The morning times., 1896-06-28
BALLOONS THAT CAN LIFT
MAN AND WHEEL.
Proper Weight Tugs Violently
At Its Rope, SO a rlan Needs
Only Move His Feet-Engineer
Sits i'm Front and Handles the
Ropes = Elements of Nautical
and Aerial Sport.
Copyright, 1860

y,
furious pace. Upon it sat four athletic
fellows resting! Their feet worked and
they were dressed in sweaters, but any
observer could have noticed that they
were not doing their level best-the level
best tnat would have been needed to
send the bicycle along at tile rate II
was going. No; there was power be-
hind tnat wheel or ahead or IL that was
doing the work, while the boys did the
rest!
IN front of the long, vigorous quad
'uple machine there danced "a great red
bail. 1t was light as air, in fact, filled
WITH IL; and its mooring was the front
steel of the bicycle, to which it was
grappled with strong ropes. The balloon
was pulling the wheel i'll the direction it
vast go. 1t was not patented balloon,
lust one of the larger OF the ordinary
varieties, but it was dong as well us the
steam motors and the electric Things that
are being placed on bicycles to DO the work
Of legs and feet.
A FLEETING THOUGHT.
The practical bility OF using balloon
for bicycle motor power occurred 10 a
man VINO was carrying home a bunch of
Toy balloons for his children. He ted
tbe,n to the front bar OF his wheel and
Ilarted Off There were dozen or SO
or tine little gauuiy painted things, ana
as they tuEged ut their strings the man
noticed that he had trouble steering MS
wheel.
A pupcturc occurred TO him. and then he
Thought il was eDcrusted muu; and luaily
he decided he must be more tired than he
Thought for the machine turned and driited
hither and thither beyond his control. Sud
denly the balloons shot INTO lis IIiiI,d Tie
WlDd is cast" said he. and I'm trying TO
20 north These balloons tugging at enc
Ude are carrying me wrong
Soon he turned u corner and now the ba-
Icons were straight ahead OF him. And I'M
mctliately he noticed not only the difference
10 guiding the machine but also the little
work he had to do. 1t seemed to fly alCDE
by itself. Even up little hills be went with
out more exertion than he usually put upon
alevelp3th. This was ideal and he sailed
all the way home with his feet easily work
ing the pedals.
This little TACT, recited to an alert wheel
ing club. had the effect of making the MEM
bers experiment a little. One day, when
the wind was due south, party of four
good riders mounted quad, and, with
balloon tied in front, started along Grants
Riverside Drive. The balloon actually car
ned them along. and their hard work was
to keep the machine moving slowly enough
to keep them out of the clutches of that
dread OF the scorcher, the mounted police,
and clear of distractions. The only dam
age that came of the experiment was the
loss of a small wayside dog that was &C
customed to bark ut cyclists. He ran in the
way of the powerful quad and wa run down.
The actual weight balloon would
carry along depends upon the day. the
wind andthe balloon, also upon the ma chine.
AS is well known in aerial navigation, a
balloon will lift great weight. Three
people can easily ride in a wicker car and
aalry with ttem food, Cameras. irons for
ballast and endless rope. They will rise
as soon as the balloon ropes are cut.
SIZE OF BALLOON.
In bicycling the object is not to rise
into the air. If very large balloon
. were attached to wheel the wheel would
undoubtedly go up. nan and all, as soon ds
the ropes were cut. The proper size of
balloon must be known before much
practical use can be made of the idea.
The balloon must be large enough
hold enough air-to give a smart tug a the
wheel without being able to lift it. That
isthe secret orthe balloon bicycle navigation.
And this can be ascertained only by eXper-
iment. 1t is said that on clear, brisk da y
balloon can tug harder at the ropes than
any other day
When loosened a balloon OF proper size
will start frantically upward in the di-
rection of the wind. 1t is first fastened
to the bicycle. When it finds it cannot
rise it will remain upon the end OF its
rope, tugging franti cally, dancing and
prancing to windward. This tug is
where the power comes in- 1t is suffi-
cient, if the wheel is resting against a
fence. to pull it over or to upset a be-
the wrong direction. And this is speak
ing of balloon Of ordinary size, SAY
four or five feet in diameter. This is,
of course, tiny compared to the size of
balloons for aerial navigation. But it Is
big enough to exert good deal Of
power.
The actual use OF the balloon rs a
means of carrying the bicycle along is
peculiar. 1t is either very useful or
not useful at all. If the wind happens
to be the way you are going, the bal
loon is an excellent thing as an assists
ant II the wind is otherwise, you can
not use your airy friend.
In all kinds of cycle navigation. even
in the case of the cycle itself, you mus
bear in mind the fact that enjoyment is
the first consideration. Blot out the
pleasure of the thing and you blot out
cycling. The world moved along without
the bicycle wheel, and il can move along
without it again. Its excuse for existing
Is the fact that it is such grand sport
the greatest and most invigorating pastinl,
In the world.
ADDS MUCH SPORT.
The means for f>Opelliug the wheel are
under the same limitations as the bicycle
They are used because they are such fun
Take electric apparatus the steam power
the motor, the trolley. the countless springs
and sniallinventions for making the wheels
go and see how comparatively little the,
are adopted. Except upon difficult noun
tain tours, a bicyclists legs do not ask 70,
assistance.
But when 1t comes to something that
Is fun in itself and is pretty, hen The
case alters itself And that is the way
with the balloon in cycling. 1t is no
practical use, but as grand sporting
assistant when sport is wanted.
On fine cycling boulevard of n brisk
racing with balloons. With fast riders
and good balloons great rate OF speed
can be gotten up. The balloons are iik,
sails, they carry you along and the only
skill needed is the nauag ement before
the wind.
In riding with a balloon there must be
an engineer" In n quad race the en-.
ginecr Is the man in front. He manages
the balloon and the man behind him
steers the bicycle. Or ii this Is limos
sible, on account OF the placing of the
steering apparatus of the bicycle, the
second man becomes engineer and has tbs
balloon rope where be can reachi it.
The art in using the balloon is to lei
out string when there is a good wind
Let the balloon get up far enough TO
exert its strongest pressure This IT vii
% at about ten feet. Lower than this II