The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-30
: 49, < k,S s. 8 AA Il
H > > > > . ~ . > - ~ s /
H Paris Exposition on a Bike. 4
III Way Sightseeing European
hi Are Likely to Enjoy. II

on either side Of him. This is not wholly
due to the. possibility Of accident but be-
cause cause the . inventor believes, and the com
the whee! as at present there Is the same dan
ger OF requiring a. PHYSICIANS service by
reason of natural causes as would exist in
the case OF the presence Of vast numbers Of
pedestrians. These physicians Will be part
of the medical corps and ambulance service
OF the exposition itself.
Telephonic communication Is to be arranged
along the entire length Of the track. To a
certain extent this telephone system will
be for the use OF employees but every other
telephone will be public one which any
is also suggested that at intervals along
the route restaurants be located for the bene-
At of the wheelmen and women into which
the track. It. is also proposed that these
restaurants be connected with the telephone
system, so that If wheelman wishes to
dine at a restaurant midway between the
points of beginning and terminus, he can
telephone to that place just as he starts
and the meal will be awaiting him when ne
reaches there. The inventor naiveiy re-
marks that he thinks this feature of his
plan will particularly suit the Americans,
as they are always in hurry.
The bicycle track inside the buildings It is
proposed to elevate ten feet from the floor
and run it down the center of the main
aisies after the fashion Of the elevated rail-
roads in the streets in the cities OF the
United States. 1t is claimed that a twenty
foot track will not at all obstruct the light
or view and that If pains are taken to
make the structure ornate it will really
be an ornament rather than detriment to
the interiors of the buildings through which
it passes. It is this traversing of the build
ings which the committee considers the only
serious objection to the carrying out OF the
plan. If this difficulty is obviated there is
little doubt that the track will be one of
the sights and pleasures of Frances big fair
AS whole, the proposed bicycle track
will be sort of uphill and down dale af-
fair, this feature being regulated by the
topography of the grounds. OF course, there
will be a grand canal at the exposition, and
as it is to wind in a most devious fashion,
the bicycle track, in its long tour. will be
forced to bridge it in several places These
bridges are to be gently arched affairs Of
rustic beauty yet firmly constructed-so
firmly. in fact, that there will be not the
slightest danger of collapse. Perhaps the
most notable feature of the track will be its
circling Of the huge globe representing the
earth, and the point at which the cycltst will
ascend in elevators to a given height in
the Eiffei tower, and then coast down for
an indefinite distance. This might seem
chimerical, but careful measurements and
calculations of distances have shown that
the idea is entirely feasible.
The chairman of the committee on sug-
gestions has taken up this plan personally.
Very skeptical at first he is now ready to
believe that NJ. Despard is not the wild
theorist he at first thought him. AS a
member of the committee said to me the
other day: Monsieur, this is a Yankee in
vention from the brain of Frenchman."