The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-09

ring the labor of driving the machine by
| foot power -
a smooth, level road is the desideratum of
an wheelmen, and a perfect road is the elys-
| Iuih OF their dreams. This probably in
spireo some ingenious devotee of tine wheel
, 70 turn his attention to the long. glistening
. me Oh rails composing the network of iron
| web
well-known Michigan man has in
vented bicycle to run upon a railroad
| track, and claims to have a record of
three miles in two minutes on a slight down
grade The bicycle is an ordinary one. ex-
cepo az regards the metal rim of the wheel.
ihls, instead OF being concave. is square.
so that the wheels run upon the tracy ex-
actly similar to the way in which a sliding
| door runs upon a raised metal track. In
SIDE this square rim Is placed a heavy tire
| OF rubber Co lessen conclusion. The ma
chine Is lifted on the the track, upon which
both wheels fit, with fianges overhanging
either side and starting it in the usual
way, the rider springs into place and awav
no goes, over q road that may be said to be-
we'll nigh perfect. The wheels can not well
leave the track If ordinary care be taken by
the rider, and the only danger lies in meet
ing switch or frog. These are calculated
to change the railroad bicycle into flying
machine
In Europe, the employment of bicycles,
or rather, velocipedes grated on a bicycle
system, has received attention at the hands
OF the military authorities, and a gigantic
machine, to carry eight men seated in In.
dian file, one behind the other, with COM
missariat and ambulance necessaries. WINS
tried this year along the Brighton road.
80 far as the test went, 1t was an exceed
lngly satisfactory one. The distance was
covered In good time, and the men arrived
In good condition, but what the ultimate
outcome may DO 10 is impossible to say. The
item, however, is of Importance as showing
the daily increasing value and adaptability
OF the bicycle principal, and SO is worthy OF
being placed on record. The bycicle tram
running. at Coney Island on single
track Is now recognized and
fairly well-known fact, and its enthusiastic
inventor and demonstrator is sparing no
pains or expense to convince people that in
this system lies the solution of the rapid
transit problem, It will bs curious IL It
should prove TO be so.
Among the novel adaptations Of the BIZ
cycle principle to existing conveyancos Is
the bicycle buggy Of DR.. Thurmond of
Atlanta. This worthy disciple of Escula-
Plus has quito original notions regarding
equipments for the road. and has for several
years been using set of harness consisting
only or wooden collar with traces at
tached. A string runs from the collar to
Che driver, and IL the horse is likely to run
away, pull at the string causes the collar
TO fall apart, and the festive stoed can do all
the running by himself, while the occupants
OF the buggy remain in safety.
Having perfected this no proceeded to
simplify mis- buggy. He took the wheels of
and had the top or cover made stationary
like that of bread wagon. Then he had q
sixty-inch bicycle wheel built which he fitted
TO the back OF his buggy by means of a
stout iron fork running forward from the
hub" Of the wheel ia downward curve,
and supporting the seat, so the body of the
buggy is nicely balanced between the horse
In front and the single large velocipode wheel
at the back. This, however, is eclipsed by
tho Engishman who, during the past sea-
son, has been giving exhibitions of his
'bicycle stills" These consist of pair of
stills raising the walker five feet from the
ground. AT the bottom is fitted q species of
roller skate. having two rnbber-tired, wire
spoked wheels. about six inches 10 dame
ter, one being placed in front OF the other
like bicycle. He has learned tho trick of
balancing himself on Them and with a kind
OF skating motion runs first on one pair of
wheels and then tho other, getting over the
ground at a tremendous rate OF speed.
VILE. p. POND.