San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-02
TEST WAS A SUCCESS.
Value of the wheel for Army Use
Clearly Proven.

Value of the wheel for Army Use
Clearly Proven.
Many Chicago cyclists will remember
the trip madeby Lieut. Abercrombie and
tsvo soldiers from Fort Omaha to Chica-
60 and return last year. Tbereport has
just been published In the Army and
Navy journal, and Is as follows:
-United States soldiers made bicy-
Gle reconnaissance in June of last year,
upon which full official report has
ouly Just been made. 1t appears In the
Army and Navy journal, and is as fol-
lows:
~Lieut. Abercrombie, accompanied
By Q sergeant and O private soldier.
each man carrying on his machine
blankets, half-sheker tents, revolver,
cartridges, rattons, end spare apparat-
u, 80 that the weight OF each machine
Wa brought mp to Is pounds, rode from
Fort Omaha to Chicago and back. The
journey eastward was made In almost
constant rain. over roadsso flooded and
muddy that It ives necessary for part
Of the wey - abapdon them and take
TO the railroad track. The two soldiers
'Uere new men at the business, having
never made q long bicycle journey be-
fore.
with these and other disadvantages,
Lieut.. Abercrombie and his men made
the round trip-a distance of I, JAP miles
lin 10 days of actual travel, averaging
"a miles q day on the eastward trip, and
% miles a day on the trip westward,
when the roads were somewhat drier.
"The riders frequently had to dis
mount to lead their machines through
sand. On one occasion they were obliged
to fell tree to make foot bridge
across a riper,and on another they had
to cut brush and lay it down to make a
foothold on the bottom of an expanse of
water, through which they waded up to
their knees, carrying their wheels
above their heads. On the first day the
detachment made Sc miles, over roads
which, Lieut.. Abercrombie says, Q
horseman could not have traversed in
any length of time. On the second day
the party were forced to take to the
railroad track.
"The shock Of bouncing from one tie
to anotherwas quite severe; and when,
the lieutenant says, "a trestle presented
itself, new complication arose. To
dismount and walk meant TO lose time
and to cool off and stiffen up; so the
trestles were ridden, although the vi
BRETON OF the bandlebars, where the
sieepers were more than the regulation
distance apart, was terrific. I could
scarcely realize that such a delicate
looking machine as bicycle could
stand such rough usage. But we aver
aged on the railroad track over nine
miles an hour
'sThe party reached Gen. Merritt's
headquarters in Chicago, having made
the distance from Omaha, SIS miles, in
seven days, over roads as rough as rain
and sun could make them.
The return was made more easily,
and with less railroad track travel. As
= result OF his experience. Lieut.. Aber-
crombie declares that the practical
value Of the bicycle as a means oftrans-
portation for scout, q connecting
patrol. or an infantry screen or
mounted picket So demonstrated.
"There ere he says, two condi-
lions, and only two, where abicycle is
valueless as a means of transportation
to q trained rider, and those arein sand,
devoid OF vegetation. and in soft, un-
packed snow"