The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-27
CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS
TOM BIRD FAILED TO LOWER sT.
PAUL-MINNETONIxA ROAD
RECORD
HE WAS SIX MINUTES BEHIND
PuRctures, Delays and Accidents
Conspired to Prevent the PIucky
Riders Success-ROde TWEEN
ty-One Miles Unpaced.

For another week at least the St. Paul
Minnetonka road record Of asa, held by
Larson, is safe.
That veteran cyclist, Tom Bird, made
a most determined assault upon 1t yes
terday and although encountering pune
lures, bad roads and delays of every de-
scripton he pluckily finished the hundred
miles and flashed by the finishing post in
five hours exactly. just six minutes be-
hind the record.
From ten miles out right to the finish
Tom In his long ride was handicapped
by series Of exasperating mishaps that
would have caused less plucky rider to
give up in despair long before the CEN
fury had been completed.
The start was an suspicious one, and
at o'clock in the gray dawn of morning
Bird tackled on behind Kellogg and
Henze, who took him to Lake Calhoun,
eleven and one-half miles out, in exact
ly thirty minutes. Here Price and Lewis
were to nave met him, but they were
little slow and Tom sped along unpaced
until they caught him a mile further.
They carried him out to the hotel st.
Louis and five miles back, when Alex
ander and Larson picked up the flying
rider and carried him back to Lake Cal
houn, where Kellogg and Henze were in
readiness to continue the rapid journey.
These riders negotiated a mile at rapid
clip, and then the first real mishap Of
the morning occurred. Bird, while rid
ing at 2:30 pace, suddenly rode over
some hard, sharp substance which pune
tured his new racing tires so quickly that
loud report announced the discouraging
news. 1t was discovered that the pune
ture was a good sized one, and the race
would have ceased there and then but
for the providential fact that Henze was
provided with a large plug which eff
fectually closed the hole.
This delayed matters nine minutes, and
when the tandem riders returned to re-
mount their machine they found the hind
tire fiat. Without any further delay Bird
climbed on to his racing Rambler and
rode the next fifteen miles, unpaced, in
43 minutes. There he was picked up
by Brine Bird, his brother, and Nc
Cullum, who carried him to Mime
haha street. when their tandem also sus-
tanned a puncture, and Tom continued to
st. Louis bridge unpaced, a distance Of
five miles
Here Collander and Price Joined the
lone rider and kept him company as far
as the Hotel st. Louis, a matter Of ten
miles, On this stretch the bicycle path
was crowded with picnickers on their
way to various resorts, and several min
utes were lost as a result Of their clum-
siness in persisting to turn out the
wrong way. From the hotel Price and
Lewis, of Minneapolis, took him back
to the bridge, and for a portion of the
road the would-be record breaker had to
walk through the loose sand.
Brine Bird and McCullum were at
the bridge and they brought him to the
finishing point at lively gait, and the
long ride came to an end at 10 o'clock
exactly, five hours after the start
On this last stretch the journey was
interrupted through a weed getting mix
ed up with Birds chain, and another de-
lay OF a minute was the result
Speaking Of his ride, Bird said yester-
day afternoon: I'm spite of numerous
and most unexpected delays, I managed
to finish only six minutes behind the rec
ord. With any kind of luck I should
have done it in 4:40, and I shall do 1t
in that time before many days are over.
my showing under 80 many adverse
conditions encourages me in the belief
that / can lower the national century rec
ord of 4:37, and this also I shall attempt
to lower within the next month";
1t must be conceded that Birds per-
formance of yesterday was a wonder
full exhibition Of nerve and pluck under
most trying circumstances, and when he
next goes after the record the old cycling
war horse will carry with him the best
wishes and hopes of every cyclist in the
Northwest.
One hundred miles in hours, with over
a fifth of the distance ridden unpaced,
is a record of which any rider might
we'll be proud and one which speaks vol
umes for the stamina and gameness Of
Tom c. Bird.