The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18
ROMANCE OF WHEELS
IN WORLDS HISTORY
Modern Civilization Owes Much
to What Ia Now Merely
an Accessory.
ONCE USED FOR TORTURE
Romans Brought Wheels Back
From War az Emblems
Of Victory.
ONCE USED FOR TORTURE
spectai Correspondence to TBr sry.

LONDON, Jan. s.--The history Of the
evolution OF ,ocomotion a. we'll as an
ininity Of other studies Of the keenest
says a writer In the Lady.
without wheels we should have no
watches. no steering at sea. We should
be unable to utilize the waterfalls as
motor force. nor should we have hun
dreds of other things Of the utmost at
traction and utility.
All our modern civilization has come
10 US on wheels. All we know abou,
other countries. all the commerce we
have established throughout the world
, and our means Of wealth we owe to the
wheel 1t Ia difficult TO imagine what
the world would como TO II suddenly all
wheels vanished from our midst No
war. no famine. no revolution could he
one -hundrcdth part az effectuai In put
ting us back centuries rs the lack OF
wheels
The first men when they wished TO
move their goods from one place TO an
other must have Joined together a few
planks OF wood. placed them on the trunk
OF tree and dragged this primitive cart
along the uneven ground. But very soon
after this first step they must have made
another. for the necessity OF wheels must
have been felt by them.
First Ones Were Made of stone.
The first wheels were made OF massive
stones or wood. and they became through
ont the ages over lighter as thev became
more perfect. The axle and the wheel were
formerly NIL In Thou nos IN
made separately. Aftervard the feiloe
and III. spoke were introduced. The first
records OF carts have come from China.
then from Egypt.
In the early days OF mans civilization
there were strange superstltions as to
'ocomotion. II was thought that every
existing thing which moved had to be
carried on some form OF cart They went
30 far Ms to believe that the moon was
thus wheeled round the earth on cart
drawn by bulls.
In Roman times primitive shane OF
cart or basket conveyance was called by
them "plastrum" tho wheels of which had
no spokes. being solid. and nearly n foot
thick. Sometimes they were made Of
boards nailed together or sawn whole
from the trunk ~ n tree. 4 wagon of
basket work. called "benna." had wheels
with many spokes This vehicle is still
used In Italy and other southern coun-
tries
But II IL undoubtedly the chariot which
appeals TO ones Imagination most for the
chariot besides being vehicle OF transit
was part Of tho luxurious life of the
Greeks and the Romans. Their triumrhs
and their greatest prestige can all be re-
constructed 10y the recollection OF their
various chariois. The names OF the
char!ots varied according to the number
OF horses they had harnessed to them
hot, AVax hx- txn hat th.,
called "biga." with three 'triga." with
four "quadyiga.' Horses were driven
abreast, and there are records OF as
many as ten having been harnessed to
one chariot.
An Emblem OF Victory.
hut the quadriga was particularly IA
vofed. As an emblem Of victory IL was at
times placed on n triumphal arch and
even kept rs an heirloom in the homes
Of some distinguished noblemcn whose an
cestors had won them as trophies OF vic
tory.
Al this time the chariot wheel was
large. prominent and most important. The
typical ones had four spokes fixed on n
felloe, with flexible wood arcs and bound
outside by an iron tire
Tho wheel seems 10 have lent itself 70
grewsome work from oden times 20 COM
instrument OF torture (Which was sup
pressed by the Revolu,on) the wheel only
became n legal instrument of torture In
France nj the end OF the reign OF Fran
co.'s |. r53b and was inflicted az a pun
ishment on h!ghwaymen and other cul-
prts. Yet as means OF punishment it's
use dates back to Roman times. when
criminals were crushed TO death under the
wheels OF carts The Assyrians made
wheels even more deadly and fearsome
They looked upon their carts as means of
attack and defence. and to their wheels
they added sharp blades. which literally
cut down their enemies.
The shape OF chnriots did not vary
much in Jerusalem. Persia. Assyria India
Greece or Rome, but 1t was the Romans
who brought them to an artistic perfection
unsurpas sed. To some OF their most
beautiful triumphal chario,s the Romans
attached captive kings after a victorious
battle
Xerxes Owned First Garbage.
Arriving at the period In history Of
locomotion In which carriages put In an
appearance. the romance OF wheels begins
TO ware. The first OF these IL mentioned
by Xerxes on his invasion OF Greece. He
II then said to have possessed "a carriage
rs we'll as chariot The Roman trans
port cart with Its powerful wheels has
used in country districts.
At the end OF the eighteenth century
carriages were in general use and could
be hired. Then n great variety of shapes
came into-and went out of-fashion .
mail coach. omnibus. t,lbury, stanhope
dogcart. cab. hanson brake. wagonette
buggy, victoria, landau. phaeton, tramcar
and finally motor vehicles replaced horse
drawn conveyances. But they had one
thing In common-all Of them went on
wheels
The ancient diligences and post car
riages that speak of nm age now dead
and gone survive In some little country
places and are still used generally in
Switzerland.
The romance OF wheels has gone, never
to return again. Wheels are now looked
upon merely as accessories. whirlng In
differently. faster and faster. but prac-
ticaily ignored.