Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-20

Come C0mmeate II Gen. Miles On the Grea1
s.Ih Relay Ride to New Fork.
Cen Nelson A. Miles vas intsrviswsd by I
Chicago Eusaisg Post reporter before the b.
cyclists started on the relay ride to carry dis
patch from him to Gen. Howard in New York
why, yes," he said after some little modest
hesitation - to the propriety Of his talking u
all on the score that his opinion was Of no mort
value than that Of the reporter himself-'why
yes, 1t strikes me that any person Of intslli,
gence can zee how the bicycle can be of use IL
military operations. II is simply question Of
loeomotion. There are several ways Of movin,
. number Of men. There IL steam, there Il
question comes, how does the bicycle compare
.There is no doubt that roads Throughout,
'this country are available for bicycle travel
with some exceptions, perhaps, In the west OF
tn Florida. But We know that ordinarily the
roads can be used to good purpose In good
q body Of 10000 men or more mounted on
wheels, would be better than the speed made
BY Apy other form Of travel except steam.
Nov, let Us take this relay ride. II these
men can run the distance Of 900 miles In i've
days u will have been demonstrated that one or
two men can travel we'll over 1000 miles OF
country road. II one man can do it 20 900
men, OF as many ~ you like, can do IT"
"But not In such fast time ~ that?"
well, no. would not say that much. Yet
am informed that o man can travel 100 miles
day on bicycle. Perhaps not oil men can do
u. but let US say that IN army moving on q
bicycle could travel at just half that rate Of
speed and make fifty miles day, or sixty miles.
That 10 faster than any army ever moved yet
except by railroad. TWENTY-FIVE miles day Ia
good cavalry marching and eighteen miles a
day is good infantry marching"
Would not your bicycles cost more than
horses?"
The general smiled in sly sort of way and
said: 1--WE might confscate them on the road.
But / don't know about the cost good
cavalry horse costs about el25 to $50 and u
bicycle costs about the same"
''Are you awnre, general, that country road
riding would go rather hard on your commits
snry department.? These century riders say
they Gun eat six meals day."
General Miles laughed. "Now," said he, "as
to that, you know bicycle does not have to be
fed and horse docs. Besides, march at
fifty miles dry for any length Of time would
be a&fnlly rough on the horses. The bicycle
be given to the rider
. Eswhst, in your opinion. wonld be the atlvan-
tago Of an army eaugPsd with bicycles over an
ain reaching strategic points before the
enemy. Gen. Forrest Of the confederate army
used to say that the commander who could get
there hrst with the most men was the com
mandcr for his money, and there Ii no question
but that he was right. In the case Of two COM
manders striving to reach strategic point it
seems clear to nue. that the man whose army
could trnvel fifty miles day on bicycles, or
Fhq could move his army four or five miles
ay even faster than his enemy would have half
won the battle. Why, no could arrive and be
Oct he'll hqfOr he thar fall Ia
get within three days of him''
"What weight can wheelman carry?"
why, should say all that il necessary. 1t
has been found that q soldier can carry his gun
on his wheel and all his equipment without
much distress and go along at q very good rate
The fact Is that experiments have been made
with the bicycle in almost every army except
that of the United States. They have done
very well in Germany, France, Austria, Eng
land and Russia, and are apparently satisfied
taaf the bicycle may be Of great use. You I'M
derstand If one army adopts the wheel as a
travelling power all the others will be compelled
~ az the came thing. 1t will be just like any
Special gun that is an acquisition. When one
army takes 1t up the others must do the same
thing in self-defense. l don't say that
the bicycle could be made to take
the place Of the horse for marching
purposes. There are certain places in which
the horse il better than marching afoot and
there are places where it Is necessary and more
to the purpose to travel on foot. But in those
marches where the bicycle can be used there IL
no doubt whatever that faster moving can he
got out Of it, and more satisfactory moving
than out OF any other method than steam OF
electricity. Then the cost is reduced also; for
in the case of steam there il the consumption
of coal, and there is consumption of coal also
III the making OF the power by which the cleo
tricity is furnished"
1t was suggested to the general that in case of