The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-04-24

stop. In almost every case, $hsweyer,
4 the rider picks himself up unhurt,
often not even scratched, and appears
in the next race none the worse for
his mishap. ..2z Z. 1@@t5sts., 5.5 - - Z. y ss'
I: "A peculiar case in point was that
which occurred at the Manhattan
Beach track on July 10. During race
in which Owens, Barbo and Hicks, all
well known men, Were riding in q
bunch, they came into collision with
one another ,and the result was sur
prising to riders and spectators alike. -.
When the three wheels struck, Barbo
shot UP into the air as if from a spring
, board. He sailed gracefully over the
fence SUIT rounding the track, head first
and after turning some1sault which
would have done credit to a profession-
al tumbler, landed on his feet in the
midst Of a crowd of spectators. Hicks
was also thrown over the rail, and
after performing some wonderful and
intricate midair contortions, found
himself sitting in a seat among the
FshO1ders OF reserve tickets. Owens was
the only man of the three who remain
ed Oh the track. and it took four at
tendants the best part of. ten minutes
to get him umtangled from the three
+ wrecked wheels. g, .-.,., sr
Yet none of the men were hurt al
/ though the. wheels lay in ruins; and
when other machines were provided
they started out again and rode to a
finish. When the three men came to-
gether they were riding at a record
breaking pace, and there was not a
person who witnessed the collision but
thought that one at least Of the men
would receive serious if not fatal in
juries. ..' 4----L
Yet another case is that of George
Pfffer, a we'll known wheelman, who,
while -scorching with three. compan-
ions, managed in some way to get his
wheel mixed up with one beside him.
Pfiffer rose into the air as if he had
received a kick from "a catapult, and
when he landed he was sitting astride
a stone wall ten feet away, wondering
! how he got there, but uninjured.. -. .:
His companion in the shake-up pick
ed himself up from the middle of the
road, and after a careful examination
all the damage he could find consisted
in a few. scratches, a good deal Of the
roadbed liberally distributed sover. his
person and q rent in his new knicker-
bockers.. In this instance the protect
ing spirit of the wheelnnan was partic-
rlarly well disposed, for the wheels
were practically uninjured.
OF all tumbles on record, however,
which seemingly started out for trag
edy and ended in comedy, that recent
ly taken by Owens on the Olympic
track takes the, lead. He was in the
race to win, and victory seemed almost
within his grasp. The spectators had
already begun. to- applaud him and the
finish was hardly a. length away. Sud
denly mo one can tell just how it hap-
ssptaltsd ~ owens wheel strue elk the in
side fence The wheel haIted abrupt
ly; the rider did not. He kept right on
in the direction he was headed, and
did not step until he found himself in
the judges stand. It was even money
as to who was the most surprised, the
rider, the judges or the spectators at
this most unexpected ending of what
seemed at the moment Of it's happening
a 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 is known as the Gorge road,
which runs. from the top of the Pali-
sades down to the river lost control Of
his machine and narrowly escaped be-
ing carried over the edge of the cliff
His machine went over and was dash
ed to pieces ON the Jagged rocks sew
enty-ive feet below, while Boyle, at
the very edge of the precipice, threw
himself from the wheel and escaped
with only a severe shaking up and a
few bruises =: 3"