Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-08-02

eye was glued to the little giant who was
hanging to the rear wheel of the tandem
as though held there by invisible wires.
Another shout arose as the quarter was
covered In 80 3 seconds and tho record
breaker kept on at undiminished speed.
Nearing the onet third mile mark second
tandem got under Roadway and picked
Bliss up in magnificent style as he nogo-
Itiatod tho distance in 81 2-5 seconds.
On, on the little giant flew, his remark
able speed and his clean, graceful riding
evoking murmurs of admiration from the
excited spectators His body seemed as
rigid rs d statue MS 10 Rugged tho upper
bar of the frame Of his wheel, but the 1.-the
muscular legs below were working like
pistons MS the half mile was rceled off in
53 80 seconds. At tho two-thirds pole
which was reached in minute Is Is sec
onds, Bliss was picked up by the third
tandem, which spurted like mad for home
with tho plucky little record breaker cling
ing to it like lecch and pedaling for all
he was worth. When the watches showed
minute and % seconds for three-quarters
of n milo, the excitement became intense
Yclls of encouragement filled the air. and
rs the tandem camo on toward the tape at
terrific speed, with Bliss hanging onto
the rear wheel with the tenacity and pluck
of a bulldog, and finished the mile in the
new world record time of minute 81 As
seconds, the air was rent by enthusiastic
cheers Bliss had cut the record by Is
seconds and had ridden the fastest regu-
larly paced mile the world had ever seen.
After a short rest Bliss went at the
standing start milo record of minutes
2-5 of second made last October by Har-
ry G. Tyler at Springfield, Mass. Bliss
was again paced In good style by two tan
dcms and lowered the record to an even 3
minutes.
Bliss is one of the smallest riders on the
path today, but he seems able to go rs fast
as anything that PAGES him. The mighty
Zimmerman, who admires Bliss very
much, says that If locomotive went by
tho Pocket Hercules" he would simply
tack on to tho iron horse and hang
there, no matter how much steam were
put on. Bliss is % years old and weighs
about 1876 pounds. He began attracting
attention MS racing man in 1892 by rid
ing n milo at Columbus, o., in minutes
10 seconds, which was then remarkably
fast time He was also the second man
to cut under Willie Windle's worlds rec
ord mile of 2:15, and last year he and his
stable mate, NJ. +. Dirnberger, together
broke about all records against time from
the short 4 stances up to one mile, but the
records wCrn uot allowed on account of
the fac; Gat h0lses were used in pacing.
Bills h8s haatGn many Of the best rid
ers in america in holly contested races
and is almost 9s successful in competition
as he is when be goes against the watch
Last year he won prizes valued at Sc, 800
and received "A liberal salary for riding
certain make of wheel. His recent records
are wonderful exhibitions of speed, but
they will without doubt be broken before
the snow flies
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 the trotters and pa
GERS. In 1886 the ordinary or high bicycle
WAS still in its glory, and the best time on
record for mile was the 2:29 As of Will
liam A. Rowe made at Springfield Mass,
Oct 90, of that year. Among trotters gal
liant old Maud S was still the queen, with
her worlds record mile in 2;0SA, made
with running mate at Chenille, o., the
previous year.
During the eight years since 1856 the
trotters, represented by Sunol and Nancy
Hanks and aided by the kite shaped track
and the pneumatic tired sulky, have sue
ceeded in chipping Az seconds from tho
record and placing the worlds mark as
1904. Tho bicyclists have done much bet
ter. In 1890 Willie Windle began his
great record breaking career by lowering
the mile ordinary to 1926 3-5 at Peoria,
His, Sept. 10. About this time the safe
" bicycle began to make its presence felt,
and the same day P. ]. Berlo rode mile
on safety In ESQ, the fastest on record
at the time.
In 1881 Windle cut the ordinary record
70 s:.s 20 at Hartford, Sept. 0, in compe-