Erwin George Baker rides his 2-speed, 7hp Indian into NYC to complete his famous transcontinental ride, San Diego, California to New York City in an astonishing time of eleven days. Nine days faster than the previous record!
A little history of E.B. "Cannonball" Baker - Baker purchased his first Indian in 1908 and right-off-the-bat began winning races. One of his most famous victory's came in 1909 at the first race ever held at the newly built Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From there it was on to endurance runs. A lot of his early records were city-to-city runs. These were in the days long before paved roads, shit, even a well-maintained road was a rarity. Baker often encountered axle-deep mud, sand washes, flooded river crossings and snowed-in mountain passes during his long-distance rides.
The following are partial excerpts from his own personal account (he kept a diary) of Day 1 - May 3, 1914 and Day 12 - May 14, 1914.
Day 1, San Diego to Yuma, Arizona
"...I started through Coyote Wells, which was a stretch of 15 miles knee-deep with sand, cactus, sage brush and mesquite bushes, which was nothing more than a trail to Imperial Valley. This point is 250 feet below sea level. Then I found good roads from the end of this sand stretch into Brawley and from there on I was riding silt, which was axle deep for 19 miles to Mammoth Wash. At this point I decided to do the camel act and go without drinking water. I picked up a small black pebble about the size of a dime and placed this in my mouth under my tongue—same as the desert Indians do—in order to keep from drinking water. About one quarter of the way onto New Mexico I decided I would have just one swallow of water, and after going a little bit further found I would have another one. By the time I reached the railroad track I decided on taking one more swallow of water, and one more only until I reached Yuma, Arizona, which was the stopping point for the night. However, had I not carried the little pebble in my mouth my stops for water would have been multiplied many times..."
Day 12, Greensburg, Pennsylvania to New York City
"On the morning of the 14th at 4 a.m., I started from Greensburg with the intention of making Philadelphia my next night’s stop. The roads began to look better to me, and I soon made up my mind that I would not stop until I had reached New York.
I reached Philadelphia about 6 o’clock in the evening, or, rather, Paoli, which is 30 miles west of Philadelphia. There George S. Maslen, the Indian dealer at Philadelphia, met me with a number of riders and he elected one of them to show me the way into New York City. After having supper at Paoli, we started for New York City, and it being a very dark night, we were lost two or three times, even with the rider who knew the roads. He showed me the way to Weehawken, N.J., where I took the ferry to New York City.
This ferry consumed over half an hour of my finishing time, and my feet touched the streets of New York at 10 minutes past 12, the night of the 14th. I landed at West Forty-second street.
Pictures were taken by flashlight at the ferry house, and then I proceeded to the Hotel Astor, where I was met by a delegation of New York reporters and Associated Press men, also by Mr. Sherman, of the Publicity Department of the Hendee Manufacturing Company.
My race with time was then ended and I found that I had accomplished that which I had undertaken; that my trip had taken only 11 days, 12 hours and 10 minutes.
I took along an extra electric light bulb, expecting to need it in such hard riding. But I arrived in New York with the original bulb still in its socket and burning brightly. My batteries were still in fine condition and needed no recharging or attention during the ride.
In my estimate it was the cradle spring frame above all else that contributed to my success. It absorbed all road shocks and vibrations, and this, of course, saved my strength and beside, enabled me to make speed over the roughest roads. Then after talking with the reporters until 2 o’clock in the morning, I turned in."
After that record-setting transcontinental run a New York reporter compared him to the Cannonball Express (train) and the moniker stuck.
"Cannonball" Baker made more than 143 attempts at a variety of long-distance records, including his most famous transcontinental and three flags (Canada to Mexico) attempts.
Day 12, Greensburg, Pennsylvania to New York City
"On the morning of the 14th at 4 a.m., I started from Greensburg with the intention of making Philadelphia my next night’s stop. The roads began to look better to me, and I soon made up my mind that I would not stop until I had reached New York.
I reached Philadelphia about 6 o’clock in the evening, or, rather, Paoli, which is 30 miles west of Philadelphia. There George S. Maslen, the Indian dealer at Philadelphia, met me with a number of riders and he elected one of them to show me the way into New York City. After having supper at Paoli, we started for New York City, and it being a very dark night, we were lost two or three times, even with the rider who knew the roads. He showed me the way to Weehawken, N.J., where I took the ferry to New York City.
This ferry consumed over half an hour of my finishing time, and my feet touched the streets of New York at 10 minutes past 12, the night of the 14th. I landed at West Forty-second street.
Pictures were taken by flashlight at the ferry house, and then I proceeded to the Hotel Astor, where I was met by a delegation of New York reporters and Associated Press men, also by Mr. Sherman, of the Publicity Department of the Hendee Manufacturing Company.
My race with time was then ended and I found that I had accomplished that which I had undertaken; that my trip had taken only 11 days, 12 hours and 10 minutes.
I took along an extra electric light bulb, expecting to need it in such hard riding. But I arrived in New York with the original bulb still in its socket and burning brightly. My batteries were still in fine condition and needed no recharging or attention during the ride.
In my estimate it was the cradle spring frame above all else that contributed to my success. It absorbed all road shocks and vibrations, and this, of course, saved my strength and beside, enabled me to make speed over the roughest roads. Then after talking with the reporters until 2 o’clock in the morning, I turned in."
After that record-setting transcontinental run a New York reporter compared him to the Cannonball Express (train) and the moniker stuck.
"Cannonball" Baker made more than 143 attempts at a variety of long-distance records, including his most famous transcontinental and three flags (Canada to Mexico) attempts.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
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