The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-05
makes ii clear why all the little debris with
in the radius OF its influence huttered

makes IT clear why all the little debris with
in the radius OF Its influence futtered
Back outside the snug harbor. of the hood
pedaled Murphy. hundred feet to the sec
ond The watchers realized that he was on
the danger line: the slightest slackening
would rob him of the full force OF the OH
running current and leave him merely a
bicycle rider in pursuit of a flying train
Gathering himself for supreme effort he
bent still further. drove his feet down hard
er, and inch by inch came back inside the
hood and closer to the train. He was really
outside the shield only seven seconds but TO
those who watched him the period seemed
endless
He still rode probably four feet back from
the end of the car, for a reason which he
explains in his statement, but he never let
the car get any further ahead of him. Once
In while, as If to test himself. or prob
aDly because he was going faster than he
Knew thn ;,I ne came up against the guard with
y 80 seconds. He had gone three-quarters
Of a mile in A seconds.
THE LAST QUARTER
A mans three fingers hung down before
bis eyes told him that the third quarter
flag had been passed. The engineer steadied
his locomotive for still swifter squirt, and
the last quarter of Murphy's course was
done in only fraction over thirteen Sec
onds.
The man with the megaphone says he
bawled the news of the races end to Muir
ply at the top of his lungs Murphy never
heard it. Neither did anybody else, but the
bicycle rider suddenly felt iron fingers
grasplng his arms and felt himself jerked
h bins TINE the platform that had been before
as an age. His tight toeclips held his wheel
and II flew into the air. Another out
stretched hand caught it by the spokes and
man and wheel Were both on board the train
again.
The men in that car cheered and yelled
INar I-
Murphy was speechess and sightless His
lace ,s; was gray, the perspiration dripped from
nim as they carried him to the cot within
the car His first remark was the craZy
sentence already noted.
But by the time Booth had stopped his
engine Murphy was as sane and sound as
ANYBODY on board, and was cheerfully tell
ing all about IL while his friends were rub
bling him down with witch hazel
To the spectators lined up beside the track
the race against time was simply a blush
blur in the dust cloud. They closed i'm as
While she w 6g and ses after t.
his place pulled the hats from their heads
or set their skirts a-fiuttering like winters
gale.
Back near the finish flag young woman
with two dainty children stood. She watched
the lying train with its blue trailer, but
whizzec by her.
Fetch me back to my wife She's near
s sne Inl ,sia l want her to know that am
or the bicyclist after the contest
Inc test was thoroughly official. The ac-
tc by II. p. Ford chief engineer. and j. n.
Cummings, superintendent of construction,
OF the Long Island Railroad Company.
T., acted as referee. and Was one or '@ of those
who stood on the rear platform H p Full
ierton represented the railroad on the rear
Stoll, of the New York Athletic Club:
Charles Dreges, Pastime Athletic Club; W.
H. Robertson, Sam See and Sheriff Frank
I'D. of n,aI he
extent Of the variation of the watches.
Just before he started Murphy's pulse
was 70. and his temperature IS. When the
race was done and he was again on the
perature was Ss1z Murphy rode a twenty
one-haif crank hangers. Its weight was
twenty. and one-half pounds. He had to
mile run The bicyclist is said to have an
engagement at Hammerstein's, beginning
next week: He has for two years been a
Speaking of his ride, Murphy said: Il
can ride behind a locomotive as fast as
the locomotive can CO.. To-day's test was
more difficult than the first one, not merely
because 1t was faster, but because l rode
a higher-geared wheel. and particularly be-
cause the rubber flanges on the protecting
shield. which swept the track, created such
an eddy that it lifted the planks as it
passed over them. so that every thirty feet
hill. 1 dropped back to the outside of the
hood purposely in order to avoid this feat
ure. / found L could ride there with COM
paratively easel and though / saw the alarm
on the faces of the men on the platform,
knew that / was in no danger of missing
my train. I could gain on ii whenever i
felt like it. My eyes were blinded by the
dust, but otherwise 1 did not suffer. I was
sure that 1 could carry out my promise to
ride mile minute on a bicycle, and l
knew was doing it. did not know that
was in any way light headed from the ride,
and certainly feel no i'll effects from il.
1 was perfect master of my wheel all the
| time and observed every one of Mr.. Phil
| lipss signals, by which he conveyed to me
| the passing of the quarters. / would be
perfectly willing to repeat the performance.
| 1t has no terror for me- and / am quite
| satisfied that no locomotive ever built could
| run away from me under the circum-
| stances"