MAN SPEED.

Franklin Times, Volume 14, Issue 911, 13 August 1924, Page 3

MAN SPEED.

GREATER THAN IMAGINED.

The news from Switzerland that Captaiin F. A. M. Browning,, of the British bob-sleigh team entered for the Olympic Winter Games, was travelling at 40 miles an hom when his boy overturned no doubt surprised some people who are inclined 1 to take it for granted that to achieve any considerable speed, an engine of some kind is essential. Yet, as the above quoted incident shows, surpiising high speeds can be reached without the assistance of any mechanical power. The sprinter who covers a hundred yards in ten seconds, travels at an average speed of rather more than the 20 miles an hour legal maximum, for a motor car, and during part of the race must considerably exceed the limit- , A man on roltet* skates can travel still faster, for although the ordinary skater makes' a circuit of the rink at only about 14 miles an hour, the racing expert has been known to attain a speed of 25 miles. Ice skating produces about the same maximum speed as roller skating, but it is estimated that in ice hockey, and over short distances, rather higher speeds are sometimes attained.. Diving can produce very high velocities, varying with the height from which the dive is made. A diver, for instance, who takes off from a height of 50 feet is actually travelling at the rate of 38 miles- an hour when he enters the water. The motor cyclist whose speedometer registers 60 miles an hour experiences a glow’ of pride in his mount,, yet nothing has been clone which has not already been achieved by man-power. A speed of more than 61 miles an hour has been reached on an o' dinary racing pattern “push” bicycle, and although the push cyclist was paced by a motor cyclist and protected from wind pressure, this is none the less a remarkable feat. It is, however, only when, wheels are abandoned that the highest manpower, speeds become possible. In a race on skis down the snowclad mountain slope an average speed of 45 miles an hour is not uncommon even, among the lesser lights of the sport, while an expert will equal the speed c(E an express. train and cover the distance at 60 miles an hour. Lugeing on a specially piepaied snow or ice runs frequently produces a speed of 45 miles an hour, and on the famous Cresta run a speed of B<> miles an hour has been reached.