Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-02
Experiments with Military Flying
Machines.

Machines.
The Chatham correspondent Of the London
News. writing on the 18Th ultlmo, reports
The pew flying machine, the invention OF Mr..
and intended for use 10 military
operations, was subjected to public trial by
the Inventor on Chatham lines to- day, the cx-
nerimental trial being attended by large num-
her Of the officers of the Royal Engineers,
among whom were Msj,r V. 6. Clayton, sec
retary to the Royal Engineer Committee; Capt.
NJ r. Sale. one of tie Instructors 10 field fori
featiops. aud other heads of departments con-
nected with the School OF Military Engineering.
4 number of non commissioned officers and
men of the Royal EoglncerS had been placed
Al the disposal OF Mr. Simmonds to assist him
in carving ou, the experimental trials. The
macLiue, which may be said to consist OF two
indepeudeit parts, is nothlug more than huge
SQUARE. SHAPED, light canvas covering, stretched
q, tour slight bur stroUg ash poles, or al ms
placed at right angles to each other, the cover
iip being further attached to center pole
resembling nothing SO much as the haude OF an
enorm mnus umbrela-by meaDs OF light galVaul-
zsl wires the eutire machine being III appear
ance an enorm, Us, sQuare-shaped umbrella, the
largest of the TWO parts, or, more properly, ma
chimes, weighing about QUE huodred weight,
and the other, which is smaller, some waat less.
From the extremities of each of the four arms
il attached u rope of considerable eugth, the
four ropes beiug broughtto apolnt-somcWhat
similar, 10 this respect, to parachute-So as
TO support a man, the machine being included
for rcconnoitering observations 10 connection
with an army 10 the field. Durog the expert
ments to-day sand bags Ware employed to rep.
resent the weight of a uan. The smallest OF
the TWO machines was first tried, but wing to
there beiug little wind 1t attalued an elevation
of but few feet ouiy, number OF sappers OF
the ROYAL Engineers running away with the
rome TO which the machine was attached, much
iu the same way as that adopted by chlidren
when hylug their kites. After repeated at
tenp,s in this way MIR. Simmonds only sue
ceeded 10 inducing the machine to rise to ao ,ut
twenty feet when it would Immediately fall
with great force TO the ground. After some
fine spect 10 these ruitlesS Il ,rts, which occa-
stoned much impatience among the spectator,
il was decided, at the request OF the Royal Eu
y,neer officers preseut to try to raise the largest
of the two machiues, which had been lying dur
jny the former part OF the experiments 10 the
center of Chatham lines. where II was swaylng
backward aud forward with the little wind blow.
rig. The same method oi raising the lart er
machine az that adopted in the pr glcus expc.i-
mcnts was again emplryeda "a uumber OF men uf
the ROYAL Engineers being stationed AT The end OF
the rope, about three hundred yards away, the
machine itself beiug held up to face the Wind
bv sev, raj other sappers. At given signal
from MIR, Slmmonds run by the men was
made. when the machine rose to height ot
about fifty or sixty feet. and then came to the
ground. A reajustment of the four eu'ding
ropes and wires having been made, u further
attem,,t to raise the machine was tried, but al
thou,h an altitude of rather more than one
hupdred feet was oLtsiued, the flying macblue
.otstinately refused to remain III the alt, out
tell with crash to the ground, breaklng one
.ot its four arm poles, and sustaining other
damage. The cause of the collapse of the ma
chine was stated by Mr.. Simmonds to have
been oceasioned by the ballast attached to 1t
not being of sufficient weight, aud the TOUR
,ropcs which were connected with the ends de
.,cribed not being of the proper length. After
\ consultation it was decided to abandon any
further trials on the occasion with the large
machine, as some time would be r'quIr to
substitute new arm pole Tor that broken, and
the machine was at oucc stripped OF Its Canvas
covering. A second series Ut attempts TO raise
the smaller of the machines was then MADE
but with little or no better results than those
previously achieved, and after upward OF two
hours had been consumed in carrying out the
trials the experiments we're for the present
abandoned.