Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-03-09
Professor Steiner's Air Ship.

The Zenia (Ohio) News gives the fol- lowing details of Professor Stener's pro- ijected air ship, which he is confident will be able to cross the ocean in sixty hours He wishes Congress to aid him in his enter prise; but if he waits for that, he will never cross the ocean, save in imagination:
 The balloon is to be of thin sheet copper weighing not more than half pound to the square foot. It is to be cigarshaped, very much like the WinanS steamer, 300 feet long, and eighty feet in diameter at the center tapering toward each extremity Be- meath this balloon is to be suspended, by wire cables, platform of the same double conical shape with the balloon itself.- On the central part of this platform is to be placed the machinery of the air ship, and the cabin for passengers The surface measure of the balloon will be 151, ,425 square feet, and its total weight will be 379 tons. It will contain 1894, ,460 cubic feet of gas, which will support in the air weight of S64 tons. The platform, cabin, machinery, etc, are estimated at IS tons, leaving still power enough to elevate 21 tons of passengers, freight and ballast
 Prof. Steiner proposes to propel his yes sel by means of large paddles or fans, to work in the air as the paddles of steam boat work in the water. There is to be one wheel on each side of the vessel, and at the stern IS to be screw propeller, all of these to be worked by steam engines, placed at the centre fthe platform. The side wheels have the paddles so arranged as to fold up like lady's fan, as they enter the wheel house above, and to unfold again as they strike in the air, in the desired direction. There are to be three small oscillatinp en- zines, of five horse power, one on each wheel
 The balloon is only intended for travel ing across the ocean. To confnc it to a gwen helght above the surface of the water there IS to be a copper float, of the same shape as the balloon, so as to move through the water with as little resistance as possi- be which Is to be attached to the platform underneath the balloon, by heavy wire or wire rope. This float is to contain an air chamber, which will prevent its sinking- 1t will retard the movement of the air ship above very little, but should the vessel tend to rise above certain altitude, it would tighten the wire and draw on the float, which weighing two or three hundred pounds, would etfectualy prevent the ascent
 The distance of the vessel from the wa ter might thus be varied by paying out more rope to the float
 The vessel must be evenSballasted as to be even balanced in the air, with no tenden- cy either to ascend or decend. As fuel is used water can be drawn up to preserve the required weight. To steer the vessel. there is placed under the. platform, and running its entire length, rudder serving also as keel, five feet deep in front and II feet aft, with one end fixed and the other mo- vable. By this arrangement the ship can be steered with as much certainty as a yes sel can be on the water.
 Beneath the balloon, there is to be placed small gasometer, containing circular bellows closing up like the bellows of an accordeon. This bellows has free com