1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 444 Bicycle

"If the construction of the Pacific Railway is completed, do you think that with the current tense situation between the north and the south, Texas will be able to use this railway?" Liang Yao said slowly.

"Once the two sides break up, I think not only the railways, but also the major ports in the south will be blocked by the northern navy. By then, no matter how much cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane there is in Texas, it will only rot in the warehouse."

The rift between the North and the South that Liang Yao said was the outbreak of civil war between the North and the South.

The Civil War is not a secretive topic in the United States.

On the contrary, at this time, the upper echelons of both the North and the South were very fond of bringing the civil war to the table. There was a certain sense of threatening each other.

The North believed that because they occupied the moral high ground of abolition, and their economic size and industrial level overwhelmed the South, they could easily defeat the slave states in the South.

The South believed that the South's generals and soldiers were battle-hardened and well-trained, and its people were highly moral. Once war broke out, they would be able to defeat the Yankees.

Moreover, the South is the raw material warehouse for European countries such as Britain and France. Take cotton as an example. Both the British and French textile industries are inseparable from the high-quality and low-cost cotton in the South.

Once a war breaks out, the South will not be fighting alone. They will be able to gain support from continental European countries. This is the view of most southerners.

Puma bicycles revolutionized the use of solid rubber tires with steel wire spokes and iron rims. The body was connected with hollow steel tubes, and the pedals were pressed to drive the hinges, which in turn drove the rear wheels.

At the end of 1855, Liang Yao's massive fleet arrived in New York.

Well-informed New Yorkers have seen bicycles before, but this is the first time New Yorkers have seen a bicycle that travels so smoothly and at such a fast speed.

However, the pony was only a recreational toy for the upper class at that time, and was not popular.

The funds required to build railways are huge. Especially for super-large railway projects like the Pacific Railway and the Garde Railway.

These eager New Yorkers and reporters thought that Liang Yao would ride a majestic horse through the city after getting off the ship.

"This matter is too big. I will discuss it with the old guys in Texas someday." Bell said thoughtfully.

In terms of shape, Puma bicycles are not much different from the modern bicycles of later generations. Unfortunately, with the current level of technology, Liang Yao has not yet been able to unlock the technology of hollow pneumatic rubber tires, and can only make do with solid rubber tires.

But in the middle of the 19th century, there was a bicycle that could reach a speed of 15 or 16 kilometers per hour on a flat road, so what kind of bicycle was needed?

As Liang Yao's bicycle team rode, they grabbed bicycle storage baskets full of silver coins and scattered them to the crowd.

Liang Yao was riding a bicycle through the city.

New Yorkers are also familiar with this new gadget from Europe.

Before Liang Yao even got off the ship, the busy New York Harbor was crowded with spectators and reporters from major newspapers.

In 1801, the Russians invented a bicycle that could be driven by pedals, allowing people to move without their feet off the ground.

Bicycles are nothing new; they have been around since the end of the 18th century.

The bicycle Liang Yao is riding is called Puma.

After the news of the Western Brigade's successful expedition to Borneo spread back to the United States, those voices in China that questioned the capabilities of the Western Brigade and Liang Yao himself have gradually disappeared.

The team at the back threw candies wrapped in red paper to the crowds on both sides, and they didn't forget to throw a few more candies when they encountered a lot of children.

Bell's eyes were fixed on the map. Although Liang Yao couldn't control his crotch, his thinking was still very clear.

As long as we bite the bullet, this railway can still be built.

By the late 1860s, rear-wheel drive bicycles with hinged flywheels, brake springs and other components had already appeared in Stuttgart, Germany.

They were full of curiosity about this brand new bicycle.

"Texas can't afford that much money to build railroads. As far as I know, you and Vanderbilt have spent $15 million on the first phase of the Pacific Railroad's siege.

The southern economy is extremely dependent on the import of raw materials.

Bell no longer dared to continue thinking about it.

"But California is also in the north." Bell said nonchalantly.

The arrival of Liang Yao advanced the emergence of modern bicycles to the mid-1850s.

Its shape is no longer fundamentally different from the bicycles of later generations.

The weight of the entire bike is much lighter than that of a bicycle made entirely of solid wood.

However, bicycles at that time were made of wood and had a relatively simple structure. They had neither a driving device nor a steering device. The cyclist relied on his feet to push forward. When changing direction, he could only get off the bicycle and move the bicycle.

In 1839, Scotsman Macmillan manufactured a bicycle with wooden solid rubber tires, a small front wheel, a large rear wheel, a low seat cushion, and a pedal and crank linkage device.

This bicycle that can change the direction of travel is called a pony.

"This railway is indeed very tempting, but..." Bell still looked confused.

But in terms of navy, Bell, who had always been proud, had to admit that the navy in the south was indeed inferior to that in the north.

Based on the current comparison of the army strength between the north and the south, regardless of the anomaly of Liang Yao's Western Brigade, the quality of the army in the south is indeed better than that in the north.

The sensible New York citizens obediently made way for Liang Yao to ride, while they curiously watched the bike Liang Yao was riding on both sides of the road.

No one has yet imagined that they are about to face a war with the heaviest casualties and losses since the founding of the United States.

However, with the development of industry and advancement of science and technology, bicycles are also constantly being improved, and more practical bicycles appeared in the first half of the 19th century.

The comfort level of riding a bicycle is not as good as riding a horse.

Since Liang Yao came to New York to get married, the storage basket in front of the bicycle was specially decorated with red colors. He himself also rarely wore a red suit.

"No, California is the west." Liang Yao said very simply and decisively.

If there is a railway between California and Texas, then even if the South encounters the worst situation, that is, the coastal ports are blocked by the North, they can continue to maintain trade with California, and even use California as a trade transit point.

In short, both the North and the South were confident that they could defeat the other.

It is indeed a blessing for the South to have one less powerful enemy.

Furthermore, part of the railway route you are planning will pass through Mexican territory."

After the war started, as long as no foreign forces from the European continent intervened, it was almost certain that the South would lose its sea control.

Although the efficiency of bicycle transportation was still very low at that time, it had already shown its practical side.

And the gap is much larger than the gap between the armies between the north and the south.

Liang Yao rode a Puma bicycle and led a bicycle team of up to a hundred people behind him to gallop through the streets of New York. For a time, he became the most handsome boy in New York.

As for what Liang Yao said about the northern navy's blockade of the ports in the southern states, Bell's heart trembled.

Liang Yao's words made Bell fall into deep thought. Not to mention the outbreak of civil war between the north and the south, even now, the free states in the north may not be willing to let them use the northern railway.

This is good news for Bell.

In 1817, the Germans installed a rudder that could change the direction of the bicycle, allowing the bicycle to change the direction of travel.

But what happened next was beyond the expectations of New Yorkers.

"California only wants to develop and earn dollars, and does not want to get involved in the war between the North and the South. If there is a railway between California and Texas, Texas and the South will have one more choice."

Walter led his research team and took a year to develop it with reference to the design drawings provided by Liang Yao.

After all, in the U.S.-Mexican War that just ended, the main force participating in the war was the southern army.

Liang Yao's words also made his position clear to Bell: at least California would not be an enemy of the South.

"Part of the road passes through Mexican territory. I will find a way to solve this problem."

Texas, with a population of less than 200,000 and almost zero modern industrial base, is obviously not as wealthy as California.

In 1842, the English blacksmith Macmillan made improvements based on the "Colt".

At that time, Macmillan rode this kind of bicycle and ran nearly 20 kilometers a day, which shocked the whole of England.

However, compared with later generations of bicycles, the Puma was still not coordinated and stable enough. In addition, the road surface in New York was uneven and not as smooth as the asphalt road in California. After a while, Liang Yao's buttocks were numb from the shock.

Even the subsequent two world wars brought far less damage to the United States than this civil war.

"We are also aware of the difficulties faced by Texas. As long as Texas can agree to build the Garde Railway, we will be happy to help with economic issues," Liang Yao said confidently.

He installed a crank on the axle of the front wheel, and then used a connecting rod to connect the crank to the front pedals, and both the front and rear wheels were made of iron. In this way, the person's feet really leave the ground, and the alternating movements of the feet

The pedaling becomes the rolling of the wheel.

Obviously, the entertainment value of this simple bicycle is higher than its practicality.

The soldiers and officers of the Southern Army had higher actual combat experience and combat literacy than the Northern Army.

There are springs under the seat cushion to reduce vibration.

The news of the marriage between the two richest men in the United States was the biggest news of the year besides the civil unrest in Kansas, and it attracted widespread attention very early on.

Even the southern generals who thought highly of themselves recognized Liang Yao's military talents.

Liang Yao's current cash flow is not very abundant, but compared to the Pacific Railway, the Garde-Germany Railway's construction schedule is not as tight, and it only needs to be completed and opened to traffic before the civil war.

The ideal is beautiful, but the reality is very skinny.

While New Yorkers were grabbing silver coin candies, they cheered and sent sincere blessings to Liang Yao.

The reporters hurriedly set up their cameras to capture this wonderful moment.

After more than three hours of turbulence, Liang Yao finally arrived at Vanderbilt's estate.

Liang Yao got out of the car, patted his sore and numb butt, and parked the bicycle aside.

(End of chapter)