The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-15
Record for Human Speed Is Set by
Plucky E. E. Anderson.
ENGINE WAS HIS PACE.MAKER
Remarkable Feat Was Accomplished
at Oldenburg, ,Ill...I.imit Is Not Yet
Reached. Track Of Board Plank
Was Used..WheeIman Finished but
Three Seconds Behind the Painting
Locomotive.

The feat was performed under cOndi-
tions not the most favorable but the
attempt at a speed of one mile min
ute clearly demonstrates that the rider
can make it in less than sixty sec
Onds. This Anderson may try to do 1t
within the next two weeks, probably
Sunday, August 90, If arhrangements
can be made with the railroad. He rode
ninety-two-gear instead Of 120-gear
wheel, as first intended, and this fact
adds to the wonder of the feat when the
rapidity of the revolutions of the pedals
is considered.
TORPEDOES USED AS MARlERS.
The affair was managed admirably.
The Bluff Line train. which left the
Union station at 1.30 o'clock, made the
run to Alden. ILL.,, ten miles above the
Merchants bridge without delay. In a
short time engine No. and the es-
pecially prepared coach We're on the
main track. After the guests. officials,
timers and reporters We're on hand,
Engineer Ed. Eberle. who was greatly
enthused over the task he was about
to undertake. took spin down the road
torpedoes We're on hand. and on the re-
turn trip fixed them to the track. They
were placed on the start and finish OF
the mile. and these points were also
marked by two white flags, but these,
in addition to the whistle Of the engine
were insufficient to guide the cyclists.
A second trip was made at thirty
miles an hour. with Anderson following
In his trials he had not used torpedoes
and he did not know whether or not
their noise would be audible to him
behind the coach. He crossed the
starting line. heard the cartridges. and
went half a mile at a speed of thirty
miles an hour.
The second run followed few min
ues later. 1t was intended as a warm
up" to accustom Anderson to the tor
pedoes and a high speed. Engineer
Eberle set his double stacked engine
for fifty miles an hour and Anderson
followed for a quarter of a mile after
the speed was attained. He did not
hear the torpedoes at the start going
at that speed. and it was seen that
they We're useless except as an aid to
the timers, who rode on the back plat
form.
HOW THE FEAT WAS DONE.
The third trial was the last. Ander-
son retired to Mr.. Oldenburg's house
and was rubbed down by his faithful
colored trainer, Edward Buckner While
lying on the couch he displayed not
the slightest sign of having made any
muscular eXertion. nor was he in
perspiration which one would expect
after following a train at fifty-mileS-an
hour speed. When he appeared for
the final trial he looked as fresh as
before. He wore goggles to prevent
cinders from flying in his eyes. and
also wore sleeves and a cloth around
his neck as a protection against hot
cinders. which had burned him yester-
day in his trial heats.
At the starting point nearly 100 per-
sons had gathered, and as Anderson
gave the word to go there was dead
silence instead of shouts, which bespoke
dread and not enthusiasm at the
thought Of bicyclist racing aginst time
behind an engine and train. Slowly the
coach moved away from the platform.
and when 100 feet had been covered it
took spurt. Anderson had his eye
fixed on the white streak of paint on the
black boarding of the path. and that
was the only object i'm life to him for the
next two minutes. He did not let 1t get
away further than ten feet until within
500 feet of the finish.
RIDES BEHIND DEAFENING DIN.
Engineer Eberle pulled his throttle
wide open after passing the first quar-
ter, and the engine, coaches and bicycle
went by the start of the mile at fifty
eight miles an hour. The torpedoes ex-
ploded. the engine whistled and the
riders friends shouted to him to keep
up. He was deaf to all individual
sounds. The roar of the train, the rush
ing of wind and the sOupd of the heavy
mass going over the boarded track Gre
ated a din that deafened and almost
terrified him.
When Anderson realized that he was
on the mile he bent slightly and pedaled
away. keeping almost against the iron
rod that was meant to keep him at a
safe distance from the car. Several
times he almost struck it. Before a
quarter of the mile was run the speed
recorder in the engine registered sixty
two miles an hour and this speed was
maintained until the finish.
At a point almost midway between
start and finish a wagon road crosses
the track and causes a grade of about
one foot in fifty feet. Anderson lost a
few feet on this slight raise, but on the
down grade he felt in danger of COL
liding with the guard and back ped
aled. 1t could hardly be called pres
sure on the rising pedal, but it was
enough to pull him fifteen to twenty
feet from the train.
LONGEST MILE HE EVER RODE.
He quickly put on more power.
caught the train again and rode close
up until within 500 feet of the finish.
Everyone on the platform was breath
less with excitement. and a shout was
given by a few when they realized
how near was the finish. Suddenly
Anderson drew away from the train
and second or two later the torpedo
at the finish exploded. Anderson said
after the race that he thought he
heard the torpedoes, since the mile
had been the longest he had ever rid
den. and he was waiting to hear the
| noise that would announce the finish.
He stopped a short distance from
the finish flag and the train came to
stop within three-fifths of a mile.
Returning to the starting point the
train picked up the rider and cheers
greeted the train bearing the hero all
along the course.
William Laing and Douglas w. Rob-
ert We're on either side of the platform.
where they could hear the torpedoes.
They gave their entire attention to
this and held stop watches. The train,
they declared. made the mile in sixty
seconds hut AndersOn did not ron oh