1850 American Gold Tycoon

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 liked to put the civil war on the table. There's something of a threat to 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 its 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. Whether it is the British textile industry or the French textile industry, they 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 obtain the support of continental countries. This is the view of most Southerners.

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

No one has imagined that they will face the war with the heaviest casualties and losses since the founding of the United States.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 the north." Bell said coldly.

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

"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."

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

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.

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

This is good news for Bell.

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

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

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

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

"Texas can't spend 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.

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

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

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

The funds required to build railways are massive. Especially large-scale railway projects such as the Pacific Railway and the Garde Railway.

"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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 early on.

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

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

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

Liang Yao was riding a bicycle through the city.

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

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

But bicycles at that time were made of wood. The structure is also relatively simple. There is neither a driving device nor a steering device. The cyclist relies on his feet to push forward. When changing direction, he can only get off and move the bike.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

He installed a crank on the axle of the front wheel, and 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 stepping of the feet changes to the rolling of the wheel.

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

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

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

There is no essential difference between its shape and the bicycles of later generations.

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

The bicycle Liang Yao is riding is called Puma.

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

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.

There are springs underneath the seat cushion to reduce vibrations.

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

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

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

However, compared to later generations of bicycles, Puma is 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.

Cycling is not as comfortable as riding a horse.

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?

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.

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.

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 so fast.

They were full of curiosity about this brand new bicycle.

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

The team behind threw candies wrapped in red paper to the crowds on both sides, and they didn't forget to sprinkle a few more when they encountered a place with many children.

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

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.