1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 444 Bicycles

"If the construction of the Pacific Railway is completed, do you think Texas can use this railway in the current state of tension between the north and the south?" Liang Yao said slowly.

"Once the two sides break up, I think not only the railway, but also the major ports in the south will be blocked by the navy in the north. At that time, no matter how much cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane there are in Texas, they will only rot in warehouses."

Liang Yao said that the North and the South are tearing each other apart, which means that a civil war broke out between the North and the South.

The Civil War was not a taboo topic in the United States.

On the contrary, at this time, both the upper echelons in the north and the south like to put the civil war on the table for discussion.Some of them are somewhat threatening to each other.

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

The South believed that the Southern generals and soldiers were well-trained and well-trained, and the people's martial virtues were abundant. Once war broke out, they could beat the Yankees to nowhere.

Moreover, the south is the raw material warehouse of countries such as Europe, Britain and France. Take cotton as an example. Whether it is the textile industry of the United Kingdom or France, it is inseparable from the high-quality and cheap cotton in the south.

Once the war starts, the South is not fighting alone, they can get the support of European 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 expected that what they will face is the war with the heaviest casualties and losses since the founding of the United States.

Even in the subsequent two world wars, the losses brought to the United States were far less 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 railway in the north.

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

Based on the current comparison of the strength of the army in 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 stronger than that in the north.

After all, in the US-Mexico War that just ended, the main force of the United States participating in the war was the southern army.

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

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

And the gap is far greater than the gap between the North and South armies.

After the war, as long as there is no foreign power from the European continent to intervene, it is almost a certainty that the South will lose its command of the sea.

The southern economy is extremely dependent on imports of raw materials.
Bell no longer dared to continue thinking about it.
"However, California is also north." Bell said abruptly.

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

"California only wants to develop and earn dollars, and does not want to intervene 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 railroad 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 remarks also showed Bell his position: at least California will not be an enemy of the South.

That's good news for Bell.

After the news of the successful expedition of the Western Brigade to Borneo came back to the United States, the domestic voices that questioned the abilities of the Western Brigade and Liang Yao himself have gradually disappeared.

Even the southern generals who thought highly of themselves affirmed Liang Yao's military talent.

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

"This railway is indeed very attractive, but..." Bell still looked embarrassed.

"Texas doesn't have that much money to build railroads. As far as I know, you and Vanderbilt have spent $1500 million on the first phase of the Pacific Railroad siege.

Furthermore, part of the railway route you have planned passes through the territory of Mexico. "

Ideals are beautiful, and reality is very skinny.

Texas, with a population of less than 20 and almost zero modern industrial base, is obviously not as rich and powerful as California.

The funds needed to build railways are massive.Especially super-large railway projects like the Pacific Railway and the Garde Railway.

"We are also aware of the difficulties in Dezhou. As long as Dezhou can agree to build the Garde Railway, we are willing to lend a helping hand in terms of economic problems." Liang Yao said confidently.

"Some sections of the road pass through the territory of Mexico. I will solve this problem."

Liang Yao's current cash flow is not very rich, but compared with the Pacific Railway, the Garde Railway's construction schedule is not so tight, it only needs to be completed before the Civil War.

As long as you grit your teeth, this railway can still be repaired.

"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 of the two richest men in the United States is the biggest news of the year other than the civil unrest in Kansas, and it has aroused widespread concern early on.

Before Liang Yao disembarked, the busy New York Harbor was crowded with spectators and reporters from major newspapers.

These melon-eating New York citizens and reporters originally thought that Liang Yao would ride through the city on a tall horse after getting off the boat.

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

However, Liang Yao swaggered through the city on a bicycle.

Bicycles are nothing new and have existed since the end of the 18th century.

New Yorkers are no strangers to this novelty 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 pushes hard on the ground with both feet to move forward. When changing directions, he can only get off the car and move the car.

Obviously, the entertainment of this humble bicycle is higher than the practicality.

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

In 1801, the Russians invented a bicycle that could be stepped on by pedals, allowing people to drive with their feet off the ground.

In 1817, the Germans equipped the bicycle with a rudder that can change direction, so that the bicycle can change the direction of travel.

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

However, the little pony was only a pastime toy for the upper class at that time, and it was not popularized.

In 1839, the Scotsman McMillan manufactured a bicycle with wooden solid rubber tires, small front wheels, large rear wheels, low cushions, pedals and crank linkage devices.

In 1842, England's blacksmith Macmillan made improvements on the basis of "Little Pony".

He installed a crank on the axle of the front wheel, and connected the crank to the front pedals with a connecting rod, and both the front and rear wheels were made of iron.In this way, people's feet really leave the ground, and the alternate stepping of the feet becomes the rolling of the wheels.

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

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

By the end of the 19s, rear-wheel drive bicycles with hinged flywheel 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 brought the emergence of modern bicycles to the mid-19s.

The bicycle Liang Yao was riding was called Puma.

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

Puma bicycles revolutionaryly use solid rubber tires with steel wire spokes and iron rims. The body is connected by hollow steel pipes, and the hinges are driven by stepping on the pedals, and then the rear wheels are driven.

There are springs under the seat to dampen vibrations.

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

In terms of shape, Puma bicycles are not much different from the modern bicycles of later generations.It is a pity that with the current level of technology, Liang Yao is still unable to unlock the technology of hollow pneumatic rubber tires, and can only use solid rubber tires to get by.

Since Liang Yao came to New York to get married, a red color was specially decorated on the front storage basket of the bicycle for decoration, and he himself also rarely wore a red suit.

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

Cycling is nowhere near as comfortable as riding a horse.

But in the middle of the 19th century, there was a bicycle that could reach a speed of fifteen or sixteen kilometers per hour on a flat road. What kind of bicycle is there?

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. He became the most handsome guy in New York for a while.

The sensible New Yorkers obediently made way for Liang Yao to ride, and they watched curiously at 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 runs so smoothly and so fast.

They are full of curiosity about this brand new bike.

While riding, Liang Yao's bicycle team grabbed bicycle storage baskets full of silver coins and cents and scattered them to the crowd.

The team behind threw candies wrapped in red paper to the crowd on both sides, and did not forget to sprinkle a few more when they encountered a lot of children.

While looting silver coin candies, the New Yorkers greeted Liang Yao with cheers and sincere blessings.

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

After more than three hours of bumpy rides, Liang Yao finally arrived at Vanderbilt's manor.

Liang Yao got out of the bike, patted his sore buttocks, and parked the bike aside.

(End of this chapter)