HIS WHEEL SAVED HIS LIFE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue XVI, 16 April 1898, Page 495

HIS WHEEL SAVED HIS LIFE.

The bicycle has proved useful as a lifesaving machine in many instances, but it remained for John O’fiara, of Broomestreet, in New York, to discover how good a bicycle is as a means of escape from a mad "dog. John is a well-grown lad, and is so fond of bicycle riding that he goes on wheeling trips through the streets of the East Side. All of these streets are crowded, but probably no one of them is so jammed full of pedestrians and pushcarts and peddlers’ waggons as Forsyth street. Experts say that no other part of the world is so thickly populated as this neighbourhood, so you can easily imagine how difficult it must lie to go wheeling a bicycle through it. John O'Hara was enjoying a pleasant spin on the smooth asphalt |>avement of rorsyth-street, near Broome, at noon the other day, when he noticed the crowd scattering right and left, and diving into open hallways ami down cellar stairs. Presently he heard a ery of * Mad dog •’ He wheeled around and turned to flee to the southward. As he hurried away he looked lack over his shoulder, ami saw a big

white dog galloping after him. it* red tongue lolling out, and yellow foam dripping from it* open jaw.*. Ah the dug ran it turned ami >nap|»ed viciously right and left. The cries of the crowd* on the sidewalk warned everybody on the pavement, so that there was a clear field ahead of O’Hara for several block*. He pushed hard on the pedals, and sprinted away as han I as he could. If he could only be sure of plenty of headway he knew he would l>e safe. The dog was not run ning very fast, for his gait was uncertain, ami he wavered from side to side.

If O’Hara hail turned out into any of the side streets he would have been safe, but in the excitement or the moment he did not think of this. His one idea was to run ahead as fast as possible. Now and then the carts and waggons in the street were slow in turning out, and O'Hara had to slow up. In this way he ran five blocks, now gaining on the dog, anti now almost overtaken. At ('anal Street there was snch a jam of vehicles that the bicycle rider almost had to stop. The dog galloped ahead of him, snapping at the wheel as it went past. O'Hara might have even then turned north wan! for safety, but he was too excited, as proltably most ot us would have been in his place. He kept straight ahead, and as the dog fell in front of him, the wheels of the bicycle passed ovar its neck and stunned it. Away went O’Hara at full speed, aud a policeman, fortunately near at hand, shot and killed the dog Itefore it could recover. Probably this is the first time that a bicycle was ever used as a weapon as well as a means of flight from danger.