The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-28

eye WIS glued to the little giant who was
hanging to tho rear wheel of the tnndom
as though held there by invisible wires.
Another shout arose rs the quarter was
covered In % Is seconds and tho record
breaker kept on ut undiminishod speed.
Nearing tho ono third mile mark a second
tandem got under Roadway and picked
Bliss up In magnificent style rs no nego-
tlatcd tho distance in 81 2-5 seconds
On, OH tho little giant flow, his remark
able speed and his clean, graceful riding
ovoking murmurs of admiration from tho
excited spectators. His body seemed as
rigid rs Il statue as it Rugged tho upper
bar of tho frame of his wheel, but tho 1.-THE.
muscular legs below wcro working like
pstons as tho half milo was reclcd off in
53 3-5 seconds. At tho two-thirds pole,
which was reached in minute 10 10 sec
onds, Bliss was picked up by the third
tandem, which spurtod like mad for home,
with tho pluclly little record breaker cling.
Ing to 1t like u lcech and pedaling for oil
he was worth. When tho watches showed
minute and 25 seconds for three quarters
of u mile, the excitement became intense.
4olls of encouragement filled tho mir, and
as the tandem came on toward the tape at
terrific speed, with Bliss hanging onto
the roar wheel with the tenncity and pluck
of Il bulldog, and finished the mile in the
now worlds record time of minute "a As
seconds, tho air was rent by enthusiastic
cheers. Bliss had cut the record by is
seconds and had ridden the fastest reru-
larry paced milo tho world had ever seen.
After n short rest Bliss wont mt tho
standing start mile record of 2 minutes
2-5 of n second made last October by Hnr-
ry g. Tyler mt Springfield, Mass. Bliss
was again paced in good style by two tan
denis and lowered the record to on even
minutes
Bliss Is ono of tho smallest riders on tho
path today, but he seems able to 20 as fast
as anything that PAGES him. Tho mighty
zimmerman, who ad1nires Bliss very
much, says that if u locomotive went by
the Pocket Hercules he would simply
tack on" to tho iron horse and hang
there, no matter how much steam were
put on. Bliss is 90 years old and weighs
about 1875 pounds. He began attracting
attention as II racing man in 1902 by rid
Ing q mile ut Columbus, o., in minutes
ID seconds, which was then remarkably
fast time. He was also the second mnn
to cut under Willie Windle's worlds rec
ord mile of 3:l5, and last year he and his
stable mate, NJ. f. Dirnbcrger, together
broke about all records against timo from
tho short distances up to one mile but tho
records were not allowed on account of
Bliss has beaten many Of tho best rid.
ers in America in hotly contested races
and is almost rs successful in competition
as he is when he goes against the watch.
Last year he won prizes valued ut SO, 300
and received II liberal salary for riding
certain make of wheel His recent records
are wonderful exhibitions of speed, but
they will without doubt bc broken before
tho snow flios
New tracks, new wheels, pneumatic
tires and expert pacing have played havoc
with Father Time during the past eight
years, and in the great struggle bicyclists
have far outstripped tho trotters and pa
GERS. In 1886 the ordinary or high bicycle
was still in its glory, and tho best time on
record for a mile was the 2:29 As of Will
liam a. Rowe made at Springfield. Mass.
Oct % of that year. Among trottcrs gal
liant old Maud 5 was still the queen. with
hor worlds record mile in 2:OS3{, made
previous year.
During the eight years since 1856 the
trotters, represented by Sunol and Nancy
Hanks and aided by tho kite shaped track
and the pneumatic tired sulky have she.
cccded In chipping AZ seconds from the
record and placing the worlds mark Mt
2:04. The bicyclsts have done much bet
ter. In 1890 Willie Windlc began his
great record breaking career by lowering
tho mile ordinary to 2:25 80 MT PEORIA.
Ills, Sept. -. About this time the safe.
ty bicycle began to make its presence felt,
and the same day u. i. Bcrlo rode "A mil,