The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-30
BICYCLE VS..
LOCOMOTIVE
st. LGuis Cyclist to 90 Mile 10 Sixty
Seconds.
HIS FEAT WILL BE DANGEROUS
Arrangements Made for the Trial Near
Granite City, ILL.,, on the Track OF
the st. L., &. and 81. r. ROad..E.
f. Anderson is the Rider. Master
Mechanic Will Manage the Engine.

| st. Louis. July 29.-Evan F.. Ander-
son. the professional cyclist. will either
ride one mile in less than one minute
on Sunday, August 3. or be dashed to
death In the attempt. All the arrange
ments have been made for the trial.
which Is to take place near Granite
City, ILL.,. on the track of the st. Louis,
Chicago and St. Paul railroad. A fast
| locomotive in the service Of the railroad
Will be used as a pace maker" for the
reckless cyclist. and the affair will be
the most exciting trial of speed the
world has ever known.
Master Mechanic Killen, of the st.
Louis. Chicago and st. Paul railroad.
| will look after the engine, which has
| already been selected. 1t is engine No.
Z, and was built especially for speed.
No. was made by it's builders to go
eighty miles an hour. and has already
been pressed the sixty miles an hour.
The engine and tender together weigh
not less than $4,000 pounds.
WILL DRAW OUT HIS SPEED.
| Two ends are to be served in using the
| locomotive as 'pacemaker." The first
and most important is the protection
| from the air which the great mass of
steel will give the rider. and the sec
ond Is the superior speed which, it Is
| believed. will be drawn out of the BIZ
| cycle. The resistance offered by the air
has always been the obstacle to great
speed in cycling. In order to more per-
fectly protect himself from the atmos-
phere. young Anderson proposes to
board up the rear of the engine from the
| top Of the tank to within half an inch
of the rail. The boards will also extend
some distance beyond the rear end or
| the tank, and this, Anderson says. Will
give him a complete shield against the
air. That part of the track on which
Anderson Is to ride behind the mighty
'pacemaker" covers two miles near the
| little town Of Granite City. about ten
miles from St. Louis. 1t Is the smooth
est and most solid two miles OF the
ruadbed Anderson allows himself anu
his engine one-half mile Of track in
| which to get up speed and another
| half mile in which to slow up. The
roadbed between the tracks will be- laid
| In planking set lengthwise and made
smooth as a billiard table. No better
material for the purpose could be de-
yised. The track is perfectly straight
and perfectly level 50 that in his terrific
ride the cyclist will not be required to
turn corners, pedal up or down hill. or
swerve an inch from his straightway
course.
MAY BE- DASHED TO PIECES.
That the trial will be dangerous in
| tn. extreme there can be no kind OF
doubt. Indeed. there are those who say
| that Anderson's chances OF coming out
| of It alive are not one In fifty. lf the
| engine should slacken its speed the
rider will bump into 1t and be crushed.
Should his front wheel strike pebble
thrown into the track by the air the
rider will be flung against the side
boarding. Should his strength fail
him and the engine pass on, leaving
him behind, the mighty suction caused
by the thrush OF the atmosphere OH
both sides into the partial vacuum left
by its passage will toss the rider and
his wheel into the air and Kill him be-
fore he has a chance to light on the
solid earth.
| All these objections to his plans have
been urged on the young daredevil.
but he claims to have provided FOR
them ALL To obviate the rear-end col
lision he has devised board to act
as d fender. The boards built up about
the sides of the engine will prevent
pebbles from being thrown on the
track, and Anderson has sufficient faith
in his heart. lungs and nerves to be-
licve that he will be enabled to main
tain the pace set by the engine. and
thus save himself from being killed by
the air suction that would whirl him
about as a feather in case he should
fall behind.
Ande rson will make several practice
rides with his engine in front. The
first will be run in about 22O. Then he
will graduate the time until he fol-
low !; the locomotive over mile of the
track il. che minute and twenty-five.
seconds. and then will come the gu q.
preme trial.
The gear will probably be 10 inches
with the air resistance overcome this
enormous gear will be as easy to push
along as q s-ventytwo inch gear un-
der ordinary conditions.
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