The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-27


cycle sundli,s of the United states
for the past year has just been COM
piled by :hc ,'tlCials Of the treasury
department. The cash value is placed
at $3,749,92l. The totals for the year
are not as larEe as was expe2te I. arl
but for larger shipments toward The
close of the year the figures would
have been much smaller. The indca-
tions are, however, that the present
year, the value of the exports will be
more than double the showing of the
past year. The exports so far this
year have been gratifyingly large, and
bid fair to equal the prospects. The
English-speaking world and the En-
glish possessions are the best Custo-
mers of the American-made bicycle,
and Great Britain, while far in the
lead, is closely followed by Australia
in both of which countries the Ameri-
can wheel is entered free of duty. In
Germany the American product is Sc
curing a better foothold than the home
product on account of the combination
of lightness, strength and beauty. The
trade with France really began last
year, and is expected to be more than
doubled this year The showing for
try, yet the export trade with the dark
continent is really in its infancy.
An experiment which may he per-
formed by anyone riding a bicycle says
a journal devoted to science is the de-
termination of the horse power of the
rider by a simple calculation after the
ascent of hill. The mechanical equiv
alent of a horse power being 1900
pounds raised through a distance of one
foot in one minute, may be directly
applied to a machine and its rider.
The only requirements besides a man
and a wheel are a stop watch and Il
steep, smooth hill of known altitude.
The hill should be steep enough to pre-
vent one from ascending with any
great velocity, and thus have the wind
resistance vtate the result.
The weight in pounds of machine and
rider being almost known, and the
time readily taken, the altitude of the
hill can be taken by a level and staff
1t will be seen that the length of the
hill does not matter so long as the in
cline is steep enough to prevent fast
riding when the whole energy of the
man is expended in propelling him up
the grade. The figures found, when
compared with the ones above, give the
horsepower i'll u pretty accurate way.
An arrangement of strong elastic
worn around and under the arms in
| the manner of the horseline in juvenile
| days has been placed on the market.
| When properely attached under the
| saddle ii gives an extra force on the
pedals. 1t is claimed to give addition
| al force in riding up steep grades, and
also acts as a brake, as it holds the
rider to his seat when back-pedaling.
| The arrangement can be worn with a
| coat or sweater, and the hook that
goes with 1t can be bent to fit any sad
! die When the rider sits upright the
article is not in use, as the hook drops
| out of place.
The inventor Edison is said to have
| turned his genius in the direction Of
| the bicycle, and is attempting to devise
| some scheme by means of which some
waste power may be utilized. In de-
sCending steephill there is and abund-
ance of power wasted, which the in
ventor thinks can be utilized for as
cending an incline equally as steep, OF
| If used on a level, reduce the power of
propulsion to minimum. Mr.. Edison
believes that natures force found in
gravity alone offers hope for supple
menting the powers of the cyclst in
any practical way. For three or four
wheeled vehicles he seems to think
that the storage battery systems and
! others involving the use of motors have
great future, though the plan will
hardly be practicable for a single
| wheel.
Here is a hint to cyclists from a for
egn authority: Very frequently d
tire goes down time after time while
the cyclist is touring, and the closest