FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Atrtt. 24, 1897. 
MruetioD. He believes that tine makers of bicycles should be 
bompelled by law to furnish with each wheel a bill of par- 
ticulars regarding the materials \vhich enter into its con- 
structioh. Of course, Itiere would be a penalty for falsify- 
ing, as there is in many States when a man sells oleomar- 
garine for butter; and we can well imagine that the people 
who afflict the trade with wheels jnst strong enough to hold 
together while being carried oui of the salesroom would 
have their ingenuity taxed to the utmost in inventing high- 
sbunding names for the flimsy materials which enter so 
largely into their product. A.s Mr. Overman remarks, 
."Riders have a right to know what goes into their wheels. 
The handle bar should be as good as the bone in the arm 
•which steers it. When a man goes down a hill on a bicycle 
he should know that there is the best of everything in the 
vital parts of the wheel beneath him, and thai his life is not 
hazarded by some maker who believes that the stuff in it is 
good enough." 
. According to the newspapers, Johnson Browp, a tnighty 
Nimrod living near G-arner, Iowa, is having a bicj'cle bmlt 
vpith a shotgun mounted across the handle oar, on the prin- 
ciple of the swivel guns used in punt shooting. The con- 
trivance is said to be intended for wildfowl shooting, but the 
dispatch fails to state where Mr. Brown has found good 
roads in connection with the "flocks of geese and brani" 
that figure in the reporter's imaginatidh. If it had been a 
bicycle boat the case would have been dififerent and more 
plausible. . 
The Pennsylvania Eailroad Company announces that here- 
after bicycles will be checked by baggage agents and car- 
ried in the baggage cars of the company wh^n accompanied 
on the same train by the owners, free of cost, provided tbe 
passenger presenting a bicycle has no baggage; otiierwise 
ihe bicycle wdl' be charged for at regukr rates. This ar- 
rangement applies to all the lines of the Pcinnsylvania Rail- 
road system east of Pittsburg and Erie. Between Pittsburg 
and Chicago the Pennsylvania lines have carried bicycles as 
baggage for the past year. 
A lady who spent a season cycling in Algeria tells of an 
incident which shows that human nature and the love of the 
bicycle is pretty much the same the world over. In com- 
pany with her brothers she was wheeling to an oasis in the 
desert of Sahara. She writes: 
''Before one reaches El Kaatara the road descends in a 
series of loops, a range of barren, yellow hills, and it was at 
this point that we met a Bedouin caravan coming from the 
desert. The camels stopped at our approach and sniffed the 
air as if the presence of bicycles was not lo their liking, and 
the caravan came to a halt, the women clambering clown 
from their coops on the camels' backs to join the men in 
their inspection of the bicycles. These Bedouin women 
were charmed with our wheels. They wanted to ride them 
at once, and their tattooed faces expressed the greatest ea- 
gerness to mount the wheels. We were therefore jubt about 
to give them a first lesson in bicycle riding when my broth- 
er, charmed with the picture; quenesa of these Bedoums in 
their gayly-colored garments and barbarous jewelry, thought 
it an opportune moment for his camera. Alasl at the sight 
of this instrument, much feared by the Arabs, the whole 
caravan took flight." 
Cycling accidents have been divided into two classes— 
those which happen to men who lide without brakes and 
those which happen to women who lose their heads. It is a 
lact that in a large percentage of cases the men are killed or 
injured by losing control ot their wheels going down hill; 
the women, by losing control not of the machine, but ot 
themselves. 
Women, of course, have braaes and are naturally cau- 
tious; men, on the other hand, are apt to be reckless, dis- 
carding brakes and taking unnecessary risks. 
That the fashion of riding without Drakes is pernicious is 
proved by these accidents. The man argues that he can re- 
tard his speed by back pedaling sufHcienlly for practical 
purposes on most hills, and thai in case of emergency he al- 
ways has in reserve the possibility of checking his speed by 
pressing his foot against the tire of his front wheel. 
These expedients are generally successful, but not always. 
On a bad hill the riaer may strike a rough place that 
throws him off his balance and makes it impossible to brake 
with his foot, or the necessity of stopping may be so imme- 
diate that nothing short of a quickly worked brake will an- 
swer. Results from such coniingencies are to be found in 
the columns of every newspaper during the cycling season, 
and the total of these accidents is never fully reported. 
The women here have a better case than the men. They 
lose their heads through inexperience, inherent and congeni- 
tal, and the accident results not because of any fault of 
theirs that foresight could correct, as is the case with the 
men. 
We blame others most justly for lack of common sense 
and prudence, and not for dehciencies which they cannot 
remedy. 
Brakes of a proper type should be attached to all bicycles, 
even though tney may never be used. There seems good 
reason for believing that in the near future the use of brakes 
will be made imperative by legal enactment. 
YACHT DESIGNING.— XVm. 
BY W. P. STEPHENS. 
iConUnued from page S9Cf.) 
The sekction of a practical woruing outfit of drafting in- 
struments is a matter that the experienced draftsman may 
well puzzle over, while to the amateur or beginner it is al- 
most a hopeless task. The complete and elaborate catalogues 
publi.shed by the leading instrument makers are intended as 
guides in such a selection, and fill that end as well as it can 
possibly be done in such a way ; but only a long, practical 
experience can enable a man to select from the extended list 
of costly tools the comparatively small number that are 
essential. When the question of cost comes in, as it usually 
does, the difficulties ot the situation are vastly increased. It 
may ease the mind of the intending purchaser to learn at the 
start that the very large stock displayed in the stores and 
listed in the catalogues may be divided into three classes: 
Indispensable. 
Convenient. 
Superfluous. 
iThe first class may be confined to very narrow limits, in- 
Cltlding a straif/htedge, a I-square, two or three triangles, a 
few pen'cils, a right line mn or drafting pen, one pair of 
ditiders, one pair of compasses with movable legn, and a tri- 
angular scaU or half a dozen flat scales. With this outfit 
all ordinary mechanical or architectural drawing can be ex- 
ecuted accurately and neatly, but at some loss of time. The 
marine draftsman will find it necessary to add half a dozen 
set curves, as many splines or luftens, and some spline weigMs. 
The second class includes mainly the same instruments in 
a greater variety of siies, several lengths of straightedges and 
T squares, a larger assortment of pencils, several pens, the 
small l)mcspri¥cg dividers, hairspring dimders, more scales and 
a beam compdM and section liner, in the matter of set curves 
the collection may be extended almost indefinitely. An out- 
fit of this kind adds greatly to the speed of the work. It is 
Uot necessary to handle large triangles, straightedges, etc , on 
small work or e/c^ ve^'sa, dividers may be set lor certain 
measurements that are to be frequently repeated and left 
so_ until the drawing is completed; a dull pen may be laid 
aside for a sharp one without taking time to coax it into 
shape. 
The third class is a very large one and may be subdivided 
into two parts; first, a small number of instruments that are 
useful for certain special work, as, for instance, the large 
metal protractors with arms and verniers; and second, 
various instruments, such as the wholes-and-halves dividers, 
three-legged dividers, and some forms of drafting pens, that are, 
either through faulty principle or poor construction, of no 
practical utility. An excellent example of this class is the 
adjustable curve ruler, various combinations of rubber, steel 
spring and lead rod, intended to take the place of the spline 
and weights in drawing curved lines, or for taking off the 
curves of a surface and transferring them to paper; for both 
of which purposes itls absolutely useless. 
Those instruments which, as absolutely indispensable to 
the draftsman, we are called upon to examine carefully, may 
be divided according to their uses into four classes: 
Ruling instruments. 
Measuring. 
Marking. 
Calculating, 
Instruments of the first class are used for guiding 'Cq.q pen- 
cil or pew in drawing straight and curved lines; they are mostly 
thin lorms of wood, metal or other material, lying flat upon 
the paper. The cheapest of these instruments are made of a 
single wood, usually pearwood, a hard wood with a close, 
straight grain, and of a yellowish color. 'The most costly 
are made of steel or German silver, for straightedges, T 
squares and triangles. The best material for such instru- 
ments as small straightedges, triangles and s(t curves is hard 
rubber. A comparatively new material is celluloid, which 
i^ now used for all classes of instruments; it has the advan- 
tage of being iransparent, and thus permitting the lines be- 
neath it to be seen; its disadvantage is a possible liability to 
shrinkage and change of form that will, by destroying the 
truth of the instrument to even a slight degree, make it prac- 
tically worthless. This applies particularly to large triangles 
and similar instruments, but is of less importance in the 
curvis and sweeps. 
In straighiedges and triangles of wood, a single pitce 
should never be used, owing to the liability to warp, but the 
working edges should be faced with narrow strips of hard 
wood ghied to the main body of the instrument; ebony is 
used tor the tdges and mahogany orsaiinwood for the centers 
of the better grades of straightedges, triangles, etc. Celluloid 
is now used as a facing for straightedges, strips about iin, 
wide being glued to a wood center, making a rigid and 
durable tool. 
The straightedge is simply a ruler, and it is used for draw- 
ing straight lines. It is made with both edges parallel and 
perfectly straight, and one at least must fulfill this latter re- 
quirement or the tool is useless. It is impossible to fair up a 
drawing- properly unless the ground lines are perfectly 
s'.raight and either parallel or perpendicular, as the case may 
be. The steel straightedges are more reliable than those of 
other materials, as, once made true, they are independent of 
atmospheric changes, and do not warp or twist. They are, 
however, much more costly. They are made from 2 to 3in. 
in width for the larger sizes, and from -^^va.. to iin. thick, 
the latter having one edge beveled to about -j-^g-in. The 
thicker ones have the advantage that they will slay^ where 
they are placed, through their weight; and once in position 
both hands are free. On the othei hand, they are more dif- 
firult to adjust, and in moving them very short distances the 
fingers soil the paper. 
FIG. 33. 
A— StraiRhtedge with hardwood edge. 
B— Section or same, full size. 
C— Sectlou of sieel sLralghtedge, full Blze. 
If made true originally and carefully kept in that condi- 
tion, the wooden straightedges are quite as good as the steel, 
and very much cheaper. They are light and easily handled, 
but of course will not keep their places on the paper of their 
own weight. A pair of lead weights, each 6in long, 2in wide 
and lin. thick, will serve to hold them, however, while a line 
is being drawn, or two of the spline weights described 
further on will serve the same purpose. The mahogany 
straightedges with edges of ebony are as durable and reliible 
as any, and the wood faced with celluloid are also very good. 
The longer ones should be not less than -^in. thick on the 
working edge; to draw a long line requires a large pen well- 
tilled with ink, and this can be most easily opfrated with a 
thick edge to work against The short straightedges, as well 
as the triangles and set curves, are about -^gm, thick on the 
edges; a smaller pen may be used wiih them, or at least the 
pen is not filled so lull of ink. The straightedge ^fiith 
square edges may be tested by drawing a very fine line alorg 
one edge and then turning the straightedge over so that the 
other side rests ou the paper and adjusting the two ecds to 
the line; if perfectly straight, the edge in its new position will 
coincide with the line; if a second line be now drawn it will 
show double the amount of error. If there is any doubt as 
to the truth of the instrument, the same edge should be used 
all the time without turning or reversing it; then, though the 
lines may not be exactly straight, they will all be parallel, 
which is of even more importance. 
PTG. 3.3. 
A— T-square with fixed head, usual form. 
B— T-square wirh double head. 
C— T squai'e with fixed head, correct construction. 
D— Improved T-sqnare. 
The T square, mentioned in the previous chapter, is 
simply a pair of straightedges, a long and a short one, one 
end of the former being fixed to the middle of the latter. 
This short straightedge slides along the edge of the drawing 
board and serves as a guide to the long one, keeping it 
always at the same angle with the edge of the board. The 
long .straightedge is known as the blade and the short one as 
the liead; and the latter may be either fixed or movable, or a 
combination of both. The T square is used both as a plain 
straightedge for drawing lines in any direction or for draw- 
ing lines parallel to each other, and, by using the adjoining 
edge of the board, a second series of lines perpendicular to 
the first. As far as the dimensions and construction of the 
ikuU are concerned, what has already been said about the 
straightedge applies to it. 
The most important point about the head is that it shall 
not project above the surface of the drawing board, thus 
allowing the triangles to slide freely over it. In one form of 
poor construction, with a fixed Jiead, the blade is set down 
into the head, so that the upper surfaces of both are flush, 
the 7iead thus projecj-ing above the board. In another equally 
bad form this same construction is supplemented by a second 
half to the head, a movable piece with a pivot and clamp by 
which it may be set to any angle. (B) Used with the fixed half 
of the head downward, the blade is at light-angles to the edge 
of the board, but when the T square is reversed, the movable 
head being downward, the blade may be set to any angle. 
There is little or no necessity for the fixed head, or for the 
blade being at any time exactly square to the Jiead; supposing 
it to be a little out of square, all lines drawn with it in contact 
with the left-hand edge of the board, where it is always used, 
will be parallel, and if it be transferred to the lower edge of 
the board, other parallel lines will be drawn which are nec- 
essarily perpendicular to the first series. The movable head 
is a necessity, as a drawing must sometimes be fixed to the 
board with no assurance that it is quite parallel to either 
edge, the blade of the T square, however, may be adjusted to 
the principal lines of the drawing and then used from either 
edge. 
We have already discussed the use of the T square in 
marine drawing. If it is to be used on any drawing of more 
than 36in. long, it should be of special construction, designed 
to secure absolute rigidity of the blade to the extreme end. 
The blade should be at least -^gm. thick for the longer sizes, 
3 to 4ft.. the edge being beveled to about ^in.; the width of 
the Made where it joins the head should be 5 to 6in., the blade 
then tapering to 2iin at the right-hand end. The extra 
weight of such a tool is an advantage rather than otherwise, 
and it has a solidity which is missing in the ordinary T 
squares. To provide for adjustment to old drawings that 
&re pinned down a little obhqviely on the board, the head 
and blade may be pivoted and fitted with a clamp that will 
permit a certain amount of angular motion. All that is 
necessary in the T square is that the working edges of blade 
and head shall he straight. This much assumed, the truth of 
the drawing board may be tested by applying the T square 
first to the left hand edge and drawing a line, then to the 
lower edge and drawing a second line, presumably at right 
angles to the first. With the point of intersection as a cen- 
ter, a circle of large diameter is described, and with the di- 
viders the distances between the four points sphere the lines 
cut the circle are measured, being, of course, equal, if the 
two lines are at right angles. 
A straightedge of the full length of the drawing board is 
an absolute necessity, but this may be either a plain straight- 
edge or in the form of a T square; for all large drawings the 
latter may well be dispensed with, but one of medium size 
is always convenient for details of construction and similar 
work. One or two smaller sti^aightedges. one as long as the 
width of the board, will be found convenient for the shorter 
lines, being more quickly handled than the large one. As 
this latter is the foundation of accurate work in marine 
drafting, every cai-e should be taken to secure one absolutely 
straight edge and to keep it so. 
The New Benedict Steam Yacht. 
The accompanying illustration shows the new steam yacht 
now nearly ready for launching at Marvel's yard, Newburgh, 
N. Y., where she has been built for F. H. Benedict, son oi E. 
C. Benedict, from the designs of Gardner & Cox. She is a 
handsome craft of 147£t. over all, 117ft. l.w.l., 18ft. 6in. beam, 
and 7ft. 9in, draft. Her triple compound engines are 9, 16 
and 3S X 16, with two Almy boUors, 
