Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-25
GUNS ON WHEELS.
Novelties in the New York Cycle Ex-
hiEitiOn.

The New York cycle show has been the
attraction of all local bicycle dealers and
many wheelmen during the past week, and
large number of enthusiasts went over
to inspect the exhibits, to see the new ma kes
OF all the wheels and judge the relative
value Of each for the purposes for which
1t was constructed. The show was not
gotten up for amusement, but for instruc-
ton. and as such it can be classed as a
scod success. The exhibitors were many,
and the crowds large, but nothing exces-
tiohaiiy wonderful In bicycle construction
was placed on view. There was no radical
departure from the present make of wheels
the principal aim Of the manufacturers an
pearing to be to improve the minor de-
tails OF construction. The novelties were
not SO numerous as anticipated The most
ir terestfng exhibit was a single and a tan
dem fitted up for army purposes.
Inc tandem was finished in the regulation
manner, with enameled frame nickel-pla ted
handle bars, hubs, sprockets, etc, On either
side OF the steering head, and CLAIMED mr.
attached with perfect security, were steel
enameled gun rests, which were lined with
leather, and made exactly to fit the barrels
OF the guns. Attached to the main upright
IN the same way, were rests of the sanoe
Kind with the exception of being made a
tribe larger in order to hold the gun grin
rl.ong most securely in these rests, and
yet In such manner that thew NAV he
easily and quickly detached at a mon,a,,,s
notice, were two of Colts tweIye-sbot re-
reat1ng magazine carbines. STRAINED on
me ene rigns SIDE OF the machine and to the
front and rear seat posts were two of C,oIt:s
regulation six-shooters encased in holstars
and hanging conveniently out of tho w,ay
SO That they caused no interference what
EYER eve on the rlsht SIDE extending almost
the whole length of the machine. attachad
IN front to the steering head and in tha
rear to the lower center tube was jo;nt
ed Flagstaff in tight-fitting, neat-iookinv
ing the action of the machine or rider.
On the front handle bar and stranned T.,
peculiar manner, SO that there rras NJ
possibility of their coming loose or caus;ne
blue regulation army overcoats On H.
rear bars, strapped in the same fasbi one
We're double pair Of gray army blanlet.,
Inc guns revolvers and all. were SO in
genlously attached that nothing corId ~
terfere in the slightest degree With tho
riders, and the additional weight ne ~
various accoutermen MIS-, which take ;n
everything essential Tor a march in times
OF war or peace, was hardly percentibia
The single wheel was PERTAINS more ro-
markable than the tandem. orf acno,,e. e
paving attached and ready for action a
moss an utter gum impossbtyw would seem al
pendicularly from the fork crown e p a.
height of the handle bars was a re.,,Ia
th piece Of steel tubing, and from
ng ssaa ran o hs g the top Of he
steel. making a V-shape frame. which sd ~
ed to rather than detracted from the at AZ
Effectiveness and stability of the macb,ne
On the top of this frame was a turntable and
bracket. on which the gun rested. secur nhu
fastened. 1t was balanced to ba easiiy
turned in any direction, and could by
turned to fire at any angle without extendin.,
far enough back to cause the rider anS
trouble in riding or steering; in fact thy
gun was so well placed that it eouId he
fired with the greatest possible ease
whether the rider was going fast or slow
and no matter how bad the roads were.
The gun which Is known as the Colt au-
tomato gun. and recently adopted bv the
navy. is Of one barrel, attached to a breech
casing in which the mechanism for char.
ing, firing and ejecting Is contained r.
automatically fed by means of cartridge
belts. which are coiled in boxes readily af.
tached to the breech casing, and these
% boxes m9ying with the latter. the supply
teal or horizontal movement of the gun.
The boxes contain $50 or 600 cartridges
each. ana are so constructed that they can
be quickly attached or removed. In re-
cent test for accuracy at 200 yards, 100 con-