level | shot like an arrow.
Down the next slope | seemed to glide
on 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, !
did not slacken 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 almost as
dark as pocket. Here put down the
brake hard, and checked my speed
m ,terially. Still, | know the road so
we'll that / had no fear. But just as l
was upon the steepest plunge of the
slope
Clinki
Something flew from the machine like
a bullet. Instantly the wheel darted
forward like the rush of frightened
bird, while the brake-leVer came home
to the steering bar under my finger.
The brake had broken short off in 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 any moment In the dark. | might
havd leaped backward at the instant OF
the break, but five seconds afterwards 1t
was too late. To attempt a dlsmount
would be certain death. There was no.
thing to do but stick to the saddle and
take my chances.
When the accident happened to the
brake | was just entering dark curve
in the shadow of the mountain. The
wall on my right appeared dark, al
most invisible, brown, while the chasm
on my left was of an inky blackness. AS
| rounded the hollow of the curve |
could see the moonlight shining far ahead
on the point of the elbow which | must
turn where the road was channeled IN,
to the wall. AS | approached it | 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 a
turn as possible. / found by the track
eli the wheelafterward that at the sharp
est turn | had actually ridden within
three inches of the extreme edge of sew
eral rods, where, if bad been going at
a less fearful speed, the wheel would
certainly have slipped over the edge and
carried me down fall of one thousand
feet.
safely passed this, the worst point,
the remaining curves were easy. Thus
far there had been no time to think.
Nv actions were more instructive than
reasoning, My mind was wild, con-
fused whirl of sensations and fears.
But now, as shot down the last steep
incline, suddenly | experienced sud
den mental shock. 1t was caused by
hearing the tinkle of q bell far below,
and seeing the spark of a lantern such
as the mine teamsters carry III front OF
their wagons. There was team, per
haps train of teams, coming up the
road! In few seconds | should be OPP
on them. The shock made me think
and that clearly. If the teamster was
walking beside his team, he would he
on the inside, next to the mountain
wall and the team would be in the mid
die of the road. If ne was riding, the
team would be kept near the mountain
wall, and at a safe distance from the out
er edge of the track. Either way my
best chance was to pass on the outside.
AS approached, therefore, ] ran close
to the outside edge of the track, and
flew by in safety, hearing the teamster
shout as did So Here 1t was lucky
that was going at such great speed, for
the teamster saw the red light of my
lantern when [ was nearly a mile dis
tant, and, recognizing it, he started his
team toward the outer edge of the road,
SO as to give me the safest passage on
the inside but | was upon and passed
him before the team could be driven
over, otherwise | should have surely
run into them.
And now the wheel ran along the level
at the bottom Of the mountains still my
friyhtful velocity did not perceptibly dj-
minish | ran on past the works, and
into and along the village street. Luck
ilv the street was covered thinly with
sand-not enough to make it bad riding,
but sufficient to gradually stop coastno
wheel. Ny speed slackened percept-
ibly. Still ran nearly through the viii
laee. and then managed to turn broad
corner and up the slope of a 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 mp for a number of revolu-
tons, to help to check the machine.
And 50 finally stopped and leapedt to
the ground exactly in front of DR.. Cam
eron's house.
On mounting at the mine house had
looked at my watch. after habit | had
and now, from the same habit, / looked
at it again. | was not astonished TO find
that | had made the nine miles from the
doctors in few seconds less than thir-
teen minutes Allowing six and quar-
ter for the first two miles, before the
brake gave way, and | must have made
the last seven miles in less than six and
three-quarter minutes. | firmly believe
that I covered seven in less than six end
a half minutes, incredible as such speed
seems. San Francisco ArGonaut.
Baby Worship in Art.
Correspondence of the Pail Mall Gazette.
Whit cfruck mo Ynnaf in TAKING c1Ir.