Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-09-05
Flying Machine.

Mr.. Lock, in his celebrated Moon hoax represent
ed the people of the Moon as furnished with wings
with which they could fly from place to place at
pleasure. This like Bruces account of the Abys-
sinians cutting steaks from the living cow dscredit
ed the whole story--but, if the Moon hoax had been
postponed until the present day, it might have been
more favorably received, as human beings flying in
the air is likely to be no uncommon thing 1t seems
that NJ DArvlle has invented a flying machine,
which he can govern at pleasure, and that he made
successful experiment with it at Neully in France
on the first of the present month. number of gen.
tlemen were present by invitation-among them va
rlous representatives of the press and scientific per-
sons. The following is the account of the aerial
flight. given in the Chronique de Paris:
AT five minutes past four in the morning we saw
a carriage coming out containing three persons-N.
D'Arville and the two machnsts The machine
and the wings in two oaken boxes behind the
carriage.
'After very courteous salute on both sides. NJ.
DArville proceeded to unroll his apparatus, after
which the ustment of the various parts of the ma
chine did not occupy more than five minutes. M
DArville then said to us: Gentlemen, | am going
to make trial do not be at all alarmed, but leave
me the master of my own movements and do not
make any observation to me-
G. Having placed himself on his folding cushion,
NJ. D'Arvle said Gentlemen. I'm at home ); and
Immediately placing his foot on the pedals or foot
keys Nos. l and G. he arose majesticaly in the air
in a perpendicular line NJ DArville had furnished
himself with long cord of hundred metres length,
at the end of which be had placed small leaden
ball and two minutes afterwards he asceraned that
he three hundred feet above our heads.
Nothing could exceed the establishment rath-
the terror of every present; there shouts
and cheers of the most frenzed kind. M DArville.
by means of a small speakng-trumpet said to
: am now going to fly in an oblique direction and
in continuous flight : and in fact, by changing the
pedals he directed himself whthersoeyer he chose,
without any shock, and we must say without any
apparent danger.
& After having crossed space about as large as
the square of the Champ de Mars NJ. DArvile a
lighted at our feet, not taking any time to
one might throw from a window in calm weather.
With boats which sail under water, and wings
which enable us to cleave the air like birds there
would seem to be little {" in the Heavens above, on
the earth beneath, in the waters under the earth
which can escape the scrutinizing eye of man. We
can sit in our houses and converse with friends at a
distance of thousands of miles-take the iron horse
and flee with the speed of the wind visit the sea-
nymphs in their coral palaceso chase the birds in
the air Nay more than all these if the spiritual
knockings be can learn from spirits their
location present occupation, and future prospects
whilst by placing our hands on each others heads
we can separate the good from bad, and 'spot" the
latter by way of caution to the world Amidst this
marvellous progress in arts sciences, and discoveries
there appears to be little change in the moral cond
ton of mankind. The strong trampe on the weak
the knave continues to cheat--the thief to plum.
der-and the murderer to take life. What pity
that intellectual and moral improvement do not &C
hand in hand.