Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-12
FOR THE ABBEv1LLE PRESS.
The Aerial velocipede.
Non usitats. non tenui ferar
Penna biforrmis per Iquidum ethers.
IT. - g. Ne aI4. Hon Arr Roolr IT m

Non usitats, non tenui ferar .-
Penna biforrmis per Iquidum others.
ga HORACE, Book II, 20.
From the very first, tho write
has felt the deepest interest in tn
velosipeds, regarding. it, not as an ir
gcniogs toy to amuse children, but a
likely to pEoye an exceedingly useft
anye4tion. Hence he read with tn
most 'intease delight and satisfactio,
the account Of it's introduction int.
this country, confidently anticipatin,
that it would be greatly improved b,
his ingenious countrymon. 1t did no
occur to him as at all probable tha
he would be ablo to suggest any i'm
PEovement, either in tho construction
or application Of the machine, Th,
idea Of p traok, however,, occurred te
him at very early day; as, he doubts
not, has been the case with most per
sons who have bestowed more than 6
passing thought on the subject. Fur
ther reflection led him another STEP
1t occurred to him that the best road
OF earth or stone would offer consid
erably greater resistance Owing to
unavailable Irregularities OF inequali-
ties Of surface) than q rail, either of
wood or iron, experience having dem
onstratcd that the latter, especially, is
admirably adapted to the purposes of
transportation on a much larger scale.
But, besides the cost of the material,
and the amount of labor necessary in
the preparation of the track for tho
reception of the rail, there was the
manifest difficulty of preserving an
equilibrium, and consequent danger of
running off the track when the ma
chine was in rapid motion going, for
instance, at the rate of fifteen, twenty
or even thirty miles an hour, which
velocity Che supposedly might easily be
attained. It occurred to him, there
fore, as very desirable improvement
to have some support so as to prevent
the danger of running off the track
Especially in the case of inexperienced
riders); and that hand=rails at dis
tance from the ground proportioned
to the radius of the wheel, and with
sufficient space between them TO allow
the easy movement Of the latter, would
be very very suitable for the purpose oon-
temg!!aatsd,
Having originated tho idea of a sup-
port or. frame in which tho wheel
might revolve rapidly and easily with
out danger of getting Off the track,
tho next step was obvious-tp dispense
with one of the wheels altogether
thus diminishing the amount of resist
once to be overcome in propelling tho
machine, which would manifestly be
less in this case than as originally con
structed. But here very formidable
difficulty suggested itsel lf--how to pre-
vent the seat or upright frame, in
which the axes of tho whqel 1nust, re-
yolve, from falling either forward or
backward. To meet this new diff
Guilty recourse was had to the expodi-
ent Of projectors attached to the ex-
tEey eof the frame immediately
Hb0Vs, Ind patalisl with, the lateral
supports pointing IN directions diamet
rlcaliy opposite, and terminating in
small grooyed wheels, which, ON the
e!lightest inclinati9yn! Of Of the drivers
seat, would run on the rails, and thus
restore the equilibrium. This, of
course, would increase the amount Of Of
friction, to certain extent; but any
loss in this respect would be moro than
compensated by the diminished resist,
anoe, below, as the machine "! {: hi e woulaRoy
run on one wheel instead Of two. The
superfnonmbsnt pressure sxes+ed by
the seat and driverwould be sustained
almost entirely by tho large wheel, sa
the latter would he directly under the
centre Of gravity the Office Of the
smaller wheels being simply to. restara
the equilibrium, for which purpose the
slightest reaction would be sufficient.
The machine, therefore, instead OIL
being abi.circie Gas it was. appropri.
ateiy dssiguated by. the Ingenious
Frenohman who invented it) might, |
Wth sctpropriety, be called a one.
Vheeied carriage. 6:;t;rs,~e,. ~. :ta Il
Having arrived at, this: point the
Writer began I'd. estimate the cost of
thisaoveimodeofs fsbpnveyance, includ.
ing thssi eaaeulssionE the machine.
itsslf'and ths material employed in !
the oonstfuntion Of thstrask, and soon
sasisfied hiinself that Il would .ibe a
mere tsiAsi ieorapa,Ad with the zadyau-]
tages to he gaiasd By this sextraordi.1
nary mode sFof locomotion. & AZ. the.
Fefsht oftas Hhsal would .bel very
ineonaidsrah i spropesly adjusted,
hsy thagGSts3 don,mona plank swould
nnsa ~ slssnts t1seks;e aadssincs ]
whom e asehins .sshdnlds have ae.:I
quired tie sreateat velocity. thtnras..