The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-05
WHEELMEN in WAR.
Proposition 10 Utilize Them as Raiders
Carrying Special Magazine Rifles
Capable Of Rapid Firing.

from tue Pnlladelphia Press.
The League of, American Wheelmen
comes to the front as an important
factor in a war of the future The
secretary of war has received word
from chief consul of the Indiana divi-
sion, League of American Wheelmen,
Wallace Sherwood, that the latter is
ready to raise five companies of wheel
men, each company to be composed of
fifty men, who will be thoroughly drill
ed in bicycle tactics and be willing TO
go to any part of the country that is
threatened by an enemy, or if neces-
sary to go abroad to night.
Following the offer of Wallace Sher-
wood have come similar offers from
various parts of the country. The
great army of wheelmen seem brim-
full of eagcrness to turn their bicycles
to use in defending the flag. All the
offers have been placed on file in the
wac office, their number showing that
In case of war the government would
have an ample force of this new type
of modern auxiliary on hand
The usefulness of the Cyclst soldier
has been admitted ny all military au-
thorities. Experiments made with
troops Of bicyce-mounted infantry in
this country have shown that an army
will not be properly equipped without a
corps of Wheelmen to act as scouts, to
form flying squadrons and to perform
many important duties previously done
by cavalry.
RAPID PROGRESS.
In order to thoroughly test the ques-
tior Of the cycles usefulness in war
times, Lieutenant Moss, of the United
States army. made a tour through the
West with a corps of men, and his re-
port to the war department showed
conclusiyely that the cyclist, unhamp-
cred by the necessaries of a cavalry
regiment, could make astonishingly
rapid progress through a country
where roads were in fairly good cordi-
tion.
An attache Of the United States war
department has just prepared and sub
mitted to the Washington officials q
statement showing the fighting effect
iveness of a force Of cyclists equipped
with the special guns made for use by
the wheeling division of a modern
army
1t is shown that the ordinary bicy-
Clist with a magazine rife strapped to
his wheel ready for action insanity
makes a valuable man 70" 1ulcI work
in war while the fire of a squad of
these cycle soldiers supplemented by
that from rapid fire guns that can be
transported on tTicyCles is Il fornid-
able factor in a fight
The rapid-fire gun favored is one
combining the features of the Maxim
and NOrdenfeldt weapon 1t is capable
of being mounted on the rear of tri-
cycle between the two wheels, and can
he transported with very little addi-
tional effOrt on the riders part, as it's
weight is light. The rapid-fire guns
would be stationed at intervals along
the line of dsmounted bcyclists, the
triCyCles serving as gun-carriages. The
rider will dismount and kneeling, fire
the gun at the rate of 1000 shots in
two minutes. 1t requires no effort of
the Imagination to see what a terrible
fire could be maintained by a troop OF
cyclists armed with magazine rifles
| and a number OF these rapid-fire guns.
A NOVEL SUGGESTION.
The gun has an automatic feeding ar
Tangement The cartridges are thrown
into a hopper and the action of the gun
when fired thrusts them into the bar
rel. Two men can keep the gun going
as long as the ammunition holds out,
one man firing, the other loading the
magazine.
1t is phase of modern war that has
never been tried in action, and, like a
good many more of the new ideas in
| fighting, may prove when tried in earn
est, to have many drawbacks that have
been overlooked. 1t is not thought
| however, that these can offset the
numerous advantages that the cyclist
| soldier will have over the cavalryman.
| If the latter's horse is killed, ne runs
| the risk of capture. II the cycle sol
| dier's wheel is smashed he runs the
same risk, but the bicycle stands less
! chance of being disabled than the
| horse, for il presents a very small
mark for a bullet, and, laid fiat on the
| ground, is almost safe from being hit
The cyclist can make better time on
| a good road than a horse, and can keeI
up the pace longer In rough country
where the wheel could not travel, the
horse would again have the advantage
The bicycle needs no provender and is
not likely to collapse when roughly
used so as to be beyond hope of repair
| The bicycle Is almost noiseless