Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-11-19

fence surrounding the track. head hrst,
and after turning a somersault winch
wonld have done credit TO a profession
nj tumblar. landed ON his feet in b
midst OF a crowd of spectators. HICKS
was also thrown W. the rail, and
after performing some wonderful and
Intricate mldair .ontortiOns. found
himself sitting in a eat among the
holders Of reserve tickets. Owens was
the only man If the three who remain
oil on tI,e track. anu il took four at
PENDANTS The best part OF ten minutes
10 get him untangled from the three
wrecked wheels.
YET none Of the men We're hurt al
though the wheels lay in ruins; and
when other machines We're provided
they started out again and . 20 u
finish. When the three men came 20
gethar they We're riding nj a record
breaking pace, and here was not q
person who witnessed the collision but
thought that one at least Of the men
would receive serious il not fatal in
jCries.
Yet another case is that OF George
Piffer. A Well known wheelman, who.
while %Scorching with three compan-
ions. managed in some way TO get his
wheel mixed up with one beside mm.
Phffer rose into the air as ii he had
received a kick from a catapult, and
when he landed lie "a sitting astride
a stone wall ten feet away, wondering
how he got there. but uninjured.
His companion IA the shake-up pick
ell himself up from the middle or the
road. and after n careful examination
all the damage he could find consisted
In a few scratches. a good deal OF the
rUaIbed literally distributed over his
person and u rem in his new knicker-
bockerS. In this instance the protect
ing spirit Of the wheelman was partic-
ularly well disposed. for the wheels
were practically uninjured
OF all tUmbleS on record, however,
which seemingly started cut for trlg-
eiy and ended in comedy, thar recent
Is taken by owens on the Olympic
track takes the lead. He was in the
race 10 win. and victory seemed almost
within his grasp. The spectators had
already begun 10 applaud him and the
finish was hardly Il length away. Sud
deuly-ao one can tell just how it hap
penei-Owens' wheel struck the In
side fence. The wheel halted abrupt
IL: the rider did not. He kept right on
i'm the direction he was headed, and
did not stop until he found himself in
the judges stand. 1t was v g money
as 10 who was the most surprised, the
rider. the judges or the spectators at
this most unexpected ending Of what
seemed 1T the moment Of its happening
a most serious accident.
IDl,sT,,p ~ ~. of rho mast ma f.ynlnII-
escapes that ever IA wheelman had
from death was that of A. J.. Boyle of
Jersey City. who, while riding down
what is known as the Gorge road.
which runs from the top of the Pail
sades down 70 the river, lost control of
his machine and narrowly escaped be-
inc carried over the edge Of the cliff.
His machine went over and was dash
ed to pieces on the jagged rocks e
enty-five feet below, while Boyle, at
the very edge OF the p~recipice, threw
himself from the wheel and escaped
with only a severe shaking up and a
few bruises.
These are but a few Of the many in
stances where the traditional wheel
mems luck has seemed 70 interfere to
v the rider from what seemed & o be
inevitable death. To the majority of
persons it il an uney i,lained mystery,
but the cycle racer settles il to his own
satisfaction when he attributes his
many escapes to his good angel or
lucky star."-St. Louis Globe-Demo-
arlr