The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-08-02
experiments with a FIylng MACHINE
An Aerial Philosopher at Home-Holg IL
Looks and Hon He LiUeS-Aa Extra
ordinary Flying Machine, and a Novsl
AeriaE Experiment Nth Il.
IFrom Uorfespondence Ullcago Inbune
NICoILETTE HOUSE,
Minneapolis, Mimi, July "a

Minneapolis, Mimi, July "A.
l reached this place on Tuesday, 18th
inst, after months tour in Northern
Minnesota AT another time ! should
be glad to give your readers an account
Of various interesting incidents Of my
trip; but to-day it has been my good
fortune to witness q scientific triumph
so strange and startling that il leaYes
me no thought for anything beside. l
will try to describe the incident as
briefly as possible.
On the evening of my arrival, while
calling upon Captain Stephen a. Cobb,
an old friend of mine, late of the
| United States volunteer cavalry, he
chaDced TO mention a remarkable per
son residing here, who has been long
endeavoring to invent practical art Of
| flying As / have a strong curiosity to
meet odd and extraordinary cnaTacters,
l begged my friend tor an Introduction
BE sssented, and in q few minutes we
were at The residence of the gentleman
in question. His name is David X.
SmlIh, and for three years past, he has
kept drug store on Bridge street, near
First street in this city. He IS an
Eastern man by birth his father, Rev.
Anson G. Smith, being pastor of the
First Congregational Society in Pitts
field, Mass Mr.. Smith received us
courteously, and we were soon engaged
in an animated conversation Hespoke
without reserve of his efforts and ex.
periments Many of the latter were
remarkably curious and interesting
Mr.. smith is a practical chemist aud
mechanicisn, and man of education
and refinement He is about thirty
years OF age and unmarried; in person
he is below medium size, his weight
being only one hundred and sixteen
pounds. His features have the pale.
ness which tells of habitual study; but
the sunken eye and STOPPING form
which usually accompany it are absent.
On the contrary, he informed US that
by careful gymnastic training he had
strenthened his muscular system TO an
unusual degree. was strongly i'm
pressed by his good sense and evident
sincerity "My friends and neighbors,"
said he, speak of my project as Smiths
folly. Meanwhile keep my shop,
and my shop keeps me; my leisure
hours are devoted to the solution Of
this problem, / consider it certain
that It will one day be solved. Most
inventors have abandoned it as i'm
practicable, but they have only ex-
smined the subject specifically. DR..
Lsrdner published q treatise to prove
that steamships could not cross the
ocean; before the treatise was in
press a steamship hsd crossed Many
scientific men laugh at the idea Of
fiying, but there are more things in
heaven and earth tsan are dreamed Of
in their philosophy. We know little as
yet of the secrets which lie hidden in
the great arcaDa of nature. Take, for
instance, the subject of electricity. The
uses Of this agent are infinite, and its
force almost incalculable. Men have
studied it for g century, and are not
vet agreed even what it is. Our knowl.
edge of il consists of few fortunate
guesses
The evening rapidly passed, and
when we arose TO depart ] was grstified
be an invitation from Mr.. Smith to
call again. did so the next day, and
found him in his gymnasium, which is
in the rear of his store. Stripped for
exercise, his form much resembles that
of Blondin; but his broad forehead and
intellectual eye are features which the
Frenchman cannot emulate. Adioin-
ing the gymnasium is laboratory, and
beyond il 8 small library, well stocked
with scientific works Among them
noticed few old and curious treaties
upon the art Of flying, including that
of Friar Bacon and the ProdomO Of
Father Francisco Lana. Those worthy
fellows saw through a glass darkly,'
said Mr. Smith, observing me looking
at the books, ''but even the record OF
their errors is instructive. They were
hampered By imperfect knowledge,
and groped blindly; yet they were
men Of strong intellect. and their works
contain many shrewd hints BY which
we may profit" Resuming his ordina-
AIRY dress. Mr.. Smith soon joined me
in the library. Men have hastily con-
cluded, said he, because we lack the
prodigious muscular force which Is Civ
en- to the birds, that we cannot sustain
ourselves in their element Bat if we
obtain the force it does not matter
whether il be natural or artificial The
mechanical appliances are very simple,
the only difficulty is to set them in mo
ton For this, Of course, steam power,
or any other requiring fuel, Is entirely
inadequate Sach may possibly suffice
in aeronantics, which is the aft OF sail
Ing in the air but cannot assist as IN
what may be called swimming through
The air. Il Is necessary, therefore, 70
discover a very different motive power
from any nov in use,
Ia discussions Ike thsss upon his IA
EsFIte toPie 50 bear SOFA passed J