The times., 1897-08-03
Designed for KIondike Bicycle
Freight Line.

yides for the use of balloon, the other
for the use OF combination bicycle III
The long journey which separates Hvill-
cation from the new Ell Dorado.
The former iGea is seid 10 have origi-
mated with Leo Stevens, jr., at Whose
office In New York city women are busy
se wing together the cores of a big bal
loon. This ba Iloon, according TO those
Interested in t. welfare, VIII bs the
largest one ever mace. Its height VIII
be I15 feet II will consist OF seventy
six segments. The segments used for
the belly Of the balloon viii be 2P inches
wide. Tie material for the upper PORTION
is what is known as pilgrim cloth, a very
fine, cl0sely-a7Oven shee ting, The bot
tom VIII be Of double cloth. 1t viii be
lined with forty-fiye feet OF puIe oil six.
1t viii DE faster than either beat or sledge.
Eight or ten passengers VIII be car
ried, and the belief | s that trade winds
VIII help speed the aerial craft on It's
way The balloon viii start from Tliko
Pass, just TO the west of Circle City, at
about lS7 miles from the nIouGh of the
klondiGe A Western syndicate is said
to be backing the venture
The bicycle scheme TO reap wealth
from the Klondike is being pushed 10y a
party Of New York IHen, who are going
into the business Un an extensive scale.
a syndicate has been formed for the pur-
pose Of buying up promising claims, and
special boats viii be seat to Juneau with
general cargo Of miners supplies.
Then the Klondike bicycle comes into
play 1t viii be used TO transport the
supplies ever the 700 miles between Jun
eau and the gold fields by the Chnkat
Pass tran.
Every miner who goes to the gold fields
must take with him about one thousand
pounds OF supplies, and the only way to
transport them is for him TO carry them
on his back. The most man can carry
for any distance is zoo pounds The
method now in vogue is to carry one load
about five miles, hide it so that IL VIII
not be destroyed 10y animals, and then go
back for another load. Ia this tedious way
the goods are finally transported to their
destination.
The Klondike bicycle is specially designed
TO carry freight, and is in reality a four
wheeled vehicle and a bicycle combined
IT is built very strongly and weighs about
fifty pounds. The tires are of solid
rubber one and half inches in diameter.
AI AAdAA4t - AlC DANliulA ulstlAFJlus Oh
steel tubing, built, however, more for
strength than appearance, and wound with
rawhide, shrunk on, TO enable the miners
to handle it with comfort in low telnpera-
tures. From each side OF the top bar
Uwo arms OF steel project. each arm carry
Jng smaller wheel, about fourteen inches
in diameter. which, when not in use.
can be folded Up inside the diamond
frame
Devices for packing large quantities of
material are attached to the handle bars
ana rear forks, and tie machine, it is
estimated, viii carry 500 pounds.
The plan is TO load It with half the
miners equipment, drag it on four wheels
ten miles or so; then the rider viii fold CD
the side wheels, ride / { back as a bicycle
and bring on the Test or the load 4 sample
machine has already been made and pat
ents have been applied for
Another device for arctic comfort, which
the syndicate VIII control, is a portable
house OF thin boards and felt, which can
bcfolded no in small compass and which,
when erected, win be perfectly air-tight