New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-20
MID
THE MILITARY BICYCLE.

There are many arguments in favor of sncl
corps being organized all over the country,
particularly when il is remembered how
small is the proportion of cavalry u
infantry i'm the different State National Guards.
It is contcrdrd that the cycle converts Tie ln-
fantry soldier into faSt-moving' troops. Inc
cyclist can go almost everywhere that cavalry
man car and certainly ear Get over obstacles
that the latter cannot CAPTAIN Eustace Balionr
Of the British Army an authority on the SUBJECT
oi.otcs the following two instances among
many, to illustrate the Truth Of this statement :
was engaged last year with two other cycllSt-
infantry officers in rcconnptcrlnG some ground
in the ncighhoIhooG OF Hatfield Park, with view
10 framing n scheme for some combined infantry
and cyclist manocuvrcS \ gate in the park wall
was found to he locked Without difficulty we
climbed the wall in succession and passed the
tricyclcs over No hunter would have taken the
wall Again. this year. a small party Of infantry
under my command. having misunderstood their
orders had gone considerable distance IN
wrong direction. sent cyclisf after them WITH
orders for them to rcjoin the main body at a
point in the road about mile further on. ms
line lay across a grass park cut by wire fences ana
then through n copSe wood surrounded 10y thl'N
hedge He delivered the message in time Tor thc
party of infantry to rejon me at the point named
No cavalry soldier could have gone across TINS
country
In wooded country cycliS-innntry would he
of great value not only for reconnouering' ""I
harassing the patrols and ontpoStS of the enemy
for in this sort Of country ENGAGEMENTS u ho'
actually fought on roads are always i"u-"' j"
relation to roads, where cavalry and mounted III
fantry can do little. In the ease OF the |,,'''
only two-thrds are available for the hSh'lh- "'''
the remaining men holding the horses oil 'Her ''''-
rades With infantry mounted on cycles one man
can easily look after n lot of bicycles an" 'N'"
then use his rifle if necessary. The cycle aISo i 'o'
So liable to injury from the enemy hre rs Is 'lt
horse and another point of great cohSldein''o" IL
the difference in cost of maintenance" twenty
dollars a year would amply cover all eNpetScS VI
rcpairng oil and other ncccSSarcS while inc
maintenance Of the horse is little snort oI HUo'
In Apri of this wear the English War 'H'ce
issued an official book on the " Drill OF 'Nclls'-
Infantry Section which saws that the spec" OIL
n cyclist section should be at Minimum uhd'r
the most adverse conditions, four miles an hour :
and under the most favorable conditions elgh'
niles an hour. These speeds are calculated from
experience, and assume that the march VII" DC
for eight hours, and that halts Will be included
Thus the daily distance covered VIII ne between
thirty-two and siXty-four miles
With regard TO the breaking down OF cNc"S'
much misconccption has arisen, even among
cyclists themselves, from the TACT that III 'e
cycling manoeuvres that have been hcld from
time to time during the last three years scNcra'
cycles have broken down. This is accounted lor
by the fact that many Of those used nave ho'
been specially adapted for military work, but have
on the contrary, been specially and lightly con-
structed for rapid movement on good road
Special cycles should be built for military pur-
poses which could stand any amount of hard
work
Another feature of great usefulness in uslna
a cycle is its adaptabiiity for rood-surveyins and
reconnaissance \ cyclomcter IS attached to the
axle of the front wheel and accurately denotes the
distance travelled This Is a great help To mill
tary draughtsman, who has either to pace the dis