The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-05-21

new FLORIDA Sport.

1IvW yIVTIW0 SVcTt.
Automobiling is the fad at the Fiori-
da winter resorts. The wide, level
beach, skirted by waving palms and
by the soft breezes of the gulf
stream, is populons with the modern
"horseless carriage" darting to and fro.
Every kind of automobile is here, from
the single seated steam "runabout" to
the electric ''taIlyho."
This year the residents seem to be-
specially "auto mad" for, not content
with the ordinary methods of applying
power to wheels, they have invented
speed appliances applicable to all kinds
of machines, even going so far as to at
tach sails to three wheels, after the
manner of the northern iceboat, or to
fasten sails to the handlebars of the
common or garden" bicycle.
1t would seem as tho all the world
were on wheels on the Florida beach,
says Kansas City Star correspondent.
and when one takes into consideration
the admirable adaptability of the beach
to automobiling one can somewhat.
understand the origin of the new fad.
Nowhere in the world can one find a
more perfect road for the speedy auto
mobile. There are no hills or rocks to
fear, no gullies to break the springs
and throw you out. and no narrow,
congested thOroughfares full of teams
to discomfort you.
Even the most timid of chauffeurs,
finds courage enough to run his motor
at the highest speed from end to end
of the natural highway-the paradise
for wheelers beach. From Day
tona to Ormond the beach is 500 feet.
wide and 80 miles long, and as smooth
and hard as floor. So hard is it that.
the great tallyho, capable of seating:
50 persons, hardly leaves its wheel
mark to indicate the places over which
5000 pounds of throbbing machinery
has passed. 1t is an ideal race course
and the place where worlds records.
will be made IN the future.
When the wind is from the north the
sailing bicycles and tropical iceboats'',
are always out in force. 1t is CON-
mon thing to see bicycle with sail
going before the wind for 30-mile
spin down the coast without touching
pedal-and the railroad brings the
bicycle rider and sail safely home at
night. 1t reminds one Of that famous
story of Stockton where man took q
nautical friend out driving, both be-
ing nearly drowned by the breaking Of
bridge over lake, and the next day
they went out boating, and in being
towed through a canal the horse ran
away. They were nearly drowned
while driving and had runaway while
sailing. So it is possible on this en-
chanted beach to have shipwreck on
bicycle, or, if your stearing gear
breaks and you run into the ocean, to
be nearly drowned on topical ice
boat"
So many automobiles, both racing
machines aud private pleasure car
riages, have come to Florida, to use the
beach track this year that at Daytona
a club has been especially formed.
Bridges have been erected over the soft
sand at the edge of the beach in many
places, so that the automobile can get
TO the hard sand from the road without
difficulty There are few or no ill ef-
fects discernible.
One Of the most curious Inventions.
seen on the beach track every day when
the wind is in the proper quarter, is the
"auto ship" 1t is the property and.
the child of the brain of E. d. Mills. 1t
is neither an automobile nor an electric
launch, nor yet a sailboat. 1t uses no
steam, gasoline or electricity. 1t is.
propelled by the wind and is capable Of
great speed. 1t is practically "trop-
ical iceboat." There is a frame of wood,
with two side wheels and tiller wheel
in the stern, and mast and single sail
is set on the frame between the wheels.
Those who have operated iceboats up
north who try this strange creature Of
the air and land say that the sensation.
of riding in it, or on it, is similar to
that which one experiences on an ice
boat 1t comes as near to flying as
does which is not f1ying.-Ex..