Smyrna times., 1896-07-22
FOr the Smyrna Times.
THE POETRY OF MOTION.

THE POETRY OF MOTION.
The bicycle of to-day is easily taking
popular hold as the most rapid and
economical means, to quote Hiber-
nicism, Of riding a-foot."
The tireless doubly-tired steed seems
as it swiftly yet noiselessIy glides
along, to be the very poetry of motion
without the consequent jar and strain
of more pretentious modes of travel.
Still closer examined the crank
movement of the pedals begets the
kicking up of such sea with the legs
as to etfectually dispel the illusion
that indeed the rider has vouchsafed
to visit us from ether cal heights above.
In mechanics of all movements the
crank as the lever of power transmits
sion has always been regarded as the
ne plus ultra of perfection itself, not,
however, with human limbs forming
the connecting rod.
Then again there are two centres of
lost motion that deals with telling eff
feet in long continued strains on the
physical system of the aforesaid human
connecting rods.
Taking the bicycle as it is now de-
velOped with a sprocket gearing as
high as seventy turns to the minute,
defeats all idea of wholesome exercise
and forces an undue strain upon the
| system of the rider of which the best
medical men of the day have not hest
tated in calling attention to. Curry
allure of the spine is but another way
to state that transmitted motion always
seeks the line of least resistance.
Look at the position of the so-called
"scOrcher" on his wheel, see that
hump on his back and how easily it
can be made permanent a-dreadful
curvature of swaying mu scles, and all
because the right thing has not been
hit upon as yet in the propulsion of
bicycles.
The pneumatic tire has had q great
deal to do with modifying the mac
curacy Of the pedal cranks and of mod
flying the inaccury of the pedal cranks
and of extracting a large amount of
exhilarating pleasure, Notwithstanding
the drawback of unusual physical ex-
ertiOn. Ball bearing axles in a lesser
degree contribute their mite to assure
the rider as he speeds along that all
has been done that human ingenuity
can devise to insure his comfort. Yet
the fact remains that the bicycle is
just about in the first stages of its i'm
prOvements. The wonderful speed of
reduced friction has yet to be brought
about by some other means than that
of the rider actuating a crank move
ment.
In all conscience enough power has
been exerted in a rider taking a spin
of ten miles or so to bring him back
ten miles or so without any effort on
his part If the teachings of natural
philosophy have any bearing upon the
matter, we find that whatever is Gre
ated is never afterwards lost-or, as
Shakespeare has it:
Alexander dead and turned to clay,
May serve to stop hole to keep the wind
away"
Compressed air is coming to the
front now as a motive power, although
electricity has not as yet hardly
emerged from its swaddling clothes.
and is strong enough to give the new
power box on the ears for daring to
enter the domain of utility while it
treads the boards. Either of these
powers the bicycle is capable of pro-
ducing and utilizing for it's better
ment. In the electromagnetic every
revolution is boarded for the climb up
a steep hill or the return home with
feet off the pedals. In the compressed
air chamber air can be packed like
sardines in box to give ample power
when physical exertion becomes a pos
J tive hardship.
Hence it follows that the bicycle
AuAAJ OquApPOu MAUh an ouAAl1oAJ
power to be used at the will of the
r rider will make it more apparent that
the bicycle of the present far from
meets this requirement, and therefore
is susceptible of improvements in this
direction, completely reversing the
Indians observation of the oatless
steed: Heap lazy man sit down to
walk" JAMES B. SCOTT.
Wilmington, July 16.