Evening star., 1897-02-13
S On ne CYCLE G H A 7

cycle is to be seen at the Paris exposition.
and il would take the biggest giant known
in mythology to sit in the saddle and
touch the pedals. However, the monster
machine will never be moved from its To-
cation, ard will stand as a monument to
ingenVity until taken down. 1t will be to
the exposition what the Eiffel tower was
to the last one. Its weight is not given,
but the giant wheel is constructed of the
best BesseIner steel. and must weigh sew
eral thousand tons To get OIL a level with
the saddle one would have to reach a
height equal to about half of that of the
Washington monument.
While the exterior of the monster mac hine
presents a magniiied appearance of BIZ
cycle the interior is fitted up in excellent
style The tires are big enough for people
to walk through, and tle entrance is made
through the front and rear tires, spiral
stairways leading upward. In fact, there are
stai rways all through the machine includ-
Ing the frame, handle bars, saddle post
and the like. There are number of win
dows that afford light during the day.
while al Eight the interior of the vast ma
chine is flood of electric lights. In the
handle bars the best view of the sur
rounding country is obtained, while the
interior Of the handle bars is fitted up in
magnificent style. that being known as the
art gallery. Paintings of ali kinds. statuary
and the like fill tine place, while a number
OF side rooms contain many interesting
things.
The salon is located in the top bar of
the frame, and, while not so extra wide. is
extremely long, capable of holding GO per-
sons seated at a table. The saddle is one
vast platform, surrounded by railing,
upon which the people may dance, and en-
joy themselves at such height in the air.
being of having the coolest spot i'm
eginable in the hottest kind of weather.
Throughout the machine are numerous
restaurants and cafes, and in the wheels
are located the stands of the jewelers.. con-
fectioners. photographers and the various
other trades that identified with an ex-
position. all designed to attract the eye of
the stranger, and draw the coins from his
pocket. The cost of the construction of the
monster machine. while very great, is
pected to be more than paid for by the re-
Ceipts during the exposition.
A search through the records in bicycle
dom shows some interesting facts. While
the competition in years gone by very
great the results Were nothing like those
obtained at the present day. though in
their time they were regarded as highly
creditable, and looked upon with as much
appreciation as those of today. Going back
an even score of years the records then in
existence are interesting, when compared
with those OF today, especially when the
fact Is borne in mind that most of them
were made on the old ordinary. ]. Keen,
IN match with Frederick Cooper, for the
championship at Queens grounds. Shelf
field. England, September 1s, 1873, rode a
mile In three minutes. something remarka-
BILE The same rider covered fifty miles in
3oe;21 at Molineaux grounds. Wolver-
hampton, November 80, 1874, which includ-
ed stoppages. David Stanton rode a CEN
tury In 7:35:43 at Lille Bridge grounds,
October 10. 1874. Including stoppages, ].
T. Johnson rode 132 miles. the distance
from London TO Worthington and back, in
seventeen and quarter hours. The CEN
tury record recently made by Frank Wal
Ter. in few minutes less than four hours.
decreases the old record by about four
hours Had the people OF England in 1874
been told that such would be the case they
would not have believed it, claiming that
such feat was not possible Yet 1t has
been done. and what is more, the claim is
made that in the future the records will
ktill be cut ard reduced. until 1t will be
hard 20 know when the minimum is
reached.
The six-day, 142-hour bicycle race, which
will be held at Tattersalrss building. Chi
cago. commencing February 21, is creating
interest all over the country. The track
will not be steeply banked and Will be con-
structed under the supervision OF the archi-
tect who designed .he celebrated track in
the Coliseum at Chicago. Some of the best
known ongdistance riders have entered.
Among them are Louis Gi,nrn, holder of the
American twenty-four-hour track record:
Arthur E Smith. who holds the Chicago
New York overland record AMI many other
creditable long distance records: Charles
W. Miller. holder Of the American hour
record; Frank Waller. who won the race
in this city. and hollis the 80 and 100 mile
records; Fred. Forster. the jovial German
7.
Albert Shock. former six-day as-you-
please champion: G. A. Phillips, who holds
the Denver-Chicago road record; George
ConnCrs. veteran six-day pedestrian. and
many others The list of entrants is ex-
pected to run up to half hundred, but
only thirty men will be allowed to start.
More than a dozen bands will furnish
Continuous music for the occas ion, and the
lively airs are expected 10 help the riders
to break Hale's recently established record
OF 1910 miles series of motorcycle
races during the big race promise to be
novelty The automobiles will occupy
specially constructed track inside of the
circuit used by the six-day racers. An at
tempt will be made to have the motor
cycle pace the riders during their long ride.
The race will be under the direct manage
rpent OF Frank Hall, who gave the greatest
six-day race ever held in Europe. In ii all
manner Of records were made on the high
wheels then in use. II in that race
that William Lamb created what was then,
and is still, worlds record for the ordi-
nary, by riding ,u4S miles in seventy-two
hours, six, days, twelve hours per day.
That was five years ago Two years ago
Manager Hall duplicated his European sue
cess by conducting the biggest race of its
kind ever held in this country, which took
place at Madison Square. New York. Dur
ing that race the public interest was reused
TO such a pitch that people were turned
away, owing TO lack of sitting or standing
room. In the Chicago race Mr.. Hall expects
10 eclipse all his previous records. and has
made arrangement with the railroads to
give excursion rates to allow the residents
of neighboring cities to witness the Chicago
event
II looks all right for an able bodied full
1imbed person to ride a bicycle, but per-
son with one arm, or one leg, or MANNED in
any other way, seated on machine. is re-
garded as odd. But the loss of an arm or a
leg, or, for that matter, both arms both
legs. is not obstacle to riding a wheel.
In this city there are several persons who
have lost one of their arms who can be
seen riding wheel, and a safety at that.
With one hand they able to guide
machine with much skill and as much
confidence many OF their brethren who
have two arms. Then, again, there are
several persons in the city with cne leg
who use the wheel. The bicycle not being
especially adapted to them a tricycle. is
brought into requisition, and the power
supplied by the one limb is sufficient. There
is one instance. of " young man who has
a false limb, who pedals his wheel a safety
with as much vim as those who have two
sound legs In fact, this young man could
push a wheel so fast and we'll that he
entered 4 couple of local track races There
are also unfortunate people deprived of
the use of both limbs who managed to get
around on tricycles or quads, by using their
"a he nf mil