The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-24
NEITHER BELL NOR LAMP,
Bur FINE AND IMPRISONMENT FOR
FAST OK RECKLESS RIDING.
Speed Limited to Six and Twelve Mile an
Hour-so Says tho Ordinance Com
miuee About Bicycles.


in this city. The members Of the COM
mittee present were Messrs. Bloomberg
chairman, Carter, Boykin. Mitchell and
! Mcdowell
After the ordnance as prepared by
Alderman Noble had been read by city
! Clerk August, it was decided, on motion
Of Mr.. Boykin. that the gentlemen inter-
ested in the question b. heard.
Mr. Noble stated that az his suggestion
! Major John Poe, Jr.. Chiei-Oi-Police had
| been invited TO be present, ana that IN,
! latter had been the one who suggested
! TO Captain Coke. the cOditier OF the city
! ordinances, some time ago, 70 draw up
an ordinance regulating the riding OF bIcy-
/ Giles.
Captain coke explained his ordinance,
| which provided that each bicycle-flder
/ should have a bell and ring II constantly,
/ 10 be heard at Il distance Of fifty yards,
/ and at night-tin a lighted lamp, when
] could be seen a distance Of two hundred
/ yards. 1t was stated that that ordinance
/ was not under consideration, but the one
which had been introduced boy Mr.. Noble,
/ and which has been published IN Iull IN
! The Times.
| Major Poe stated that as long as he had
l held his official position he had never
/ received any complaint in regard to bicy,
cle-Tiding, and only one gentleman had
/ spoken TO him on the subject, Mr.. Il. \.
/ Cannon, who was now dead.
H .rossrUuo.
| Mr.. Noble explained that the ordinance
| had been suggested TO him by a member
/ Of one of the clubs 50 as 20 regulate the
! speed. The provisions In regard 10 the
/ bell and lamp We're his own SUGGESTIONS
/ because he had seen that they were Ie-
/ Quired i'm the city Of Washington. In re-
! eard to the danger Of bicycle~riding I'M
: der existing circumstances about Il nun
drcd cases could be summoned where ac-
oldents had been caused by bicycie-ildet s..
Q . rad l.tr Ia
/ thought the speed should be regulated. ne
replied 10y the eye and ne added ihat III
! his opinion many riders went raster IMAM
! eieht miles an hour.
Major Poe remarked that only one accl-
( dent had come to notice. where a ldoE
| had been Knocked down and injured, ana
/ in that case 1t had not been posslOie ~
! ascertain the name Of the T4leI'
Air \obie next SPOKE ia regard To the
! license tax, which, he said was so low
that II would hardly reimburse the CITY
for the imposed labor DHt ti'e tSo cT ~IS
more 90 Keep record or the blcHtlJ
! riders and II the wheels were provided
! with numbers the riders might pe more
easily identified in case OF an accldenl.
Mr. Boykin desired TO know what would
| be done with small machines ridden 10y
I children. and Mr.. Noble replied mat thiS
was for the committee 10 decide. ana
added that he knew that often bapy car
riages were a nuisance.
COUNSEL FOR DTFFNcr.
tended the session Of the committee were
then invited to present their views as 70
the ordinance. Among those present Wtie
TIC t2i0"l2s III M'S' i I r. A. 'XSs bT T,
T 57@; as Tigb SSn'ap L. Derrick &C. A. j. !"
Shaseri Dr. GIlankinship Or. IL; r; Baker.
Y. f.. +. s. ". Pat. Coyner William 81.
Long. John II. Anderson. Jr. l.. 4. W.
George W. Smith. e. +. Grmmell r.
NJ. Nsnor. NJ 9. Young II. g. Mercer,
j. T. Enslow. j. ). BOsher 4. f.. Jones,
-. : Bennett Professor Anton Schatzcl.
d. Stuart Hopkins and William j. Hen
ming
Mr.. Charles W. Dunstan WAS the first
speaker on the part Of the bicycle riders.
who. he said. had appeared To object 20
the passage Of the ordinance in its pres
cut form. They all agreed that there
should DEE a regulation Of the speed. but
10 reduce 10 10 eight miles on q straight
way course, ana 10 four miles when cor
ncrs were 10 be turned. was not saUefac-
tory. The speed should bee greater. cs-
pecially at street corners, because it re-
quHed certain amount of speed TO keep
wheel balanced. The Introduction Of a
i.li "'lll prove 90 nuisance 10 Citizens
az large on account Of their constant
noise me lamps which We're required iu
the ordinance would Doe a source of dam
ger, Tor they would scare horses To inn
pose a tax upon bicycles seemed 10 he
uhIraS"hable' because for other vehicles
no tdNS were required The bicycle was
personal property ana us owner was as
sessed for the same. There was mo- mark
OF Identification or number required for
'1tEaes and pleasure horses. and if the
iattrf should cause accidents the owners
would have 90 Dee Identified by other
means
ONLY FQrAr RIGHTS
lie thought it would be about right
To NIX the speed az eight miles ON n
straight co4se and at five miles when
corners had TO be turned although ne
personally would prefer q limit of ten
or ire miles, and ii was for the goljce
90 determine when this limit was ex-
c"edei. lie felt convinced that every
hl'NcIe llutf was DESTROYS 20 keep with
I'm the city ordinances. They din nor
claim TO 20 whore other pleasure We
hicles could not 20. and for this very
reason tney dld not think OF invading
Monroe fark He knew there We're eN-
pert riders who could go from one end
OF the city 10 the other without using
the handles, ringing a dinner bell i'm
edch mana, put ne would be perfectly
satisfied 10 ride along with the use Of
hands and without any such incubus
as Dell The riders did not want to
create a nuisance. but would certainty
do so If they should constantly ring
bells. lie admitted there were two or
three reckless riders in the city. who
could be Kept I'm boundaries by an ordi-
nance regulating the speed.
WHAT a DEALER says.
Mr.. Schaap, who next addressed the
committee read from a paper which
he had carefully prepared a number of
objections 10 the ordinance. lie ltnev-
that the average rider had better control
of his wheel than the driver or rider Of
a gentle horse; He would always try
10 avoid collision, for il would. bring
Sibly fractures Of limbs He cited SOY
eral instances where accidents had been
caused In the city of Washington bv
the ringing OF bells. causing pedestrians
10 Jump 10 the wrong side etc 1t would
not DO 10 carry lamps, for they would
not Keep lighted, on account Of the rough
condition OF the paVements I'm the streets
of Richmond. lie thought the speed
should be limited 20 twelve miles. and
TO SIX miles Tor turning corners. As 70
the proposed tax, Mr.. Schaap said in
would be better 10 tax the rich mans
PAGER than the poor mans bicycle. The
wheel did not disturb sick people. but
II would If bell was attached TO it,
1t would be an easy matter TO hang
4 lamp 10 a bicycle, but such an alarm
on the wheels would cause more acct
dents than ii would prevent. He ad-
VOcated that reckless riders be arrested
and fined. II this was done In a few in
stances the nuisance would soon stop.
The lamps We're imUTacticable in The
streets of the city. while on smooth road
ways i'm public parks they would keep
lighted The objection 10 the bell vas
an idea that the bicycle rider could not
control his wheel, and would at once
become confused II cautioned by a hell
but. as a rule. the bicycle rider was
better prepared to get out OF the way
than the pedestrian. He thought the
sa usfactory to bicycle riders. and they
would also be perfectly satisfied 10 10
where other pleasure vehicles could 20.