The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-26

st. Louis, July 25-The Twenty-ffth in
fantiV bicycle corps, which reached this
city last night. completing their 1000
mile ride from Fort Missoula Mont. in
! 40 days, 80 of which were actually spent
on the road, are in camp at Forest park.
During the day thousands of people
visited the troops While here the Of
ficers, Lieutenant ]. Moss and Surgeon
J. NJ. Kennedy, will be entertained by
prominent citizens while the troopers.
who are colored men. are the guests of
local bicycle clubs. Later they viii be
transferred to jefferson barracks.
The Twenty-fifth infantry bicycle crops
left Fort Missoula Mont. on June II. %
in number. Lieutenant J. A. Moss. Sur
geon ]. A. Kennedy and Edward II.
BoOs. the official reporter, and 70 soldiers
selected from the four companies sta
toned at Fort MissOula. During the trip
one of the men was returned to Fort
MissOula on account of not being able TO
| keep uD- The first u days of the trip
were rainy and disagreeable, but good
time was made nevertheless 1t was dur
inG these days that the main divide of
the Rocky mountains was crossed as we'll
as the greater part of Montana There
were a few pleasant days while the corps
was in Montana and excellent runs We're
made.
In crossing the Crow Indian reserva-
ton, heavy rains fell and the corps was
stuck in the gumbO mud much of the
time. All the way across Wyoming.
rain ham0ered the. progress of the COM
pany and many hardshiDs arose from
lacl. of good water.
The southwestern corner of South
Dakota was crossed. Is days being Oc-
cuDied in this state The sandy roads
were awful and the prairie beside the
road was field of prickly pears, max
ing travel on the wheels very careful and
billy. road was struck, after leaving
EdgemOnt, and the run east of there to
the Nebraska line was made in short
order.
As soon as Nebraska was reached. new
troubles were confronted in the shape
of sandhills and heat. After Alliance
was reached and for distance of nearly
200 miles, the sand in the roads was
eight to ten inches deep. The road was
given up and the railroad was used, the
men riding as much as possible. but
walking the greater part of the time.
" nile in this deSOlate country there was
no rood water to drink, and a number
of the men were taken sick. After four
days of suffering. the sandhills were
passed.
The corps passed through Grand Island.
Lincoln and Table Rock. in Nebraska.
and out Of that state into Missouri on
July II, at RulO. As a whole the roads
through Nebraska were good, but far
from being level. short steep hills being
continually encountered
The roads across Missouri were bad
and billy, and with the exception of
few gravel roads. were the worst on the
railroad, the people were inhospitable; in
one instance water sufficient for cooking
was refused and no reliable information
regarding the roads could be gained. The
last three GS~ys of the trip was severe
ard hard on the men.
The distance covered on the trip was
1000 miles, the average per day being
5zzs miles. After leaving the Nebraska
sandhills the average was over 60 miles
per dav-
The bicycles stood the trip remarkably
Wei, but few accidents of serious ma
ture having occurred, those that did
occur Oelng TnTOugh carelessness.
In an interview Lieutenant Moss said:
THE trip has proved beyond perad-
venture my contention that the bicycle
has a place in modern warfare. In every
kind of weather. over all sorts of roads.
We averaged 30 miles a day. At the end
of the journey we were all in good physi-
cal condition.
Seventeen tires and half a dozen
broken frames is the sum = our damage
The practical result of the trip shows
that al army bicycle corps can travel as
fast as caval1g or infantry. under any
circumstance and al one-third the cost
ard effort.
II am not sure whether we will return
on our wheels or not but will know as
soon $ orders are received from Wash
ington.'