The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-07-18
Here's q Big Snake Story.

"a MOSG pecul1hF duo Ah1SloeoAnS
snake story is told by bicyclist Who
rode one of the relays in the race
across Ohio from Sandusky to Ports
mouth recently. It will be remem-
bered that3the entire distance Of 214
miles was covered in 124 hours, and
from this it will be seen that at no
time could the speed have been slow.
The rider declares that while wheel
ing at good gait, he reached the top
Of a long slope, which gradually drop
ped to the bed of stream. When
near the buttom Of the hill his speed
must have been nearly 25-mile gait.
While going at this speed he discover
ed what he took to be limb lying
across the road. AS he came closer,
and too late to turn out, he discovered
that the supposed limb was snake
about 10 feet long, and just beyond,
a second reptile Of nearly equal length.
His wheel struck the nearest snake
and went over easily, but the reptile
in some way gave warning to its COM
panion, which raised its head and
struck savagely at the shimmering
spokes. The snakes head passed be-
tween the spokes 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
sudden stop, but maintained his seat
and kept his machine going straight
ahead. It was remarkable that the
knife-like revolutions Of these 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 circum-
ference of the wheel and 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
entangled, throw him to the ground:
He noticed, however, that his speed
was becoming gradually less, but
attributed this to the fact that he was
going up the hill and to the weig ght 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 horri-
fed to see that the second and larger
snake was also caught in the bicycle
and 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
muscle to attain higher speed, but
the dead weight Of the snake drag
ging in the dust behind proved too
much. for his, already tried muscles.
With two miles to go before he met
the next relay, hewas in a quandary
as toshow he would escape, but glanc-
ing back,She sawthat the snake had
twined its tail around the little step
by which rider mounts bicycle. :,
The step vas of the pattern called
the "ras trap" because Of its sharp
teeGn Oh Uue upper elue' 1uo "NSSA
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 it and causing the snake to
drop off.
The reptile Kissed and started in
pursuit, but the bicycle was easily
kept in the lead. a farmer came
along, and, being attacked by the
snake, killed it. The bicyclista a short
distance further on finished his run.
Aiming himself with a club, he e1-
amined his wheel, and found that the
other snake was dead, and not only
that, but it was literally cut into
small bits. The centrifugal force had
been so great that it had forced the
body of the snake deeper and deeper
into the apex of the spokes, and the
reptile was cut into chunks and had
to be removed bit by bit.--Ne'o York
Wor7G