The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-09
WONDERS OF THE WHEEL
LATEST IMPROVEMENTS OF IN
TBREST TO WHEELMEN.

The Pneumatic Iire-The Social Tri.
cycle-A Land and Water Tricycle.
The Railroad Bicycle and the One
Wheeled Gig.
(Copyrighted.)
New DIRK, Nov. S.-When one looks at
the modern bicycle, and contrasts it with
the first OF the species, one finds u system Of
evolution almost rs startling as that elab-
GRATED in the theory of Mr.. Darwin.
Imagine for an instant the first "wheel, "
known in tho early part of this century as
the dandy horse This consisted OF two
wooden wheels, tired with iron, and con-
nected by stiff bar of wood, on
which was fixed an apology for
seat. On this the rider balanced
himself, and depended upon striding and
pushing for motive power Messrp. Coy,
the well-known English firm, have we'll
preserved specimen of this machine, which
travelling wheelmen in Europe may find OF
/. interest. Contrast IL with the air bicycle
exhibited at Saratoga this year on which a
man rode ten miles at an altitude of | 900
feet, and who shall say the age Of miracles
Is paste
Putting aside the curious history of the
bicycle, there are innovations and improve
ments In use to-day which are both interest
ing and instructive. The most recent of
these is the pneumatic safety, now on ex-
hibition in the city of New York. At first
glance it would appear to DO au ordinary
safety, fitted with a pair of heavy, cum
| bersome wheels; but, when looked at closely,
its virtues, or, TO be precise, the virtues
claimed for it, are quito apparent. Its
popularity lies in the rims OF the
wheels. These, instead of being the
usual concaye metal rims. fitted with tire
OF hard rubber, are made in a crescent
| shape, into which Is fitted tire made of
specially designed twO-and-a-half-inch hol-
low rubber tubing. In the center OF each
tire small valve plug is fitted, and when
the wheel is required for use, a small air
| pump initiates the tire through this plug, on
| tho same principle as that employed with a
| football When the wheel is not in use the
| air is let out, aud the tire hangs loose. OF
course the idea is to lessen tho conclusion in
riding.
A well-known rider told me that the lar
from ill-paved or rough roads is reduced TO
minimum by the pneumatic tire, and that
as hill-climber it renders the new wheel
almost perfect, There appears to be no
danger of the tire being cut or spiked as
the machine has been ridden without injury
over ten miles Of roughly-cut stones. The
serious question about it is, how long will
the tires last! Although the machine is
new to our wheelmen, it was shown pub
licly in England last summer, and claims a
record of two miles In 2:20 is. The price
Is trifle higher than that of an ordinary
machine, being $l40
Another novelty of the season is n
social so called because it can, at will,
be made to accommodate two riders or one,
| and the two are seated side by side. This
| machine is an ordinary tricycle., which has
one large driving wheel at the left Of the
| rider, and on the right two small wheels,
one behind the other, which form the steer
ing apparatus, aud, being connected by q
stout bar, also support the main axle. on
which the seat is placed.
This arrangement forms the single tricy-
Gle. To transform 1t into tho Social" an
other large driving wheel, fitted with axle,
seat and pedals, is fastened by a neat
arrangement to the stout bar Of the steer
ing-gear, and the single becomes a double,
consisting of two large outside driving
wheels. with the steering wheels between
the two riders, well out OF the way Of skirts
1t is very easy running machine, but it
requires a good deal of room.
One of the curious inventions Of the year
is the land and water tricycle. OK George
Pinkert, Saxony. The first machine re-
sombltng this type appeared about ten years
ago, and was made only for use on the
water and not on land. 1t was invented by
a German living at Brussels, named
HUMAN, and on July %, 1882. an English
man named Terry rode 1t across the En-
glish channel from Dover to Calais,
the journey occupying about eight
hours, the distance covered being,
on an air line, about twenty miles
The new Pinkert machine is, however,
decided improvement upon the old idea,
and Is constructed so as to travel on land or
water as desired, without change of gear
With ii a rider can start at Central park
ride down Broadway to the Battery, and
continue his journey across the surface of
the bay to Staten Island. The tricycle. con-
ssts Of front steering wheel which is
made Of thin steel plates, and Is sixteen
inches wide at the axle, forming a lens
shaped air tight vessel Of great buoyancy.
The edge Of this is provided with concave
metal rim, and a rubber rire, for run
ming on land. The two large propel-
ing wheels are composed of a circular
tube of steel plate, forming an air-tight
ring, about four feet In diameter, connected
with the nave .of the axle by means of
steel spokes, and fitted with paddles on e1ch
side OF its outer circumference. 1t looks
like the paddle wheel Of ferry boat, hav
ing solid core running through the center
of the wheel, to which the paddles are at
rached instead of to the side rims, as in
ferry boat wheel. Outside the air-tight
core. and attached to it by steel rods, is an
ordinary concave metal bicycle rim fitted
with hard rubber tire.
This is for road purposes and it is claimed
that it also acts as a keel when the machine
is in the water, preventing lee-way snd
facilitating Storage. In all other respects
the tricycle. Is an ordinary one, having the
seat over the axle, between the two wheels,
which are rather wide apart.
This machine has been tried in the public
baths at Munich, where speed of six miles
an hour was attained; The labor of working
the paddles not being considered greater
than that required TO produce the same
speed on land; and it was found possible,
when going at full speed. TO turn the ma
chine completely round, III space equal to
the width of an ordinary carriage road.
With weight of 300 pounds on the seat,
the wheels only sank to depth of seven
inches, and the chances of an upset are said
to be very small.
For some years past the London news
papers have employed tricycles, fitted with
q basket for papers the whole being painted