The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-22
FOOLHARDY WHEELMEN.
Some Extraordinary Exhibitions
Of Nerve and Skill.
BICYCLE RIDING IN A LIONS DEN.

Riding Down the Capitol Steps-BiIing
on tho Oceans Bottom and on the COPING
OF n House-A Duel on Whceis--Triclss
Difficult and Dangerous.
1t is astonishing to contemplate the
number and tho many different kinds of
ioats that have been performed on the BIZ
cycle which may be considered as cxtraor-
binary. IL Kinds Of "oirous acts' have
been done, many of them in nero brnyado
or IN acceptance Of some wager or "dare."
Hiding grooved wheel bicycle OH tight
wire high over the heads of tho spectators
rs tho lady does In almost every 'groatest
show on earth" is quite trick but 1t
docs not compare with some of the others
done on ordinary bicycles by people who
have no connection with eithor circus or
sideshow
Ono OF the greatest achievements In tho
way OF extraordinary cycling feats in
America is that of riding down the capitol
steps in Washington. AS yet no one has
attempted to ride down tho Washington
monument, but moro riders than ono have
made the trip down tho steps, though
those who have been down can be counted
on tho fingers Of one hand. In tho first
riding down tho capitol steps. They hayo
been taught to think that the stops were
not put there MS Il toboggan slide for wheel
men, and they are particularly active in
Keeping adventurous cyclists away from
the place. a fow, IL very fow, though,
have cludcd the police and mado the at
tempt. Some of them have como through
all right and others have landed Mt the
bottom with broken bones and whcols
smashed to smitherCcns.
Any ono who has seen tho capitol stems
knows what ride IL would be to 90 down
them, and probably is convinced that any
rider who can mako the trip and get
through it with whole skin knows pretty
well how to keep his balance on IA bicycle
The steps are Mt least 80 feet high ana are
divided by four broad landings that make
tho descent moro difficult than it would
bo if thcro were steps all the way
novelist once wrote u story in which
nc made ono of the characters rido his BIZ
cycle on ono rail of railroad track Il
may have boon done in that no, oil, but it
was never dono in reality, although great
many riders have tried it, There arc so
called railroad bicycles with three
wheels which AFRO ridden on almost every
limo In the country but of course thoy
do not count III this consideration.
Easton Or. wilmer, an American rider
has been the most persistent In his ut
tcmpts to ride one rail of Il railway track
on his bicycle but he was forced to give
up the effort finally and to call to his aid "A
second bicycle. Tho second machine he
trundlod along at his side while riding tho
other over II high trestle bridge behind a
train. The machine he rode was furnished
with single handle bar
Riding bicycle on one rail seems easy,
though, as compared with riding one on
the bottom OF tho sea- David NJ Nillooh
IN old time diver now in tho employ OF the
United States government, has accom-
plished that trick md enjoyed the rldo
The memory OF an old timo song leads one
to beliovc that the bottom of tho sen be-
longs TO one McGinty, but Nilloch took
his whcol down there just tho same and
established record for II quarter of milo
for that particular portion of the Garth
1t WINS at New Rochelle on Long Island
sound that Nilloch made his ride In full
diving outfit, of course, he descended in 90
feet OF water, and then mounted his bicy-
Gle, which had previously been dropped
overheard. He found little difficulty In
Keeping his balance the main trouble be-
ing to keep his great diving shoes on the
pedals.
Riding n bicycle in lion S den does not
seem exactly IL pleasant diversion, but it
has boon done AT Nico recently one Stan
10y O. Hart, who seems to have fondncss
for boarding the lion in his den, rodo his
wheel in Il largo cago containing two of
the most ferociOus animals in Europe He
went III not only once, but six or sevon
times, and came away, much TO the won
dcrment of those who SAW him, without
being torn into shreds by the lions whose
place he had invaded
On ono occasion, though, Hart, with all
his nerve, had Il very narrow escape The
trainer of tho lions had fixed them in one
corner of the cage by the steady glance of
his eye. He moved that glance once for n
moment, though, and at tho same time
one pedal of the riders machine happened
to touch one of the paws of the lion far
thcst out in the cage The beast, angerod
by this, struck "a vicious blow with the paw
the cyclists pedal had touched and tore
out half the spokcs in the rear wheel of
the machine. The blow also tipped over
the rider. of course, but tho trainer came to
the rescuc mt once and the whcolman was
saved from an attack that probably would
have resulted in his death.
A duel on wheels is perhaps not an eek
traordinary feaU, but certainly is u some
what unusual happening Tho only one
on record is that fought short time ago
by two young French students in Paris
quite large party had been out cycling
all day and was returning homo in IL hilar-
ious mood when two of tho number quar-
relied over very delicate subject With
their characteristic fire eating propenslties
they decided that II duel with swords
should settle tho difference, and with their
national love for the sensational decided
further that it should be fought on bicy-
Giles.
And fought tho dup1 VINO In Tho pouIo
ward Ney, Paris The seconds placed the
coin latantS so ynrIls 1ardarad