Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-05-21

Albany, n. y, May lift the BIZ
cycle can beat a railroad trair il Will
be the highest achievement OF all for
the wheel. Six strong -lunged and
muscular-egged riders will cndeavor
to accomplish this. The trial has
Deen arranged TO take place this week
between the Empire state express of
the New York Central, and a sextet
which has Deen built fer the purpose.
The bicycle is the largest in the world.
Its length over all is thirteen feet, and
its water line" or wheel base is
something under foot less. 1t weighs
l37 1-2 pounds, giving each rider
about twenty three pounds in addition
TO his own weight to propel The.
wheels have only two inches more of
diameter than those of the average Bit
cycle; that is, they are thirty inChesi
across. The tires are said to be the
largest ever made. They are two andA
one-half inches in diameter, Thee
gear, wherein lies the secret OF its phe-s
nomenal velocity, has been compound
ed TO 1876. The machine is built on the 4
cantileyer principle, and it IS claimed
the weight OF its six riders will not de,
fleet the frame Ill the least. There are
four sprockets used in gearing, so tina
at each revolution of the pedals the bl
cycle moves aheau forty-two feet.
The six riders will be men of evei
weight, about 145 pounds. The tracJ
will be about six miles of a straight
away road, parallel with the route
the New York Central's flyer near thi,
city. The race will be for half mil
only, and an improvised track has beer
laid out there. Six straightaway miles
at least are necessary. 1t is estimated
that it will require at least two miles
for the seXtet to get properly started
and that after the half-mile has beer
run against the express train from
three and a half to four miles VIII
have to be gone over before the seXtel
can be stopped The riders will bi
supplied with patent breathing ap
paratus attached to an air chamber
from which each man, having his nos
and mouth closed off against the wine
will be obliged to respire from start
finish. The inventor believes the Sc.
tet can cover mile in thirty-tive Sc
onds
If the men turn their pedals once
second they travel a mile il 90 second
i minute and 3S seconds. If the
turn twice a second, they go a mile II
forty seconds; two and one-half revolt
tons a second means a mile in 80 L.
seconds, and three revolutions, a spec
of a mile in 80 20 seconds. This lattet
would mean that the train with rec
ord of Il mile in 81 l-5 seconds) woul
be beaten by . 2-5 seconds, a distance
Of over 400 feet in half-mile race
When it is considered that in riding
half-mile in l minute and two-tituf
seconds, the racer turns his pedal
better than three times in one seconC
II is seen how the seXtet is likely to g
at the rate of mile in 80 2-5 Sc ,onda
nearly 120 miles an hour.
The team will be made up nom tn
following men: John Lund, or Dave
Coburn, of St. Louis, as st1ersman
Fred Rau, winner of the Chicago roaC
race in 1894; Fred Loughead the
young Canadian champion; John Law,
son, the Terrible Swede," Fred WeageN
and w, S. Kenyon, OF Chicago; F. w
Benkey, Of Mount Clemens, Mich; ane
H. E. FredrlCkson, the Nebraska
champion, 1t will be the hardest task,
by wheelmen If they fall
off or the machine breaks, he under
taker will be necessary In fact, it is !
looked on as sure death % fall on !
while going at such rate of speed. Be
sides, the nervous strain is tearfully
Even in making pace on
a regular track on a quad" the riders
say, the strain is so great that they are
far more exhausted than the champion
whom they may have paced.