The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-24
MILE-A-MIxuTE MURPHY.
How the CycIist Made His Great Run
Behind an Engine.

Charles Murphy the Brooklyn cyc.ist,
who is training in Babylon, L. l., for a
mile-a-minute ride behind a locomotive
later this month. had a trying out yester-
day, with the result that he wheeled a
mile in the amazingly fast time of l min
ute and ) seconds. The trial took place
over a smooth and level stretch on the
Long Island Railroad, near haywood. A
special carload OF railroad officials and
newspaper men went down to see it. and
they as well as fifty or more natives, who
stood along the track and gaZed open
mouthed at the veteran cyclist as, with
no great effort, he hung On to the flying
locomotive.
The time probably Is the fastest even
ridden on a wheel under any conditions,
although a rider named Anderson is said
10 have done a mile, paced by a locomo-
tive, in LOB is in Illinois Murphy him
self did not know he was going so fast
yesterday, and as he finished in good con-
dition the knowing ones think he will do
a mile In minute or less when the time
comes.
The conditions were favorable for the
ride. a wooden track more than two
miles long had been laid out between
the rails, there was little or no grade
the weather was just right. Murphy was
INT as a fiddle, and an extension had been
attached 10 the single car behind which
Murphy rode to shield him from the wind
This extension swept to within an inch
of the rails, so that Murphy practically
was hemmed in on the sides and overhead.
Flags marked the quarters of the mile,
and flying start of about half a mile was
made. The engine and car went over the
route alone first a test, the time being
l;06. Then they went back, and about
8 o'clock the word was given for the start,
a -Fa Oh ,T,4
watching Murphy's every move.
The train got under Roadway quickly,
and was going a a rafting clip when the
beginning of the mile was reached Muir
ply was humming along behind, his eyes
glued 10 a white strip of board attached
to the rear platform, and his legs churn-
ing up and down as rapidly and smoothly
as the piston rods moved on the engine
in front of him.
There was some uneasiness before the
ride began that Murphy would wabble or
swerve and, perhaps meet with an acct
dent, but this vanished when it was seen
that he was going true as die. He rode
almost a hair line and never once got
off the center board of the track not
varying from a straight line more than
four inches. The train flew along, and
with 1t few the cyclist, his hair stream
ing and his body bent low his front
wheel not more than foot away from
a fender fastened 10 the ear as a precau-
ton against a mishap. The track was
streak OF light, and the dust curled up
from the car in clouds
The ride became more thrilling as it pro-
crossed and Ii seemed as If the cyclist
was going faster and faster with each rev.
olution of his wheel, and the fractional
time did show that the last quarter was
the fastest. The wheelman scudded along
so noiselessly that apparently 1t was less
for i'm ~ LEI naK
for the snorting engine.
When the finish line was reached the
signal for Murphy to let up was given by
the waving of a cap. The engine also
sounded its whistle, but the cyclists mind
was too intent on other things for him
TO hear. The most exciting part of the
ride was just after the finish. AS Muir
ply Strengthened up and tried to decrease
his speed, which was no easy matter at
the rate at which he was travelling, and
the engine drew away from him, his
wheel swayed from side to side and all
his strength was needed to control it.
The swayng was caused by the suction
from beneath the train and Murphy said
that this was the most trying part of tho
whole ride. He had a hard time getting
his machine under control, and did not
succeed in stopping before the end of the
board track was reached. This was a
quarter of a mile, and several hundred
yards more from the finish of the mile
but for all that Murphy had TO jump from
into the cinder roadbed. An additional
stretch will be put down before he
tries Ii again in order that he may have
plenty of space in which to slow up.
Murphy was smiling and looking At
enough TO do IL all over again when the
train backed up and took him aboard. He
was surrounded by an admiring crowd
many of whom had watched the race from
along the route but couldn't see much on
account of the dust. He was greatly
pleased and likewise considerably sur
prlsed when told of the time. The fact
is he had expected the train TO go in
about rs the real intention having been
withheld from him lest he should get
nervous.
'If that engineer goes in Los when he
says he is going in 1:25, there's no telling
what hen do when he says he's going in
a minute fiat" he remarked.
Murphy was not even breathing hard
but soon subsidized 10 normal He rode
machine weighing twenty-one pounds
geared to 1l2 The time by quarters was
is %, :S3, 40 Is and 1:O5.
'"rhere was no strain" Murphy said in
describing his flight against time, except
on the eyes. My eyes got crossed toward
the last from keeping them so fixed on
X
ertion went, l have felt more on a home
trainer. There was more of a feeling of
responsibility, however. A hundred yards
after the finish was where the hard work
came in, and IL was no easy Job in backing
away from the train, l can tell you. The
wind from the train made my wheel shake
so l could hardly hold it. l didn't know
l was going as fast as | was, but ii was no
trouble TO keep up"
Three time pieces were held on Murphy.
Two OF them were stop watches in tho
hands of AL Reeves and Tommy Lee both
OF which caught the time at 05 The other
watch was not of the stop variety, and It's
time was 1905. The stop watches naturally
would be the more accurate. Murphy de-
clares that he once rode a mile IN less
time than he did yesterday. This was on
Twenty avenue, Brooklyn, several
years ago, but the time never was credited
Murphy Is % years old, and has been .
familiar figure on the cycle path for the
last dozen years.
The locomotive which paced Murphy yes
terday is the same one that hauled Gov.
Roosevelt over Long Island in the Hast
gubernatorial campaign.