Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-02-11
A Lightning Bicycle Ride.


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 hum
dred feet to the mile; in some places
it was sleeper, and at intervals almost
level.
BY constant practice managed at
last to ride my ffty-two-inch "Uni-
versity" roadster up the whole slope
to the Spondulix, of course resting at
levels, but my 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, ex-
planning that l could 90 swifter than
a horse down the slope. In few
minutes I 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, lighting
up the road. Leaning we'll back
with my legs over the handles, and a
firm finger on the brake, I allowed
the wheel to glide down the first>long
slope at a speed which 1 had never
dared to venture before. Finding
the motion safe, allowed the machine
to run faster, and still faster. Over
the first level I shot like an arrow.
Down the next slope I seemed to
glide on the rushing wind. Then l
turned a curve and ran into the
shadow Of the mountain upon the
next level. Knowing every inch of
the road, however, 1 did not slacken
speed, except very slightly.
As 1 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 a pocket. Here 1 put
down the brake hard, and checked
my speed materially. Still, l knew
the road so well that | had no fear.
But just as 1 was upon the steepest
plunge of the slope '''
Something few 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. 80
The brake had broken short off in
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 team any moment
in the dark. I might have leaped
backwards off the machine at the
instant of the break, but FIVE seconds
afterward it was too late. To attempt
a 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 ] 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 chasm on my left was Of an inky
blackness. AS l rounded the hollow
of the curve l could see the moolight
shining far ahead on the point of the
elbow which / must turn where the
road was channeled into the wall. AS
/ approached it / had the sense and
nerve to run OH the outer
side of the road, close to the
edge of the caffon, thus giving myself
as broad turn as possible. found
by the track of the wheel afterward
that at the sharpest point l had actu-
ally ridden within three inches of the
extreme edge for several rods, where,
if / had been going at less fearful
speed, the wheel would certainly have
slipped over the edge and carried me
down fall of one thousand feet. '
Safely past this, the worst point,
the remaining curves were easy. Thus
far there had been no time to think.
My actions we're more instructive
than reasoning. My mind was
wild, confused whirl of sensations
and fears.
.s'I 1gI 49, fE+s.
But now, as 1 shot down the last
steep incline, suddenly Inexperienced
terrible mental shock. 1t was
caused by hearing the tinklc 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! Ina few seconds
I should be upon them, The shock
made me think, and that clearly. If
the teamster was beside his team, he
would be on the inside, next. to the
the mountain wall, and the team