Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-04-26
LOOPING THE LOOT.
wonderful and Ia ring Ride d..
formed by Hardy DowpIn.

Probably the most star,,,n a..
ever produced by aid Of the blcvo,. lug
the one invented by Blunt Smith 49,,
Hardy Downing, the two famous SAL
Jose bicycle racing champions Tbo,"
young men, who, by the vav ara
known wherever bicycle racing q IN
vogue have perfected an entlrelv ro,,
thing In their Looping the Loon
a chute but foot wide begins Z,
feet In the air and slopes down At an
acute angle to the level Of tbe,sro.,.,''
ana .hen makes S0-foot loop ana them
scars aloft again. "'V"
me only similar thing on earth ia
,ne LOOP az Coney Island, which Il
leet instead OF II inches wide. and
Oh when car follows two steel rails
Dne Wneelinan has succeeded in fol-
living the l2-foot roadway al CoDpy
tsiahu after Two others We're badly IN.
Jured IN the attempt, Lat Hardy Down.
Ing ~ the only one who has dared 10
ilsk ms lie on the narrow roadway
hardy Downing, as most Of our
Teauers know, Is one Of Americas mogt
famous ana successful bicycle racing
men Like his townsman, Mcfarland
Ie mas been racing on the small I'M.
door bicycle tracks for seve.l years
,ask that requires skill ana nerve as
WEI, az speed. He hes done his share
| Oh tne motor-paced racing too so that
d Ioo speed is nothing unusual 10
| Downing
Bnnt Smith has not gone in for pro.
iesslonal racing but was famous as an
amateur. His connection with bicycle
racing therefore has been for pleasure
instead OF business
Mr., Smith became interested In the
scientific explanation OF the Coney Isl.
and Looping the Loop and said:
why not DO II on bicycle and at
much higher rate Of speed, too?" To
work out this result he began some
months ago and on March Is was sue.
cessful, when his associate, Hardy
Downing, negotiated the loop
about 10000 feet OF lumber was used
Defore the proper apparatus was pro-
ouced. The Loop as now constructed
weighs 5000 pounds, filling when closely
packed large furniture car
IN the hrst attempt Downing was in
uouot whether II would be suicide or
success. AS matter Of fact II was
neither, for at the end Of the down
chute and the beginning OF the biz cir.
cle his bicycle went to pieces ana he
was shot on at tangent. Fortunately
ne was used to falllng-from bicycle
Iaoing experlence-and was well pro-
tecten by clothes and slid along the
smooth hoor instead OF getting sud
zen stop against some timber; never
theiess his wrists were sprained and
are not yet fully strong.
downing was not the man 10 give In
ana az once went to work 10 get
wheel built that was strong enough TO
stand the rapid ride through the afr.
Meanwhile the curve OF the loop was
changed some so that the same accident
could not occur again.
In three days Downing was again
'eady for the trying ordeal. As before,
'nly those interested IN the experiment
-Messrs. Smith and Russell and a few
'arpenters 70 make any structural
'hanges demanded, we're present in the
'ig pavilion at San Jose.
IL was a serious moment to the 9TH
RS as well as 10 Downing, for, II his
Ieaih resulted would they not be equal
TO blame for the accident? Still
Downing, who is fatalist. considered
he whole thing one big game OF chance
nth his success and fortune wagered
gainst his life, as had sometimes been
he case In motor-paoed races on dan
erous little board tracks. He accepted
he ordeal.
The greatest trouble was TO &c start
] down the chuts. for so feet In the
~ poised on little platform no larger
ian an ordinary table Is nerverackiny
self especially when you are mounted
1 a bicycle and going 10 leave that
atform for a shoot through the air
q mile a minute on a track but
ot wide.
lie made the start all right he
used the loop beginning safely THIS
ne and then with the slowing down OF
eed pedaled away for dear life ana
ssed over or rather under the DIG
en- and thus, for the first time, was
tually riding bottom side up.
Then the added momentum took NM
wn the side OF the loop at high speed
ain, and again he struck the ny
ute. Now the loop had at least pesA
ped but the trial was not yet saie'
ded. ~.
1 was now a case of hard pedallng
the runaway chute was steep ana
, landing platform 20 feet away iroD'
. loop.
Iurrahl The thing was done' -
friendly hands grasped his shoulders
4 he was off his wheel and safe on
} landing platform. ,r,
hat was certainly a happy momen
Hardy. the fearless farmer laa u
lta Clara county. - =,
nee again on that afternoon ..
rch q. Downing made the fearless
! around the woode nclrcle TO sal's'
some doubling newspaper men;
nd then Hardy Downing Bunt slisa
], X. Russell, the three young ~
> ne d invented. developed and tesv r'
ir Looping the Loop" took WEI"
ned rest.