The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-07

by the bicycle seems to- be in the
hands of Henri Fournier, who has be-
come known as the king OF automob-
lists. What Fournier does not know
about the petroleum tricycle. may as
we'll be omitted from the wheeiman,s
education.
At present Fournier, who uses the
petroleum tricycle. of the Dion-Bou-
ton kind, with q ONE and a half horse
power machine, averages forty kilo-
meters an hour. The machine he uses
Is comparatively light, easy of manip-
ulatlon and powerful. 1t is fitted with
motor Of from one to three horse
power, its hill climbing and speed ca
palblHties being gauged thereby. The
big and heavy automobile carriages
have trouble in mounting hills, but
the lowly and Dutch barn style Of tri-
cycle goes putting right up to the top,
and its rider is in no wise affected
with fatigue in the task of making
the ascent.
Fournier is in deadly earnest in his
determination to attain a speed Of
forty-five miles an hour. He has made
a series of tests with his automobile
that show that, given straight,
smooth track, and the machine work.
ing at forced draught, the express
train will find the petroleum tricyc1e
a dangerous rival in the matter of
speed. To see Fournier on one of
these test trips is a sight never to be
forgotten. He flies along with bulg-
ing eyes liked on the ground over
winch ne is flying, hair streaming in
the wind and the putting motor work
ing at such speed as to make one
tremble to think of the fate Of the
rider should any urtoward accident
cause Spill. Fournier seems to know
no fear when going like the wind on
these risky trips. BY constant prac-
t1ce ne has become expert in the man
1pulatlon Of the petroleum tricycle.,
and WIFI turn a curve while going at
the dizzy speed Of forty-five miles an
hq4lr with all the recklessness Of a
boy.
Ills performance suggests the grave
danger that would accompany trips
such as his on road where similar
machines are dashing along. Fournier
alone On level, smooth road with no
one to kill but himself, and no ma
chlne to smash but his own, is sight
sutnc1ently thrilling. Multiply the sight
by 10. and imagine that number of
Fourniers mounted on flying automo-
bile tricycles. and the spectator cannot
help thinking that this would make
novel and sure method Of committing
suicide.
George Prade has taken UP the sub
3ect' ana after watching Fournier on
his thrilling experiments, he asks the
following question in lie Velo:
Comfort of the VehicIe-Suspension Is
the rider bothered by dust, rain mud? DOES
one notice the odor while riding? Is 1t easy
20 steer? The direction-is it sure? The
brakes-are they strong? Has the vehicle a
disposition to run backwards down hill? Is
1t practicable? Is one obliged, to stop often
to grease a part of the Vehicle or the mo-
tor! Does the motor seem tor be sufficiently
powerful? The motor and the transmitter-
DO they make any noise? lis the general
noise of the vehicle great while going? How
do you run backward witha I'll
Special Observations-Are the startings soft
ana graduai or sudden? Are dhe trepidations
unpleasant while the vehicle lis not moving?
Is the carburation good? eds the escape con-
siderable? Is the vehicles pdorous? Is the
make the start and also the changes Of speed?
These are but a few, CT the innumer-
able questions that are being volleyed
at Fournier by those who are Interested
In his performance and ahis continued
experiments. Questions such as these
Will come up in the future, when the
new style Of bicycle, riding has be-
core popular, and the, new scorcher is
With us to stay. There will be other
questions that the city officials and
hospital authorities will be called upon
to answer, but for the present Fournier
may be left to continue his fright
ful attempts to ride a tricycle. at ex-
press train speed. No one Is anxious to
compete with him in the daring expert
ments.