The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-15
HISTORY OF PNEUMATIC TIRES.
Early Efforts 10 Reconcile RssIlency With Pune
iure-prooi Qualities.

1t was at the 1892 National Cycle
held i'm this country-that the subject Of
pneumatic tires first attracted quite as
much attention as the bicycles shown.
1t was a time when the attention of ev-
eryone interested i'm cycling was ire
sistibly drawn to the new invention,
which bid fair to revolutionize the
business. Inventors had been hard at
work "perfecting" the most unheard-
of and unlikely looking tires. and the
cycle show was looked on as fitting
opportunity TO display them TO an al
miring world Therefore, about every
third stand was that of a tire inventor
each one enthusiastic over the possibil-
tiles of his tire, and never weary OF eX-
planning it's beauties 10 the onlookers.
The previous year had witnessed the
appearance on quite an extensive scale
of the original rag tire-the Dunlop
and i'm spite OF its manifold draw
backs, it's work had been such reve-
lation that riders everywhere were wild
over it. 1t was then time for the Amer
lean, workers TO get 10 work and do
their share in forwarding the move
ment In 1892 such tires as the Tilling
hast and Columbia hosepipes, the
Thomas rag tire, the G.. & j. detach
able. the Morgan a. Wright. and
number OF other equally we'll known
tires were first extensively marketed.
These and host of others that have
since passed into oblivion, were 10 be
seen at the cycle show OF that year,
and as they were all, or nearly all, new,
there was no lack of careful examna-
ton.
The task Of separating the wheat
from the chaf was no inconsiderable
one. Along with the few that were To
survive were a much greater number
of tires that had little real merit or
were entirely impracticable; but at
that stage of the game no one pos
sessed the knowledge TO pick out one
from the other. OF course, the great
bugbear was the liability to puncture,
and a very large number of inventors
had turned their attention to lessening.
or even stopping. that very disagreed
BILE habit Various devices were em-
ployed. but there was an inclination To
look upon them all with suspicion, il
being held that liability 10 puncture
and resiliency went hand-in-hand. Still,
there were people who took the opposite
view, and pinned their faith to such
tires.
one of the strangest parts OF II all
was that the feature most earnestly de-
sired i'm these early days-the ability
to resist puncture-is the one that is
least thought OF now. At that time
inventors did not seem 10 realize that
this quality was only to he obtained
by the sacrifice of resilency. and that
the latter would never be approved by
the riders. When they finally became
convinced OF this. the efforts to make
tires of this kind practically ceased.
II is rather curious that. while most
OF the leading tires i'm use today made
their apuearance at that show. yet the
wears 1892 and 1899 NAV he said 10 have
heen the most prolific In the history
OF tire inventions. The tires that have
survived covered the ground almost
completely. yet other tires were brought
out by the dozen. most Of them imprac-
ticable and complicated 10 the last de-
gree. But so keen was the interest in
the new tire. and SO willing were the
public 10 experiment. that the freaks"
were almost all made welcome.
or course. the phase was but n pass
np one. Ere long the many freaks"
had received their trial. and being al
most universally found wanting were
discarded. Yet IL was not until sew
eral years later that new ones ceased 10
he launched. and tho tire tratS settled
down 90 we'll known lines. An immense
amount of money was spent on the
mushroom tires. not only by the trade.
hut NV the riders as well. all OF which
was utterly wasted