The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25

anime the results obtained in foreign coun-
tries where the march of events forces
constant activity in all military methods;
and ~ we from our fortunate geographical
situation have neither the means nor the
disposition to make the same experiments,
we must accept the results attained by the
best foreign experts a. conclusive.
The records show that the first attempt
to utilize the bicycle a. . military auxil-
larry was made in England in 1887. Four
days before the Easter maneuvers Col. Sa-
vile determined to test the mooted ques-
ton (f) in the field. The lack of time pro-
duced the usual results of want Of organi-
zation and material. The majority Of the
men were civilians, without even elemen-
tary drill. "Their duties were described
to them when they assembled on the day
of the maneuvres. or en- route, and they
labored under the disadvantage of not
knowing their officers, seeing them for the
first time on that day."
There were fifty cyclists mo united on all
sorts of machines. bicycles and rricycles;
they were divided into two divisions and
ordered to cover q front Of several miles,
In many parts of exceedingly difficult
q perfect network Of byways and turnpike
roads,"
The prediction was freely made by off,
GERS of reputation and experience that ''the
cyclists would be captured to the last man
before night" but to the surprise Of all
events developed that caused competent
Judges to admit that ''in actual warfare
the probability WAS that they would have
been the cause of sweeping every horse in
the enemies cavalry completely away"
The fastest riders were sent forward as
scouts. On arriving at any point, such As
q commanding eminence or church
tower, one of the scouts assembled it, and
returned to the main body. with the IN
formation acquired, If necessary: when
ever a scout was pressed by the enemy's
cavalry he retired on his reserve of cy.
clists, where, a. rihemen, they were en-.
abled to hold the cavalry in check until
reinforced by their own foot infantry
scouts. When the enemy's cavalry scouts
retired the cyclists followed them, keep
ing up sharpshooting from protected
points; in many cases they we're enabled
could not have in any way overtaken
them. In every case the reconnaissance
of the enemy's cavalry was rendered in
operative and the enemy's scouts driven
back, seriously affecting the advance of
the main body.
The effectiveness of the cyclists was
freely admitted on all sides, the cycles be-
ing ridden and carried across bits of coun-
try that were impracticable for horsemen;
and the movements of the cyclists on
their low machines were much less notice
able than those of the horsemen. These
were the first effects Of the hurried expert
ment.
At the maneuve-s a year later the tests
were repeated under conditions selected to
develop the weak points of the system.
"The first part was the dispatch from
Guildtord of q cyclist party, fully armed
and ACQUIRED, whose duty it was to re-
port themselves with the greatest possible
expedition at Salisbury. distance of sixty
miles, where they were TO take part in the
military operations on Saturday; then
they were TO retire on Winchester, and
from thence return to Dover, via Ports
mouth and Eastbourne, to take part in the
operations there on Monday.
1.-The design was ambitious and the test
severe. but not so severe as the weather,
for If ever weather could try the mettle
and capacity of cycles and cyclists, that
Monday in lSS5. Torrents of rain, head
winds and bad roads logged them through
every mile OF their march, yet out of the
sixty who left Guiidford on the Friday
morning, two-thirds arrived in Salisbury,
sixty miles away. in fighting condition the
same night. under circumstances in which
no other troops in the world could have
done the same.
Even out of the disasters they plucked
q valuable experience. for some of the
number, finding themselves beiated. took
their machines partly to pieces. packed
them in . passing passenger train (where
horses for want Of horse boxes must have
stoppedl and caught up with their COM
rades.
"They took part in the military move
ments in the neighborhood of Salisbury
on Saturday, and those of them who
started from Salisbury on Saturday even
ing were IN the fight on Dover Downs, 10
miles distant. on Monday"
In these tao experiments were the be-