The herald., 1897-10-24

people. They say that the applause was
something tremendous, but l had all ]
could do to mind my own business and l
just heard lot of noise without beirg Z
really able to say whether they were
clapping or whether l had the cara ache.
The very first start in Providence We
had a SPILL owing to one of the starters
pushing the machine sideways when he
let go. Nobody was hurt, nor the ma
chine either, and we were up and off
again in a jiffy.
But the hardest of all was the time the
biograph psople came down from New
York and took moving pictures of ths'
ten-seater, pacing Lesna, McDufie and
Riviere on the Charles River track
They came all the way from New York
because this track is probably one of the
best in the country. 1t was a pretty
chilly day, and by the time the sun came
out we were all shivering. Then we had
to ride around the track about half al
hour, while they got the proper focus,
and as the biograph people insisted Oh
my keeping the ten-seater running on
the three quare from the pole, l felt
l had done about a days work when
got through. Last Monday night when
l saw the picture at Boston theater
heard a lady say: ION, look at the big
centipede bicycle"
Next we took the machine to the
Springfield meet, where it was exhibited
by part of Lesna's pacing team, making
good time But the next week in Phil
adelphia, when l was steering, the man
on the rear saddle got to wiggling for
some reason or other, and we had spill
which laid me up for several days All
/ know about it was that while We were
going at about thirty seconds per quar-
ter mile l suddenly felt lurch then
| shot through the air, up the embank-
men.t of the track, and then was sur
rounded by lot of reporters, who said
was dead In fact, all the papers said
was killed, but as they got my name
wrong, and as the worst have had is a
black eye, I don't care much.
| 1t is necessary for all the men up to
ride very steady, and not swing tha
body. and to pass orders as to speed and
direction quickly from man to man, as
it is impossible for the steersman to hear
even the middle man, let alone the man
on the rear seat, who is nearly eight
yards behind him. The wind pressure
~ ul4 plCdSdHt, lbl ti4C StSSi siii q II
catches all of it, but the force behind
him is go great that ii causese 0 fatigue,
though compelling him to breathe very
regularly, with the head well down, else
you cannot catch your breath at all.
Even though it may not be noticeable by
outsiders. still, while riding large mul-
| ticycle the steersman must always keep
the front wheel moving right and left to
preserve the balance. The larger the
machine the slower it's motion, and the
less chance the steerer has to let the
weight of the body rest on the handle
bars 1t is all muscular force. Any
unevenness on the surface of the track
is not noticeable to the riders of the
decemtuple, owing to its great length.
I have steered the Oriten ever since it
was finished, that is, September 9th.
That day, Labor day, it was photograph
ed with ten men up; the president on
the front seat and the supe on the last
BY the way, Mr.. Metz, the president, is
over six feet in his stocking feet, and the
supe is somewhere about five feet one.
When the photographing was over we
trundled the big machine to the Waltham
track for a makers trial, which I have
already mentioned.
Very truly yours,
ARTHUR F. WISNER.