The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-08-26
ANDERSON S. c. THURSDAY, AUGUST &c, 1889
Description of the New Airship, "Avitor. "


A number of citizens, on Saturday, re-
ccivcd invitations from the Secretary OF
the Aerial Steam Navigation Company,
to attend Il private view of their model
carriage, which has for a. long time past
been in the course of construction at
Shell Mound Track, in San Mateo coun-
ty. Among others, we concluded to ac-
cept the invitation, and the $50 train Of
the San Jose Railroad Company landed
us at the track yesterday at III o'clock
a. M.
We found the "Avitor" inflated, and
the engineers and attendants leading the
stately little fellow from the shed where
he was constructed out into the open air.
Unfortunately q stiff breeze had Just
sprung up, and it was too evident that the
managers had their own doubts as to
whether he should be allowed 10 soar aloft.
Under such an adverse circumstance,
nothing was left but to return him to the
shed, where he was put through meas
ured pace. We are compelled to say that
the performance looked something like q
failure, and feeling of regret, rather
than of ridicule, pervadcd the company
present, by the lowering OF the hopes that
had been raised by its over-sanguine in
vcntor. ::
The Avitor can be briefly described
simply as u balloon Of the form Of very
short and thick cigar, its extreme lcngth
being about ninety-fve feet, its height
ten feet, and its width at the centre
about seven feet. A delicate framework
of light and strong wood passes longitu-
dinally through it, and serves to hold the
guides for regulating it's movement in
their places. At the after end of the
frame the rudder is placed-an ingenious
contrlvance for directing its course either
vertically or horizontally. The propell.
ing power is furnished by very small
engine y and boiler, Of the very ightest
weight, and certainly of no Ii!ore effective
force than could be produced by turning
crank by man OF ordinary strength:
The engine and boiler-thc latter fired
up with alcohol-are in dangerous prox-
unity to the balloon itself, and are placed
in niche in the bottom. From the en-
gino, by light shafts and gearing, the
powcr is transmitted to n couple of pro-
pcllers working in the frame first men
toned, and number of lines, bands, rib
bons and network all of the lightest ina
terial, serve to bind tho frame to the
balloon and preserve its contour.
The inventor has evidently made his
greatest error in supposing that any
practical speed can be obtained from the
application of so little power to so great
mass. 1t is apparent that to give any
velocity to balloon-rclativo to the air
through which it travels-the ait In front
must be removed and passed to its rear,
so that bulk of its own size must be
moved by it's propelcrs in order to force
it to move it's own length. The scale
upon which the machinery is constructed
is SO very trifing and inadequate to do
this that it's failure cannot be matter of
surprise in fact until some other power
is discovered that can be condensed In a
far less compass than that of steam, we
fear the success of the present affair is
hopeless.-,Sdn Francisco Alta.