The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-26
ARMY BICYCLE CORPS
1T COVERS TWO THOUSAND MILES
AWHEEL IN FORTY DAYS.
Experiment That Proves Soldiers on
as Cavalry Under Any Conditions.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, July 25.-The Twenty
fifth United States Infantry Bicycle Corps,
which reached this city last night. complet-
ing their two-thousand-mile ride from Fort
Missoula, Mont, in forty days. thirty-five
of which were actually spent on the road,
are encamped at Forest Park. Despite the
rain that fell last night and this afternoon.
thousands Of people visited the troopers
at the park. During their stay here the
officers Lieut.. j. A. Moss and Surgeon j.
NJ. Kennedy, will be entertained by prom
inent citizens, while the troopers, who are
colored men, are the guests Of local bicycle
clubs and later will be transferred to JEFF
ferson Barracks.
The Twenty-ffth United States Infantry
Bicycle Corps left Fort Missoula, Mont,
on June ii, twenty-three in number-Lieut.
J. A. Moss, Surgeon J, NJ. Kennedy apd
Edward II. Boos the official reporter, and
twenty soldiers selected from the four COM
panies stationed at Fort Missoula. During
the trip one of the men was returned to
Fort Missoula on account of not being able
to keep up. The first twelve days of the
trip were rainy and disagreeable but good
time was made nevertheless. 1t was during
these days that the main divide of the
Rocky mountains was crossed, as well as
the greater part of Montana. There were
few pleasant days while the corps was in
Montana, and excellent runs were made.
In crossing the Crow Indian reservation
heavy rains fell and the corps was stuck in
the mud much of the time. All the way
across Wyoming rain hampered the prog
ress of the company and many hardships
arose from lack of good water.
The southwestern corner of South Da-
kota was crossed, two days being occupied
in that State. The sandy roads were awful
and the prairie beside the road was
field of pricAley pears, making travel on
the wheels very careful and tiresome work.
A stretch of good, but hiliy, road was
struck after leaving Edgemont and the run
from that point to the Nebraska line was
made in short order. AS soon as Nebraska
was reached new troubles confronted the
corps in the shape of sandhills and heat.
From the state line to Alliance the roads
were fair, being only sandy in patches, but
after Alliance was reached and for dis
lance of nearly two hundred miles the
sand in the roads was eight and ten inches
deep. The road was given up and the rail-
road used, the men riding as much as pos
sible, but walking the greater part of the
time. While in this desolate country there
men were taken sick. After four days
suffering the sand hills were passed. Inc
corps passed through Grand Island, Lincoln
and Table Rock in Nebraska, and out of
that State into Missouri on July II. AS
whole, the roads through Nebraska are
good, but far from being fevel short, steep
hills being continually encountered.
The first camp was made at Napier, st.
Joseph, Hamilton, Macon, Louisiana and
st. Peter being camping places for the
other nights. The roads across Missouri
were bad and billy, and with the exception
of a few gravel roads were the worst on
the entire trip. When away from the rail-
road the people were inhospitable. In one
instance water sufficient for cooking was
refused and no reliable information re-
garding the roads could be gained. The
heat for the last three days of the trip was
severe and hard on the men.
The distance covered on the trip was 1900
miles, the average per day being htty-tWo
and two-thirds miles. After leaving the
Nebraska sand hills the average was over
sixty miles per day. The bicycles stood the
trip remarkably we'll but few accidents of
a serious nature having occurred, those
that did occur being through carelessness.
According to Lieutenant Moss, the trip
was a. success from military standpoint.
In an interview Lieutenant Moss said: The
trip has proved beyond peradventure my
contention that the bicycle has place in
modern warfare. In every kind of wealth
err over all sorts of roads, we averaged
tiftv miles a day. At the end of the journey
we are all in good physical condition. Sew
enteen tires and half dozen broken frames
is the sum of our damage. The practical
result of the trip shows that an army bl-
cycle corps can travel twice as fast as cav
airy or infantry under any conditions and
at one-third the cost and effort. L am not
s1Ire whether we will return on our wheels
or not but will know as soon as orders
are received from Washington