The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-09-12
RitchelPs Flying Machine.

The first open-air exhibition of Pro-
fessor G.. f. Ritchell's flying machine
was conducted at Hartford. Conn, on
Wednesday afternoon last. 1t went up
to height of fully ESQ feet, past the
spire of the Colt Memorial Church, and
sailed off until over tho Connecticut
River, the operator meanwhile exhibiting
his power to change its altitude and di-
rection at will. When he assembled there
was but little wind blowing, and the ma
chine appeared to be under perfect con
troll; but gradually a breeze sprang up,
and it was deemed safest to make IL
speedy return, rs there were indications
in the sky of gathering storm. The
machine turned and made its way back
in the teeth of the wind. until directly
over the ball ground, whence IL had as
cended, and then alighted within few
feet of the point from which it had
started.
The flying machine is all clumsiness
above, all lightness and grace below.
The lifting power is afforded by a hor-
izontally-p placed cylinder of "gossamer
cloth" fine linen coated with india-rub-
Der, twenty i've feet in length and thir-
teen in diameter, weighing only sixty
six pounds, and charged with hydrogen
gas, which is made by the usual process
from iron turnings and sulphuric acid.
Broad worsted bands extend over that
and down to rod of mandre-drawn
brass tubing, nickei-plated, ~ inches
in diameter, and 23 feet long. From
that rod the machine is suspended by
slender cords. The after portion of the
machine is at the base parallelogram Of
rods 2 feet wide and 81 feet long, from
which rise lengthwise curved rods IS in
ches in the center, and drawn near to-
gether at the top. All these rods are IN
reality hollow tubes of mandrel- dram
brass, light and very strong. Above the
apex of this form rises a cog edged steel
wheel, II inches in diameter, with d0ub-
lie handles SO gcarcd to fourbladed fan
moving horizontally, directly beneath,
that the operator can give the fan 1000
revolutions per minute. The four blades
of the fan Of white holly, each having Il
superficial area of about so square inches,
and the extreme diameter of this revoly-
ing fan is "A inches. The blades are set
ut sllSut uDSlC lIhc lu'sc VI uIC SCiC"
of propeller. just behind the wheel
is very small seat, upon which the OPP
orator perches. His feet rest upon two
slight treadles above and in front of the
fan. From the front of this form spring
other rods, carrying at their extremity a
vertically working revolving fan, like
that beneath the operators seat, except
that it is but twenty-five inches in diam
eter. 1t is SO geared to the main or hor-
izontal fan that it may be operated or
not, at the pleasure of the driver of the
machine, and can be made to turn from
one side to the other, so as to defect the
course of the machine in the air. The
tan will make $500 evolutions per min
ute when the other is making 1000, All
its movements are controlled by the OPP
orators feet. When he presses the left
treadlc he throws it into gear, when he
presses with the toe of his right foot it
turns to the left, and a slight pressure of
his heel whrls it over to the right. He
can also reverse the action OF his main
fan. so that when it whirls one way he
goes down and when its course is reversed
he mounts in the air.-Neo TOrk Sun.