Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-04
in the regulation fashion could accom-

in the regulation fashion could accom-
plish. .ho+ tho
,,otor-,cvcIe has made I'm France that
the French Minister of war tosetheI
with a military commission, made up Oh
tbe most thoroughly-posted oIhcers vi
the army Of France, Is seriously coil
sidering giving the new lnVeh'loh t
sanction Of the government ana equip
ming several companies or Ihe a. '"y w
The machine. No definite decision III ~
matter is likely 10 be announced 10
several weeks, for the most carelul SUI
e being made Of the cycle anu siie
idooe act forth by the inventor regarding
49, a. can accomplish. It Is limited
reviewer that all things point to the ue,
n,,,on being OF favorable nature ana
,nn adontion OF the machine "a a reBu-
~. foature Of the French army may
therefore be considered more IMAM pro-
bable. ..,,.,,,,t , viii,
There have been many experiments Win
.ha bicvcIe I'm the armies OF Europe
and the military authorities or no nation
boya taken more interest in the machihe
- its development than those OF France
While II Is only within the past year
+,o+ any fixed effort has been mace
I'm the United States army 10 TEST
tho value OF the bicycle as "a method lo'
conveying n soldier from place TO P'aCe'
both in company form and as a dispatch-
bearer. our French cOmpatriots nave peen
a,nerimenting with the wheei ironl
military standpoint for more thah ~
wears. IT is not surprising. tueH' 20
This somewhat startling additioh 10 "
merits OF the wheel that genus mas H.
sbouid be the emanation Of ffehch
THE MOTOR ITSELF.
Now as to the motor-cyc itseh. II
,s as the accompanying Illustration
.bows I'm form and principle IKE unVo
the motor cycle, with whlch we III az
more or less familiar. Ihere are no"
H-'o. one or two important exceptions
eNo', - rotable of these, so far as the
eile I'm ~ the machine is concerned,
-, that the rider steers the cycle
,',,th his feet-the handle-bar, or, rather
tha substitute for 1t, being adapted 10
tntoll,, different purpose. The motor, the
,r,neIiing force of the cycle, Is located
4nst forward of the rear wheel, and Is
of euficient size 10 ensure satisfactory
ra+e Of sneed The small tank, which
corries the fuel which supplies the motor
contains an ample quantity TO guarantee
at least a days journey without repleh-
isbing The inventor claims that the
,,acbine will easily make, over a fairly
rough country. from II 10 10 miles an
bour. and believes that, with good roads.
unimpeded. It would do even better than
this.
Perhaps the most notable feature ofsthe
'cvcle is the row of bayonets attached
TO a transverse bar, which Is supported
bv a heavy steel rod that runs forward
from the frame of the machine. As the
illustration shows the bayonets extend
forward sufficiently TO clear the ma
chine entirely. and TO be without an I'M
pediment 10 penetrate whatever the
rider NAV charge at. In place Of the
bandle-bars Is a curved gun-rest which
NAV be moved upward 10 suit the desire
nj the rider Every rider is supposed TO
he armed with a repeating rifle, and IL
viii he understood that. from the fact
that he can steer the machine with his
feet he is left entirely free to use the
vyeanon-as unincumbered as he would be
e he we're standing on the ground, ike
the ordinary infantryman OF to-day.
ALMOST IRRESISTIBLE.
Such n combination as this, the French
officers argue. would be almost irresisti-
bile. A charge by company mounted
on these cycles would practically De one
~ those most dreaded events in battle-a
bayonet conflict. and heavy fire from
'ieemen combined. Every wheelman
knows how expert the rider OF motor
'cvole can become in maintaining the
equilibrium Of his machine against both
would take more than mere contact with
y movable body to upset rider OF a
II has been a favorite argument OF the
opponents of the bicycle for army use
~ the machines could never be utilized
Zen, for purely transportation purposes.
on1 mat therefore, they were in a great
measure an encumbrance 10 an army in
the field. In time Of battle. II was alleged
IN we're OF no value whatever. The
,nvention OF this Frenchmen seems to re-
,,,ove This objection entirely. In fact. II
has listed the wheel out OF the rut OF OPP
nrobrlum into which II had fallen. and
placed It among the NEST elective