514 



Popular Science MontJdy 



Putting Wheels Under Workmen 

 Saves Time and Money 



THE iirohlcin of intciidr and (.-xlerior 

 transportation in one of the larj^est 

 and busiest ammunition plants in this 

 country — -a plant, 

 by the way, which 

 was constructed in 

 eleven months — 

 has been sol\-ed by 

 the adoption of 

 automobi les, 

 motorcycles, 

 motor- trucifs, 

 hand-trucks, roller- 

 skates and bicycles. 

 The plant is work- 

 ed at high pressure 

 for twenty-four 

 hours a day, and 

 consists of thirteen 

 main units and 

 twelve s e r ^' i (■ ( 

 buildings, each 

 with a main cor- 

 ridor one-half mile 

 long. To inspect 

 the various shops 

 entails a walk of 

 nearly ten miles, 

 exclusive of the 

 stairways. The 

 combined floor area 

 is a million and a 

 half square feet. 

 Between seventeen 

 and eighteen thou- 

 sand employees are on its i)ayroll. 



If it is necessary to dispatch messcn- 

 gerson important errands, or if the auto- 

 mobile used for 

 such duty is 

 out of repair, 

 the motor- 

 cycle is pressed 

 into use. 



When a boy 

 on the ground 

 floor of build- 

 ing "A" is 

 given a note to 

 deliver on the 

 top floor of 

 building "M" 

 he lakes his bi- 

 cycle on an 

 elevator t<j the 



lilili lloor. mounts it, and is off on a run 

 ol two thousand feet. If not detained by 

 the i)arly to whom the note is addressed, 

 he can deliver his answer to the person 

 sending the message within seven min- 

 utes from cHe time 

 he began his jour- 

 ney. Had he de- 

 I)ended upon his 

 legs, the same trip 

 would ha\e taken 

 him at least twen- 

 t\-fne minutes. 



r^YCL 

 V^^ beiuE 



Bic^'cles enable an t-xprt ss nussenger boy 

 service to be carried on in large factories 



ialure figures ol 



Two miniature bicycle riders race around a minia- 

 ture track, their speed corresponding to that of 

 the athletes on the bicycles over the rollers 



The Old Fondness 

 for Cycling Is 

 Coming Back 



.1\G is 

 g revived 

 in Cirand Rapids, 

 Mich., and mem- 

 bers of the club 

 there have installed 

 a unique apparatus 

 in the V. M. C. A. 

 gNinnasiuin to en- 

 courage the sport. 

 It consists of two 

 frames, supporting 

 rollers, which are 

 connected by a 

 speedometer tube 

 with a miniature 

 o n e - h a I f - in i I e 

 track. The tube 

 governs two min- 

 riders which follow 

 tlie circumterence of the track. Bicycles 

 placed on llic rollers are ridden by 



athletes and 

 the miniature 

 figures respond 

 readily. Races 

 are run daily, 

 with starters 

 and timers oltl- 

 ciating. The 

 a p p a r a t u s 

 registers t he 

 time accurate- 

 K and at the 

 linish of a race 

 iMi'h rider is 

 given his cor- 

 rect time o\er 

 llie distance. 



