The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-28
STEERING A NOND[RFULB|KE
JUST HOW MAN FEELS wHIRLING
THROUGH SPACE ON A TEN
SEATED WHEEL.
Description BY ARTHUR W|SNER
The Merry Steersman of the Decem-
tuple Writes for the First Time
the Sensations Experienced
While Plotting 1t.

was selected to steer the largest and
most wonderful bicycle in the world be-
cause l took part in building it and be-
cause l have been steering multcycles
from tandems up to seXets for a few
years, pace making and SO ON. In fact,
[ have won ninety-eight prizes, all count
ed, but / am not rich yet, being still rat
ed as an amateur by the ancient and
honorable racing board of the l.. A. w.
The sensation of being shot through
space like meteor is highly thrilling.
An instant's indecision may mean seri-
Gus smash-up, if not death to several. 1t
is risky business, but then you don't think
of the danger at the time. Coin at a
great speed, it makes you feel as if you
were riding on the engine of train, but
it runs very easy and smoothly. There
is no sag in the middle at all 1T does
not do to be at all nervous and one mas
to give the machine his whole attention.
Showing off to the grand stand wont do
In fact, the first few times l could hard,
ly tell whether there was grand stand
or not, and 1 hardly knew whether the
band was playing, but they told me IL
played all the time.
We have made good many exhibitions
at some pretty fast rates of speed, though
usrPiy We make a quarter III ~ SECONDS
or %. Now that the team is SO thoroughly
accustomed to this big machine my work
is not so hard as it was. You can not
hold your tongue between your teeth, be-
cause then YOU would bite it off, for you
have to nay attention all the time and
you can not take it easy. but one can n9e
do that with seXtuplet either IL
there is any time when you nave any
sensation of danger, it is when passing
!, another team or single rider because
ANYTHING happens then and you are ON the
" L. .ha xphnla pf wOlllu rail- OH
TON of them and then there would be
had accident. To begin at the beginning
I will tell you of the hrst trlal at the
Waltham track. ..,- L..
We were followed to the track by
crowd of Walthamites. who rather , SN-
nected to witness a glorious failure. me
i;rst trial had four men up besides my
aaif leaving the five empty saddles Just
"a SOC how she worked and to get part OIL
+he mon accustomed to the machinS.
That wav we went around the track
nn m% slowly and | found the, steering
vnrv diffcult then, for besides the mover
fv Of the machine and my own neryouSS-
ness. the slow pace made II eA !!irIa naiu
The next attempt was mace NV =, o oe Of
nm THAT was success and the faces VI
tbo donhtful ones grew about as long
os tho frame, and as black, too, FROM
10 'i Grst I believed that / could do the
s .nu all right. OF course there was
something unfinished about It WIN pnlA
seven men up. We circled the lrack a. ~
about three-minute clip tnou ,;dora 81
went much better than WIN nv NY '',,tT
yet it did not work perlecs!. nart fine /
saddles were against us, 40 heY' ,i,,e sit
nnt on the full force of ten, ! mar ,,. SIN
mon 70 start us. three on each sac. lucy
h id The machine while we mounted ana
ran along with it for about nu'luit ~,
Yards. by that time we had enouSn ~ III
keen our balance. but the men Wcpe e,. an
,,orpons q the pedaling was very uneven
ne ea thore was greater sway from side TO
";da than was comfortable. uhtll tne
s ,,a ob;no moved at about giant or tirer'
n,,rn, npr mile it took every, bit OF nv
l nl.nu.b r. turn the front wheel ana l
had to keep wiggling it TO nrr'enhL -
an;l, The weight resting OF, the " snon,
vas 1900 pounds but II uin t ~, smooI
TO make much difference. II Low mace il
.nar great muscular force 70 turi .nt
iLeI uii har ot all; at fast gait II - l3'
I i'an, thon the steering OF a S'Ntul,v,'
nm mau.;ng FOR the greater length OF the ttni
a .aotor and for the weight ct lour Una he
men. The faster the gnlt tne e,';ne-the
steering became. but the s,o niao nTronnd
Snst tmo we tried to stop we roue aro ont.
nrst .a,1 ol, four time more than we want {
ne IN 20 - because we did not dare TO s' w
9a TO, nan nan of the ten yelled at ms
n mIs[G to stop pcdang. but , mG9ops ny
h;5 At last the six starters chugt t n W.
ont Sn the fly and We stepped r s who"' aas
the really dangerous ', ohes and that prob
respon n,nde me clinch my muscles muscles, t um
ABLY i NV. hard. You have to Keep uds
necess" ,,hsol about two or three yah" tto
from ~ nr,a on the turns beca,lse uT !
s% ;s sos % %sle s9;ST e # S T
Sip off Hs,t Fa Ssp @S2st 'os At The *
turn p If tbc " opiten on the Charles riV-
pr track. >, Ian &c about twenty-five
me ui loCk as s Il the single wheels OF ve