The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-06

In riding a quarter In 10 70 SECONDS. was
satisfied by this perform ance that l could
get the mile in minute fiat or better. No
yemb Der 2 we had another windstorm and
l again tried the mile. This time the
wind shifted around to my side just as l
arrived at the course and the best l could
do was % LIS.
con Novem Der the wind blew strongly
and direct from the west. About noon
the wind was at the highest, and l Sc
cured two timers and three witnesses and
went out to the course which is consider
ably higher than the highest building in
the cit y. The course over which / rode
was about half mile east of the course
which Dennis used. On the course over
which Dennis rode there is climb of
about thirty feet in the mile. In the first
half of the course over which rode there
is a drop of over fifty feet and a climb of
probably twenty feet in the last half. The
road was in excellent shape, with the ex-
option of the stretch of adobe near the
half, which was somewhat rough for about
thirty feet.
Il started about 100 yards back of the
beginning of the mile and was under full
speed by the time l reached the mark.
All went we'll until l reached the adobe
stretch, when the jar threw me out of
the saddle, but was going at such rate
1t was Tor an instant only. My feet were
firmly fastened to the pedals and it was
Impossible for me to be thrown from the
wheel, the only danger being breakage
or collision with some unlooked-for OBJ
ject. The time OF the start was 1:07:31 3-5
he ieI I
Il rode track-racing bicycle weighing
twenty pounds and fitted with road-racing
tires. 1t was geared to 100 inches. am
inclined to think this record will stand Tor
long time. Yours, very truly.
STANLEY M. BARRows."
Mr.. Barrows only tells part OF the
story. To him the story consists of what
he knew of his ride as he made it on his
wheel. There is another view, which is
equally interesting, and that is the view
of the persons who saw the race. They
say it was sight worth going long way
to see. In their opinion Barrows could
race with bullet with fair chance of sue
cess. While the ground on which the ride
was taken is known as plain, it is mere<'
ly so by com parison, for the course that
Barrows rode is down hill the first half
mile and up hill the second half, although
the grace is not so very difficult. The
tape was laid at each end of the mile, and
Barrows wheeled back 100 yards before he
started on the ride that made him fam
Gus.
The wind was blowing hurricane and
when he went over the tape where Bert
Y ardley, the time keeper, stood ne seemed
to have been condensed into fash. The
stop-watch registered 1907 3-5. By the
time Yardley managed to get his eye on
Barrows the rider was out of hearing. He
had passed the wind. The hurricane
which should have been blowing hi m
along before it, could not keep up wit b
him. Instead of being driven by the
wind he was in reality acting as pace
maker for it and had to meet a lively
breeze caused by his tremendous momen-
tum. Think OF beating hurricane. Was
ever such feat accomplished by human
being before? Old Boreas must have
hung his head in shame.
Before the man at the other end OF the
mile realized what was happening, some
thing went over the tape-line in front of
HIM, and he stopped his watch mechani-
cally. When he managed to turn his ewes
down the road to see what it was, he dis
covered Barrows at least quarter of
mile away. apparently pedaling along for
all he was worth. Really he was trying to
stop, but there are easier things to bring
to standstill than bicycle that has been
travelling mile In less than a minute.
Frank c. Wolff. who was the timekeeper
at the last end of the mile, had got his
breath by this time, and looked at his
watch. 1t registered ! :0s Is. This meant
that the mile had been travelled in SO 3-5
seconds.
After while Barrows managed TO re-
turn from his overtime trip, and found
that he had done what he had hoped to
do, and had broken every record that
any body had ever tried to make on a
wheel. No one who saw the race was sur
prised. Not one OF them had ever be-
lieved such speed was in a wheel. 1t must
be remembered, too, that Barrows beat
the urricane, therefore it cannot be said
that the hurricane helped him along. It