Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-07-22
BICYCLE FIGURES,
Some Interesting Facts Regarding
the Output of Crescent Bicycle. i'm
= 1896 by the W estern Wheel Works,
IF

Some Interesting Facts Regarding
the Output of Crescent Bicycles i'm
= 1896 by the W estern Wheel Works,
of Chicago, Ill.
The idea of this article is to convey to
the reader conception of the enormous
amount OF raw material consumed during
season in supplying the demand for
one OF the most popular bicycles made
The Western Wheel Works, Chicago,
makers OF the Crescent wheel, have the
largest, and without doubt the most COM
plcte bicycle factory in the world, and
can turn out, when running to fullest
capacity, 125 finished Crescents in twelve
hours, or Il complete up to date bicycle
per minute.
The following figures are based on the
actual amount of the principal parts of
material used by them during 1896 in the
manufacture of Crescent bicycles, dur
ing which season they made more high
grade bicycles than any other two fac
tories in the country.
They used $50 miles of tubing, or
enough to yearly reach from Chicago to
ST. Paul if placed in straight line. The
spoke, were made in their own factory,
and required $50 miles Of wire, or enough
to reach from Chicago to Lincoln. Neb. :
80 miles of brass rod was required for
spoke nipples. If the spokes, spoke mp
piles and tubing were placed in straight
the Rocky Mountains ut Denver: The
cranks. if placed end to end, would cover
a distance of % miles. They used 80
miles of steel for crank axles, wheel aXles
and pedal aXles. and 10 miles of steel for
seat posts. If the rims that were used in
the manufacture of Crescents in w were
placed one upon the other they would
make pile 1890 feet high. 5000 feet
higher than Pixies Peak and about the
height of Mount Elias in Alaska, whose
summit has never yet been reached by
man. If placed in straight line, side by
side, these rims would reach distance
Of 721a miles, and i the tires were htted
The steel forgings used for the crank
hangers on the '96 wheels weighed. IN
the rough. 113 $40 tons, and when fin
'ished, Fl $40 tons, showing complete
waste of 81 $40 tons in drilling and I'm.
ishing. 1t required 32OS4 square feet OF
tooth sprockets. and 21,S1G square feet
for the steel stampings of the heal and
seat post clamps, or in all enough fiat
steel to cover an area of III acres. There
were used 10 miles Of cork grips. 1Ok
miles of finished hubs. and 2S miles of
steel wire to pin frames together before
brazing. The finished chains. end to end.
would reach 20 miles, and the different
pieces Of which they are composed would
reach 237lh miles. or in all 3O71a miles,
the distance from Chicago to Cincinnati.
The bearings of 1896 Crescents required
1897 300 steel balls. which. il placed
in a straight line, side by side. would
reach a distance Of 45aA miles. To lace
1.-THE chain and dress guards on the ladies'
Crescents manufactured in 1896 required
434. $50 yards Of cord. or 246I2 miles
enough to allow a small boy to stand on
the top Of the Auditorium tower in Chi.
cago and fly his kite where the people in
Des Mones. Iowa. could see it. To sup
ply Crcscents sold in 1896 required 1.GOG..
14o bolts. and 1.4SS.O75 nuts. having m
aggregate weight of 23 tons. Sixteen and
one-quarter miles Of spring steel wers
used in the manufacture of saddle springs
and the saddle and tool bags together
used up 1T $50 square feet, or over 4
:.cres of leather. The total weight of the
complete bicycles was 2.3S2.S42 pounds
or 1:i9l tons. To crate these bicycles
required l $50. TAO square feet Of lumber
made Up in pieces. which would make q
distance of 1.139 miles, or more than the
distance from New York to Chicago: y.
I1S.'HS separate and distinct pieces en-
tered into the construction of 06 Cres
cents. and if all were placed in Il straight
line. end to end. they would reach from
New York TO some distance in the Pacific
Ocean west Of San Francisco.-Crcscen
Bulletin, July l, 1897.