Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-11-21
CAN MEN FLY?


nav bhS tluAS 10 al manu- Wuen /
the first aerial drifting IN balloons,
VIII be accomplished. The reasons
Tor this belief are given with empha.
SIS by writer in the October nuns
Der of the C0rahW Magazine, who re-
views the progress OF aeronautic re-
search, and contends that the exist |
ing difficulties are not insuperable.
The balloon gives perfect solution
OF the problem of securing buoyancy, |
but all attempts TO direct balloons |
have failed, and must continue TO fail. |
A balloon must be large times
larger than any machine to which it |
can be attached Ii we take even
the case Of one man raised by bals
loon, and inquire how large the ball
loon should be, we at once see how |
diFproportioned the size OF balloon
must needs be TO the bodies of IA |
heavier nature which IL is intended TO |
raise. We know that u man can |
barely float in water, so that he is
about equal in weight to an equal
volume Of water Bat volume OF |
water is more than eight hundrt d |
times heavier than an equal vulun 9 |
Of air, even at the sea-level, where the
air is densest. So that the weight of
man is more than eight hundred |
times greater than that OF the air he
displaces. 1t follows that if very |
light hollow vessel could be made, |
which should be more than eight |
hundred times as large as a man, and |
which could be perfectly exhausted |
Of air without colapsing Ca thing
wholly impossible), the buoyancy OF
that vessel would barely enable il TO |
support the weight Of man. But |
the balloanist is unable to obtain any |
vessel Of that sort. But, says the |
writer, when we study the flight Of |
birds, we see that velocity OF hoT-
izontal motion is IA poiut OF extreme |
Importance as respects the power IF |
dying. For though there are some
birds which seem 10 rise almost |
straight from the ground, yet nearly |
all, and especially the larger and |
heavier birds, have TO acquire con-
siderable horizontal velocity before
they can take long flights. Even |
many Of thoee tirds which seem,
when taking flight, TO trust rather to
the upward and downward motion OF |
their wings than to swift horizontal
motion, will bo i9und, when carefully
observed, to move their wings up
and down in such sort as 10 secure
rand fprXvart pnntiap
Then comes the inquiry whether a
smaller extent OF supporting surface
than has hitherto been deemed nee s.
sary may not suffice in the case Of
man, and q tortiori in the case of a
large and powerful hying-machino
This inference is found to accord per
fecuy with the observations hicb |
have been made upon flying creatures
OF different dimensions. Ii has been
found that the supporting surface OF
these creatarcs-w ho.Aor insects, |
birds or bat5-by no means varied 10 |
proportion to their weight. Tais is |
one OF the most important results to
which the recent inquiries into. the |
problem Of flight have led and we
believe that our readers cannot fail TO |
be interested by an account OF the re- |
latiOns which have been observed to |
hold between the weight and the sup
porting surface OF different winged |
creatures. NJ. de Lucy, Of Paris,
made the first actual experiments
in this direction in the years 1865 and |
1869
1T is further contended chat the |
art OF flying, il it is ever 10 be attain
ed, viii probably be arrived at by |
means Of attempts directed, IN the
first y ace. toward rapid passage
along terra Ryma. As the trapeze
gymnast awaits himself Of the sups
porting power of ropes, so the sup
porting power Of the air may be called
into action to aid men in travorsing
the ground, and our volocipedlsts
may soon be outvied by halt-hying
pedestrians.
A gymnast of our own day, Mr.
Charles Spencer cone of the best
teachers OF gymnastics in England, |
has met even more marked success,
for he has been able TO raise himself |
by the action or wings attached TO |
his arms. The material of which |
these wings were made was too fig |
lie for actual flight and Mr., Spencer
was prevented fIom making strong |
efforts because the wickerwork TO |
which the apparatus was attached, |
fitting tightly round his body, caused !
pain, and DISTRACTED his movements.
Yet be tells us that, running a small /
incline in the open air, and, jumping |
from the ground, he has been able,
by the action OF the wings 70 sustain |
flight tor a distance Of 1870 feet aud |
when the apparatus was suspended |
in the transept OF the Crystal Palace |
Gin the Spring Of 1868, he was able
to raise himself. though only TO q
slight extent, by the action Of the
wings II sholid be remarked, how
ever, that his pParatus seems very
little adapted iar rs purpose, since
the wings are attached TO the arms
in such u way that the weak breast
muscles are chiefly called into play.
The objection founded on the reia-
tive weakness of the muscles Of man
as compared with those Of birds
(without reference to the question OF
adaptation) seems at first sight most
serious. Although there can be lit
tie question that the strength Ut the
muscles OF birds bias been IA general
enormously exaggerated, yet such
superiority undoubtedly exists IN
some degree. This gives the bird
clear advantage over man, iusomuch
that man can never hope by his uu-
aided exertions to rival the bird IL
its own elements. 1t by no means
follows. however, that because man
may never be able TO rival the tllghJ
Of the eagle or the condor, Of the pig
con or the swallow, he must there