Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1876-06-29
Another Air-shtP.

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T1e Claimants for aerostattc renown,
like the seekers after the philosophers
stone of old, and the secret of perpetual
motion in these latter days, are neither
few nor far between, but somehow their
claims thus far have proved baseIess, and
their visions of fame and profit have fad
ed away as have those of the mild 1unatics
who only want zone more cog" or 'sj ust
another screw" to perfect the machine
which shall rival eternity itself: But
Professor Schroeder, the inventor of the
air-ship, has none of the appearance of a
visionary. On the contrary, he seems to
be a shreWd, common-sense man of busi-
nes, who counts the cost of an undertak-
ing carefully, and never attempts impOsi-
bilities. His air-ship, which is now being
built at FOrtieth street and Girard avenue,
is to be Is feet long, 8 feet high, and AZ
feet wide in the centre. 1t is to be point
ed at both ends and will be SUMMARIZED by a
balloon of an elliptical shape, 13O feet
long, 80 feet high in the centre, and capa-
BILE of holding SOC, 900 cubic feet of hydro
gen gas. 1t will be fastened to the ship
| by five hundred lines, some upright and
others stretched from end to end. These
sFguys," as the Professor calls them, are
calculated to keep the balloon from sway
| ing to and fro, and also to keep it setting
snug to the ship. The latter is frame of
iron wire, shaped somewhat like q fat
| G6u0u cigar Az tIlS tO1WStEO 6I4O u Is 10
| carry pulling propeller, made of plate
steel, covered with canvas. It will have
/ two blades, and turn on a 2-inch steel
shaft fifteen feet long. The motive pow
/ er will be ain electromagnetic engine of
12-hOrse power, which Professor Wahle,
of the Polytechnic, is not constructing.
The engine is to have 6O-pound magnet.
There are to be three rudders, one aft and
one on each side. The stern rudder, of
steel, like the propeller, will be feet
thigh and z feet deep, and the side rudders
placed little forward of the centPe Of the
ship, will be AZ feet high and feet deep.
The interior of the ship will be fitted with
hanging seats, and, will accommodate 30
or 40 persons. Her weight, when covered
with canvas (Which will not be until the
Professor is ready to sail for Europe), will
be $50 pounds. The gas used is to be pass
ed through purifcater, win average 4 )
$50 cubic feet to the pound, and have a
lifting power of a ounces per cubic foot
There will actually be two balloons in one
/ that on the inside being of tWilled mus
lin, and the outer one Of S-oDn!ce cottoT
duck. Should the inner balloon burst
the outer viii form a parachute, which
will lower the ship slowly and safely t.
the earth. Prof. Schroeder says his ship i
n not an experiment. It is simply an i'm
: | proVement on former models. He had
f ship of this kind, he says, in Rio de Jane
4 | iro, except that it had pushing, and no
4 a pulling, propeller, and succeeded wei
o with it. It obeyed its helm like a frigat
? of the line, and shot through the air fik
!, a meteor. He also sailed In an air-shi
e with Deputy de I4home, the Partisan aero
naut, and although it was clumsily con
o. structed, and had the Objectionable push
2 ing propeller, it still made good time an
+ obeyed its helm. The Professor propose
/ to exhibit his invention during the Ger
% tennial, after which.he intends to sta1
le for Europe. He says that by followin
as the atmospheric currents over the GU
s. Stream he can make from go to $50 mile
D. an hour-in other words. that he can GRO
s. the Atlantic in forty-two hours, or les
10 Another use that he intends to put h
g machine to is to photograph bodies of w
ne ter. The surface of the water, he say
C. forms a powerful reflector, and thus, u
" der favorable circumstances, it is possib
to to photograph the bottom of the sea, eve
. provided a sufficient altitude can be a
ng tanned, and the balloon kept still loI
h enough to permit the use of the instr
nd ment. The Professor intends to, phot
it. graph the bottom of the Schuylkill Rive
lis this summer. He says he can make
ship stand stationary as long as
chooses.