Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03
ADARING FEAT OF BICYCLIsTs.

How Three Experts Rode Down Mount
Washington from the Very Summit.
Last Thursday c. F. A. Beckers, j. S.
Rogers and Arthur Young, three expert
bicyclists of st. Louis, says the Boston
Post, performed the hazardous feat of de-
scending Mount Washington on their
Columbia machines. They reached the
summit on Tuesday night. The brakes of
each machine were furnished with two
levers, one on either side Of the head and
working independent of the other, so that
in case one should break the rider would
be able to control the machine with the
other lever. 1t rained hard all night, and
the next morning, although the weather
was fair. the wind blew such hurricane
that twenty feet from where they started
they were blown of their wheels. A sec
Ond attempt met with no better success,
so the wheelmen wisely concluded to
defer another trial to the next day. 1t
rained steadily during the afternoon and
night, but cleared away the next morn
ing.
At about 9 O'Clock they jumped on their
wheels, and encouraged by assurances
from the people who witnessed their start
that they would never reach the bottom
alive, started on their perilOus ride. The
roads. from the previous heavy rains,
were very soft and wet. Less than 100
yards from the start they struck an un-
usually soft place, resulting in grand
header for all three. They soon, however,
regained their saddles by taking the
pedal mount" The pedal mount, and
at the same time throwing one leg over
the handle bars, is the only safe way to
mount a machine on steep down grade.
They quickly got both legs over the ham
die bars, and, leaning far back, ''let her
90" The double brake levers were found
TO be of great service in resting the hands.
for. being applied together, but little
power was required to keep the brake
pressed close TO the tire.
For the first mile they kept well to-
gether, but then Beckers began to gain on
the Others, and in another mile was entirely
lost sight OF. A number of headers had
by tins time been taken by each of the
riders, but none proved of consequence,
except a fall received by Rogers while
trying TO coast fOOt-deep washOut across
the road, when the wheel struck him on
the head. The wheel also received some
damage, so that quite a long stop was
necessary to repair il. Young and Rogers
did not mind this much, however. for they
felt confident that Beckers would take
good care Of the record. Soon after they
started again they began to find, strewn
along the road, novels, comb and brushes,
ties, scaTf-pins, mountain souvenirs, etc.,
and on the curve at the halfway house
flew by the m. l. p" bag belonging on
Beckers' machine. They were, of course,
very much frightened at this, for they
! thought that perhaps he had jumped of
the cliff. 1t was found out afterwards,
however, that Beckers' bag had become
open without his knowledge, and finally
dropped down INTO the bicycle wheel, but
with no more serious result than a header
for the rider.
After leaving the halfway house the
rest of the distance was accomplished
with ease, as compared with the road
/ they had TO ride over for the first five OF
six miles. In many of the steepest
places the road was very narrow, not
more than 8 feet in width, with a yawn-
ing chasm or raYine on one side to
heighten the pleasure of the ride.
They, however, finally all arrived safely
at the Glen House, where they found
| gathered large crowd anXiOusly wait
| ing for them. Betting had been heavy
| that they would not come down alive
I Beckers made the descent in exactly As
minutes to the base and 81 minutes to the
/ Glen House. The others did not hurry
/ and came down in hour and IA minutes
The feat is certainly one of the most re-
( markable ever accomplished on the bicy.
/ Gle and il is not likely there will be many
I imitatOrs. A count of the headers taken
/ shows that Beckers received Z, Young II
/ and Rogers II.