Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-12-19

fence surrounding the track. head hfst.
and after turning somersault w1ich
would have done credit to a profession
| al tumhler, landed ON his feet In the
midst of crowd of spectators. Hicks
| was also thrown over the rail, end
| after performing some wonderful ana
intricate mldair contortions, FOUND
himself sitting In seat among the
holders of reserve tickets. Owens was
the only man of the three who remain
ell on the track. and II took four at
PENDANTS the best part of ten minutes
to get him untangled from the three
wrecked wheels.
Yet none of the men were hurt, al
though the wheels hay in ruins; and
when other machines We're provided
they started out again and rode 10 Il
finish. When the three men came to-
gether they We're riding at Il record
breaking pace. and there was not
person who witnessed the collision but
thought that one at least of the men
would receive serious ii not fatal in
juries.
Yet another case Is that OF George
ptitfer, well known wheelman, who,
while scorchlng with three compan-
ions. managed in some way To get his
wheel mixed up with one beside him,
Pfiffer rose into the air as IL he had
received Il kick from u eatapult and
when he landed he was sitting astride
IL stone wall ten feet away, wondering
how lie got there. but uninjured.
His companion in the Shakesup pick
ell himself up from the middle OF the
road, and after careful examination
all the damage he could find consisted
roadbed literally distributed over his
person and rent In his new knlcker-
bockers In this instance the protect
ing spirit of the wheelman was partlc-
ularly well disposed. for the wheels
We're practically mlniured
OF all tumbleS on record. however,
which seemingly started out Tor trlg
etly and ended in comedy, that recent
ly taken by owens on the Olympic
track takes the lead. lie was In the
race to win. ana victory seemed almos,
within his grasp. The spectators had
already begun to applaud him and the
finish was hardly "A length away. sud
denly-no one can tell just how IL hap
pened-Dwens' wheel struck the In
side fence. The wheel halted abrupt
ly; the rider did not. He kept right on
in the direction he was headed. and
did not stop until he found himself Ia
the judges stand. IL was even money
as to who was the most surprised. the
rider, the judges or the spectators NJ
this most unexpected ending Of what
seemed mt the moment Of It's happening
u most serious accident
Perhaps one OF the most marvellous
escapes that ever wheelman had
from death was that OF A. j. Boyle Of
Jersey City, who. while riding down
what IL known as the Gorge road,
which runs from the top OF the Pail
sades down to the river. lost control Of
his machine and narrowly escaped be-
ing carried over the edge Of the elf.
His machine Went over and was dash.
ed To pieces on the Jagged rocks sew
enty-fiye feet below, while Boyle. at
the very edge Of the prtcipice. threw
himself from the wheel and escaped
with only a severe shaking up ana
few bruises.
These are but few os the many In.
stances where the traditional wheel.
mems luck" has seemed To Interfere 10
save the rider from what seemed 10 b.
Inevitable death. To the majority Of
persons II II an unexplained mystery,
but the cycle racer settles II TO his own
satisfaction when he attributes his
many escapes 20 his good angel, or
lucky star."-St. Louis Globe. Demo-
crat.