The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-11-22
Can Men Fly!
HOW AERIAL VOYAGES MAY BY MADE


Careful observers in Europe and the
United States express the conviction
that the time is ut hand when the first |
aerial voyage, as distinguished from
lial drifting in balloons, will be ac-
complshcd. The reasons for this be-
lief are given with emphasis by n
writer in the October number Of the
Cornhill Magazine, who reviews the
contends that the existing difficulties
are not insuperable. L h g balloon
gives pc feet solution of the problem
of securing burvancy, bnt all attempts
to direct balloons have failed, and
must continue to fall. A balloon must
be large-many times larger than any
machine to which it can he attached.
If we take even the case of one man
raised by balloon, and inquire how
large the balloon should be, we at
once see how disproportioned the size
of balloon must needs he to the
intended to raise. We know that n
man can barely float in WAGER, SD that
he is abont equal in weight to an equal
volume of water. But volume of
water is more than eight hundred
times heavier than an equal volume of
air, even at the sea-level, where the
air is densest. So that the weight of
man is eight hundred times greater
than that of the air he displaces. 1t
follows that if very light hollow
vessel could be made, which should
he more than eight hundred times as
large us man, and which could he
perfectly exhausted of all without
collapsing "a thing wholly impossiblc),
the buOyancy of that vesacl would
barely enable it to support the wei yht
of a man. But the balloonist is unable
to obtain any vessel of this sort. But,
says this writer, when we study the
fight of birds, we see that velocity of
horizontal motion is point of extreme
Importance as respects the power of
flying. For though there are some
birds Which seem to rise almost straight
from the grnnnd, yet nearly all, and
especially the larger and heavier birds.
have to acquire a considerable horizon
, tai velocity before they can take long
; flights. Even many of those birds
: which seem, when taking fight, to
trust rather to the upward and down
: ward motion of their wings than to
] swift horizontal motion, will be fonnd,
f Nllen carefully observed. to move their
, wings up and down in such sort as to
1 secure rapid forward motion.
Then comes the inquiry whether a
smaller exten: of supporting surface
than has hitherto been deemed neccs-
sary may not suffice in the case of a
man, and ~ fortiori in the case of !;
large and powerful flying machine
: This inference is found to accord
I; perfectly with the observations which
5 have been made upon flying creatures
of different dimensions. 1t has beer
}, found that the supporting surface OF
;. these creatures -whether insects, birds
or bets-by no means varies in pro-
portion to their weight. This is one
of the most important results to which
the recent inquiries into the problem
of flight have led and we believe that
g our readers cannot fail to be interested
(. by an account of the relations which
D have been observed to hold between
t the weight and the supporting surface
. of different winged creatures. M. d.
!, Lucy, of Paris, made the first actua
> experiments in this direction in the
years, 1868 and 1869.
, 1t is further contended that the ar
, of flying, il it is ever attained, viii
= probably be arrived at by means Of at
2 temps directed, in the first place, to
Il ward rapid passage along terra firma
: AS the trapeze gymnast avails himsel
IA of the supporting powers of ropes, 81
b the supporting power of the air ma.
q I've called into action to aid men il
4 traversing the ground, and our veloci
+ pedists may soon be outvied by half
flying pedestrians. ~
' A gymnast of our own day, Mr.
;. Charles Spencer, one of the best teach
II crs of gymnastics in England, has me
e with even more success, for lie la
y been able to raise himself by the &C
l. ton of wings attached to his arms
It The material of which these wing
" were made was too fragile for actua
q fight; and Mr.. Spencer was prevent
ed from making strong efforts becans
the wicker-work to which the appara
tus was attached, fitting tightly aroun'
his body, caused pain, and obstructe'
II his movements. Yet he tells us that
q running down a small incline in tn
y open air, and jumping from the groun'
Y he has been able, by the action of tn
e wings, to sustain flight for distanc
!. of 1870 feet; and when the apparatu