The record-union., 1897-11-22


States and discussed with them this
subject of local organization. All re-
ports to the effect that President Pot
ter is in favor of local option on the
subject of Sunday racing are erroneous.
He realizes that there is much to be
said on both sides of this question and
that each should have full hearing. AT
present the sentiment of the East
against Sunday racing, on option or
otherwise, is practically unchanged and
in the National Assembly the West has
the disadvantage of numerical minor
ity. AS yet Mr.. Potter has not taken
any final position on the matter"
"a force equal to one pound moving
at the rate Of one mile in one minute is
equal to .16 horse power The pres
sure of a wind moving at the rate of
sixty miles per hour is variously given,
but by no authority at less than about
100 pounds per square foot. AsSum-
ing that a rider and his wneef expose
a surface of three square feet to wind
resistance, we have for the power re-
quired to overcome this resistance at
the given speed 10.5x3x 16 equals 5.O4,
or little over five horse power. A
man can ordinarily exert about Il horse
power, but for a short time may exert
five times as much, which would still
leave him far short of the power re-
Quired for pushing himself through the
atmosphere at the rate of sixty miles
AN hour.
Improvements may be introduced
that will somewhat lessen friction. but
fractional resistance in the present ma
chine, when we'll made and in good ord
er, is insignificant when compared with
wind resistance at high speed. Most
of the contraptions heralded from time
to time would increase, rather than
lessen, the frictional resistance. wniie
they do not pretend to affect either way
the chief obstacle to high speed.
IF one could dispense with air, |. e..
ride in a vacuum, or in air moving at
the same rate as himself there would
be scarcely any reasonable limit to the
speed possible to be ATTAINED with the
present machine, if sufficiently high
geared, but that would not be real
cycling"
A time marker and place recorder for
Olympia Park, Lenox avenue and One
Hundred and Thirty-firs street re-
Gently, and while not wholly success
full, it gave promise OF being improved
until practical. If it realizes all the
hopes Of Monroe Sonneschein, a Staten
Island young man, it's inventor, it will
greatly simplify the work of the Off
cials at the finish of races, and pro-
vide record over which there will be
no contradiction
1t is an electrical contrivance, con-
sisting of plates, each about the width
OF the widest part of bicycle, placed
side by side across the finish tape. In
the Judges stand is a score sheet.
When the riders are nearing the finish
the current is turned on, and a series
of markers, one for each plate, trace
over the score sheet When a plate
is touched the current is broken and
then a break is shown in the line
traced To record the line at the start,
at the first break the watches are set
and the race is timed up to the first
break at the finish
When tried at the park the device
appeared first-clasS while the rider was
going at moderate pace, but when
he shot across the plates at racing
gait, the break was so short as to he
almost invisible. The inventor will sub
stitute larger plates, and believes this
will remedy the evil The riders hard
ly know when the plates are crossed,