The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-17
THE BIKE
An Ohio Bicyolist's Terrible Race
with Reptiles
BY Remarkable Presence OF Mind the
Wheelmal Finally Disposes of His
Dangerous Travelling Conn
panions.


A most peculiar and interesting snake
story is told by bicyclist who rode
one of the relays in TIE race across
Ohio from Sandusl1y to Portsmouth re
Gently. 1t viii be remembered that
the entire distance Of two hundred and
fourteen miles was covered ii twelve
and one-quarter hours, and from, teis
it VIII be seen that at no time could
the speed have been slow.
The rider declares, according % an
eastern exchange, that while wheeling
ct good gait he reached the top Of a
long slope which gradually dropped to
the bed of stream When near the
bottom of the hill his speed must have
been nearly a twenty-fve-mile gait
While going at this speed he discovered
what he took TO be limb lying across
the road. As he came closer and when
too late TO turn out he discovered that
the supposed limb was snake about
ten feet long. and just beyond second
reptile Of nearly equal length.
His wheel struck the nearer snake
and went over easily. but the reptile in
some way gave warning to its cOmpan-
ion, which raised its head and struck
savagely at the shimmering spokeS.
The snakes head passed between the
spolles near the hub. and the snake
fastened its fangs on the spokes at the
opposite side of the wheel.
The effect Of this was to slacken the
speed of the bicycle, and the rider was
almost thrown from his wheel by the
=. ! I.
and kept his machine going straight
ahead. It was remarka bic that the
knifelike revolutions of the spokes did
not cut the snake in two, but the long
body of the snake was drawn within
the wheel, and the centrifugal force
threw it close to the felloe. where it
lay curled around the circumference of
the wheel and was quite safe.
The rider dared not stop for fear of
being bitten and was afraid of increas-
ing his speed lest the snake should slip
from the wheel and becoming entan-
gled throw him to the ground. He no.
ticed, however, that his speed was be
coming gradually less, but attributed
this TO the fact that he was now going
uphill and to the weight of the reptile.
But as he reached the top of the hill
he heard scraping and kissing noise
behind him and turned to ascertain the
cause; he was Mortified to see that the
second and larger snake was also
caught in his bicycle aud was holding
On by its tail.
The wheelman now decided to in
crease his speed, IN order to shake his
second enemy, and strained every mus
Gle to attain a higher speed, but the
dead weight of the snake dragging in
the dust behind proved too much for his
already tried muscles. With two miles
to go before he met the next relay, he
was in a quandary as to how he would
escape, but, glancing back, he saw that
the snake had twined its tail around
the little step by which rider mounts
4 bicycle.
The step was of the pattern called
the rat trap" because of its sharp
teeth on the upper side. The wheel
man, taking in the situation, reached
back with his left foot and brought the
heel of his shoe down forcibly upon the
snakes tail, completely severing 1t and
causing the snake to drop off.
The reptile Kissed and started in pur
suit, but the bicycle was easily kept in
the lead. A farmer came along and
being attacked by the snake killed it.
The bicyclist short distance further
on finished his run Aiming himself
with a club, he examined his wheel,
and found that the other snake was
dead, and not only that, but it was
literally cut into small bits The cen
trifugal force had been so great that it
had forced the body of the snake deeper
and deeper into the apex of spokes,
and the reptile was cut into chunks
and had to be removed bit by bit.