New-York tribune., 1901-08-11
PERILOUS BICYCLE FEATS.
MEN WHO HAVE RIDDEN DOWN THE STEPS
OF THE CAPITOL.
From The washington Times.

From The Washington Times
The feat of riding bicycle down the steps OF the
past and will doubtless continue to be performed at
gs b Dy eHPeE5 ana & h e{6TtS 6 no G
ventures, The risk incurred is very great and the
IN hs Rand The as has only 6n S
when the Capitol policemen were out Of the way II
steady brain, expert knowledge Of the wheel and
Two Of the men who have ridden down the steps
are William Shields and William T. Robertson
the eounry as trick rider He traUas under the
stags fashion Of I IN o1tre6 IG c5tSes
however do not interfere in their awkwardness
down the steps Of the VEST front Of the Capitol that
Shields rode the flight that faces the entrance TO
four in rgm6sr broken at intervals by landings the
practice before attempting his astonishing feat,
rode down its steep flight hnding the task easy on
& &aGcIupt OF me absence Of iandInss which might
COmpanied by few friends and photographer, ne
prepared to descend the steps of the Capitol
Watching his opportunity when the watchmen
and visitors were out of the way, the rider sprang
the upper step. While coming down the topmost
flight he lost his pedals. and, unable TO recover
his eyes fixed on the steps before him He came
reached the last landing his wheel had acquired
such momentum that 1t leaped over the final six
them. Both rider and wheel fell in a heap at the
foot of the steps and the spectators thought Shields
and not bolt Of the wheel was loosened, the only
In isS5 Robertson made his famous descent of the
steps of the Capitol old fashioned star
rider Of the District, and he determined TO ride
down the east side steps, which number forty-two.
wheelman applied to the AUTHORITIES for permission
but was refused on account Of the great risk in
clandestinely. and in the dun light OF the early
men were elsewhere engaged. the event came on
When the news was circulated astonishment was
was impossible. But that it actually was done is
sufficiently attested.
performed recently in Cincinnati He rode down
the street Below The angle WAS al lsS wfa%w S DO 70
grees, and the window out Of which he was 70 ride
appeared at the window and HIS cries to the crowd
to keep our OF his way only brought them closer
the ladder like streak, At the bottom crash
had been thrown against the curb and killed but
in second he was on his feet. safe and sound.
Capitol on safety was Charles KilpatricH the
famous one legged bicyclst: Kilpatrick also ac-
ported to have stood on the ton Of the great fancy
Wheel in the Isle of Man This wheel is over a
hundred feet high, and its circumference is covered
with buckets into which the water flows one revo-
luton being made every forty seconds Fitzpatrick
obtained permission 20 have a photograph taken
Of himself standing on the platform at the top OF
the wheel This. or course presented no feature
Of danger, and was probably used by Kil2atrick
timed the revolutions and decided that he could
jump out upon the wheel, be photographed and
get back within the forty seconds a feat which he
safely accomplished. The performance terrorized
the onlokers. who thought every moment XII
patrick would be dashed 10 the ground.
Fitzpatrick. II would APPEAR has veritable pas
sion for risking his life. Some time ago. when he
was in South Africa doing his legged bicycle
act with travelling circus. he climbed up the
back OF elephant and stood the animals
head 1t was risky, said the keeper OF the ele
phant, for there knowing what "Old Ben
would do But when Fitzpatrick got safely down
he was not satisfied and asked the keeper to show
Ben the bicycle TO see what he would do with Il.
The elephant calmly examined the wheel. then
held 1t up in his trunk for closer inspection. and.
with Fitzpatrick his head. snapShOtted by
the ubiquitous camera hend-