, 1865-07-27

CURIOUS FLYING EXPERIMENT..
N1CoLLET uoUaE,
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, Ju ~
E4ltora Chicago Tribune:
Preached this city on Tuesday, 18th inst,
after months tour in Northern Minnesota.
At another time I slcu1d bs gid to give
your readers Al account Of various interest
irg incidents of my trip; but. to-day, 1t has
been my good fortuns 10 witness scientific
triumph SO strange hnd startling that it
leaves me no thought for anything beside. f
will try to describe the occu1cnce as briefly
as possible. .......--.
On the evening Of my arrival, Will: calling
upon Capt. Stephen a. Cobb, an old friend
OF mini, late Of the United States volunteer
cayalsy, liz CHANGED to mention 3 remarkable
persou residing here who has been long en-
deayoring 10 invent prsctica! art Of flying.
As havc strong curiosity to meet odd acd
extraordinary characters, begged my friend
for an introduction. He assented, and in
few minutes we were er the residence Of the
gentleman in question. His rame is David
4. Smith, and, lor three yIara past, be has
street, In this city ae Is an Eastern man by
birth lis father, Rev. Ans3n G. Smith, be-
hg pastor OF the First Congregational So
c:ety In Pittsfeld, Mas. Mr. Smith received
us con- lteously. snd VIC were s06n engaged In
an animated conversation. He spoko with.
out reserve Of his efforts and experiments.
Many OF the latter were remarkably curious
and interesting. Ar. Smith Is practical
chemist 8 nd ulechapiclan. ana 4 mat Of edu-
cation and refinement. He Is about thirty
sears Ct age. and unmarried; In person hc
is below medium siz., his weight being only
which tells Ct hatilul study :; but the hol'
low eye ard stoopIeg form which usuAliy
accompany it a'e absent. On the contrary.
bis e e was bright, and he informed me that
b. ca.etpl Eymbast:c training le had
sttcrrtl Ind his muscular system 10 al unu'
tual degree. I was strongly ,mprssAa BY
hts ecod sense, and evident sincerity. Ny
1i,Dds AID nci.hbors,' said he, s4speak u
ny project Us suith's FJ.y.' Meanwhile
Keep my shcp aad my shop keeps me; my
leisure hout6 arc devoted to the solution Of
| Tits rroh'em. consde: it certain that 1t
| will one day be eclved. Most inventors have
aenLdrned it as iupracticaolc, but they have
| only t1aH4inetl the subl:ci supclHc.hly. D..
| IaJdnes published y treatise to prove that
tteaukEius could not cross the ocean before
| crossed. Many eclentjtic men laugh at the
idea Of fy;ng; but there are more tulnss IA
heaven sEd earth than arc dreamed Of In
| their philosophy. We know, little Is yet Of
;hc secl cts wnt;h lie hid III the a. cana Of ma
ture. Take fir lnstance the subject OF cleo
,r:c.ty. The uaes Of this agent arc infinite.
ard lis force almost iLea;cn'nblc. Men have
studied 1t fbr century, and arc not yet
acosed even what 1t is. Our knowledge Of II
consists OF 4 few fol tunate Guesses."
The evening rap dy passed, and when W
! a1cse 10 depart wa3 gta'incd by ~ mvlta-
ton nc.n Mr. Smith to call again; on 50
Sum. which is in the 1eat u his sto.e. Strip
rcu for exe1eieo, his form much resembles
ut Of BIoud,u but his broad ioteht VI anu
intellectual eye ne features EEict thc ftencn-
mpu Cannot emulate. Adjoining tee Gymnn, !,
liblary, well stocked with s:icntine WORKS.
Amcps tht IN rotlccd q few old n.d cu:ious
t1ea;Ists S upe tho att Of flying. including that
Ut Fslsr Bacon and the ProarofHo ol
Fstler. Fiancsseo Lana. ,Ihose a, WI,
~ f1owS VA az e." snitn 'atougS5 gS5,s11,or s
lcoAips 81 lie books, 81 but even The record
Of their errors Is instructive. They were
hn,npered by imperfect knowledge, ana
g,ored blindiy yet they we're men Of strong
1utell,ct, and lLeir works contain :, many
shrc1a h.nts ty which Nc mey profit" Re
| Ioi1 ed me in The library. "Mcn 1sye hastily
c,ncluded. = SAID be, abeeause We lack tht
| MG1ltE1qus mnseulaF force which ~ given II
! | tle buds, that VT cannot susia oafse1vc;
In their element. But II we obtain The foFc'
II does not matter Fhe'lor II b. natuFsl
artifc1nl. Tho mechanical appliances ar
ve,y siuple; the only difficulty ls to set theu
III motion. For this, OF cuurse, steam power
or any otLer 1e4ultiug fuel, Is entirely lDade
!. quite. Suvh may possibly suffice III m:onau
> ucs, which is The art Of sailing IN the ar
but cannot 4sslst us In wh.s may De ca'lt'
I. therefore, to discover d very 1lfe1en: mony
powe. from suy now IN usc." :.
I In discussions like these upon h!t favorit
topic, al hour, soon passed. bad bscon
q much interested in the man, aud IN bis Pre-
iecr. visionary though Il seemed, and l calle
+ upon h,m 1he iolloxins day and the next
u On Satuday be informed me that ~ va
Il about 10 uuke an actual expe1i1ca. in "
r ing. "The apparatus has long been ready,
d said he, "and have partially succeed.d I
= nc,, indeed, make rapid digit, but shA
Il he able to sustain myself, and to adVant
Is klowly.n l eagerly questioned him IN regas
B. to lis inyenticn, bxt he checked mo ~ o.
II selyiLe t1aIlt was stcs=t he did NOT ehl
:" "witntss It's practical operation y and tlt
4. addcc "Ouc dcI.ct huve moi yes ovesco1n
J, namely, the inability tu rlse. but there vi
. be no difficulty In q dtsc=n3ing from the lot1
i. est eloraticn.n AYE, there's the rub,
sfasitis d:.eea:us ast,n nj s<d reroeart g7aiam
~ ~ .S.nce you have citd one auotatico,"
~ replld with seriousness, VAL give y
snother, which Is quite as mach to TIE poe
..yU.l .i,,ul tnytntu,a Ell It Fe!Jtcfu'n, Wnc
" freely TRANSLATED, means that no invention
J. D,.r:cctsd o. once. II one eau remain 81
re trndet. OF eyeu descend safely, gstat pol
e7 Lss been gained" In this frea4ily acq'
e. elc.d, and when Mr.. Smith in'osn=.l m- 10
I. da5, .o-dny, j IL WAS on the lp-toe OF exp!
OF tiuu, He rtaut sttd ms to say no hing OF J
j. Intention, as he did nor wish 10 be lmped
d, t1 a crowd Of gaping idlers. Ae asseate
he however, TO my request that Capt. 20
a should be OF the party. ,.,
1 appointed, We were promptly At NJ. smlt'
Is sicre. and found hun IeaaJ to start. Al
o. door there stood Two teams and Wagons Q
It. Of which containr1 What supposed 20 b'
a. canvas TINT with poles, &C. - Lan J'ae1 ae
Ill Smith and his clerk james McLenuap, %
1T 1ol,b and myself, Fat1i.k Riley and AAdF
cd Wa,d. The Drivers six in all. Sir. Smith
ks enytloTtd in a large linen dustt5. Nhieh ~
ni. j: ceIeeltd his perS;0n' ,,.her nItas se,,
to aus ana t.cl.urn. 10 two hours
Is. cached a roIut about twelre miles west
Mt tse city. and there stopped. The coun
Sc. Was rolling p,ai1le, wholly unclltiy4'
the and with no travelled 1oad for several nlle:
an either slde, Tie eanyas, ~ W taaem tsnna
nth my anazement that instesd ofa tent il
re. an iu,nense kite, made Of sail cloth, wy
nd st1onF io,rted fiame. 1t was Of the <
me kpowI as the 'house kit" "hexagon IN to
,ses and Nbep put together WAS twenty-five
to In lsrgsh, thus containing N area q o9ss =
nr.E Of nv little finger, but Of great siren!
having been manufactured TO order
~ tail ii tile kits Eas merely llRhs rope
In' der. Mr. Smith uow threw on MS y
IN duster, and cculd scarcely aVola Mugi
,ufi at lis extraoidinsry appearance; p. Pen
- AZ - 6~f %F1nnN
Fe1l ,h.rs was i copper cylinder. tost
t,ne fiom top to bottom ana about two fest II
s,o ume ameter, His ordinary clothing had bees
iu:. Placed by tisnt ,,1astaf;v astinT sa!t III
In i,bbed cloth, made appatentl3 ~.
IYar glsr d spd ptdy vera . pair Of vebbed wing:
raii- siIcpg material with Light fsamsWoe
- In steel, Wren at rest, thstc wings Ut
asas 60 cell then,) hung loosely about hun Ill
"a. closed uMblellA; but when his arms
yar, raised they became extended and gave
nv N ctd resemblance TO the Green Mons
:. u In The nsptomIlne. Scores Of ordinary b
- to drrs were fastened 10 the suit above
ynod ,Iuutd, and equally In every part. :
,rre. we've placed close to the body, aud o:net
i 10 pended at various lengths, from one to !
MT net, From the mouth Of each hoi
~ nexible tube communicated With tho c
der. These, ifextended, would consequt
411e form cst-No1k If mir tubes. l made t
otser.ationa hastily, fur Mr.. Smith at
n Of placed himself upon the rope ladder m
the duetted that the ki.e, which had been 81
: IN On a flight elevation, rlould be raised.
= = ~ " Captain and mystlf called out together
Oh he bad forgotten big parachute; bns b.
text rlitd impatiently that Is did not nes
:yllle We declared, however, that we
Eot permit 80 fool.ha1dy an e1pe1i
/ this nn1ssn lstt,a .~s nsIIa1 hs cnnsentrl. 81
mil n..s R.r an;rr h5o7rfnn f1r,n the ennth
titles pM'x md W.rd toaF their MACE il
this A., .eaeJ hssraa the rni] nj r,ne McIe
nNn. ] ~, :, - 4