The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-05-23
NAVIGATING THE AIR.

NAVIGATING THE AIR.
New Machine IL skim the Clouds
"A Practical Test - be Made at
The Openlng 81 the Pefma.
nens Exhibition NextWeek
The Philadelphia Record says; The
re-opening of the Permanent Exhibi-
tion on tomorrow a week will be sig
nalized by the first public exhibition
of a flying machine. In America, dur
ing the past ten years, over 200 flying
machines have been invented, and all
have failed. In London q joint stock
company has just given up the ghost,
after expending some $25,000 in ex-
perimenting with patent flyer
which, the inventor still insists, lacks
but one essential to become the acme
of perfection. Considerable attention
has also been given to the subject in
France, and at various periods the
Government has been induced to grant
heavy appropriationsto to the self-styled
inventors for the purpose of construct
ing machines which haye invariably
turned out utterly worthless.
A few years ago couple of inven-
tors, French and Belgian, succeeded
in putting together contrivances by
which they could float through the
air for limited period. Their tri-
umph, however, was of limited dura-
ton. Both came headlong to the
ground in the midst of what they be-
lieved was to be the climax of their
glories, aud their untoward fate has
had the inevitable effect of inducing
the Continental inventors to refrain
from risking life in the cause of sci
ence.
And now an American has produc-
ed machine which, if the reports of
repeated experiments and the opin-
ions of experts are to. be relied upon,
is the par excellence of flying ma
ceines. E. F. Ritchel is the name of
the genius. Thirty-five years ago he
was born in Cory, Pa. OF late he has
resided in Bridgeport, Conn. Since
early boyhood he has been engaged in
inventing and perfecting various kinds
of labor. saving machinery. Seven
years ago he directed his attention to
serial navigation, and it is the result OF
these seven years of toll which will be
submitted to the criticism of Philadel-
phia's citizens on opening day.
Isitchel's machine differs in almost
every detail from all previous inven-
tions. Roughly described, it consists
of q black silk cylinder some twelve
feet in diameter aud twenty-four feet
in length. The cylinder will hold
nearly 5000 feet Of gas. Suspended
from this by means of cords and rods.
is a car composed of slender brass rods,
which extend the whole length Of the
cylinder, taperlng to point at either
end. The platform upon which the
operator sits is attached to the end of
the car. Two cranks attached to
wheel front the seat. The wheel con-
meets with an upright shaft, and to this
at the lower end is attached q fan
closely resembling the (erew propel-
ler. The fan, which is constructed of
thin brass plates, is level with the bot.
tom of the platform. Another fan is
affixed to the front end of the car, and
this is so constructed that it can be
turned in any direction by the occu-
paint simply moving his feet, while at
the same time he can comfortably
work the center fan with his hands.
When the operator prepares for his
trip the elk cylinder is filed with
hydrogen gas. This will sustain, he
says, all but fraction of the weight
to carry, and the rest, Ritchel claims,
will be lifted by the central fan, which
presses upon the air with movement
similar to that of propeller wheel in
the water. A man of ordinary strength
can, he says, revolve the handles at the
rate of about 100 a minute, which will
give the fan about 800 revolutions.
Mr.. Ritchel, the inventor, chatted
pleasantly with the Record yesterday
saying: All contend is that is pos
sible for human being to move in the
air like bird, and that my machine
will accomplish this. l don't pretend
that it will riyal the balloon, going
through the storm or above the clouds,
but do assert that it will keep you
moving in the air until you want TO
come down, and that is more than has
ever been accomplished yet. We
have had several satisfactory expert
ments before experts, and have my
self sailed about in the air for four
hours at time without descending to
terra firma.
Ritchel's machine has already been
patented in America. Canada, Eng.
land aud France. Two are in course
of construction for permanent exhibi-
tion at Niagara Falls, where they will
be operated from the waters edge.
high up in the air. Another is short
ly to be sent TO Paris for exhibition at
the Exposition. The fame of his in
vention has already reached the Con-
and only few days since Mr..
Ritchel was surprised,a his Connecti-
cut residence, by three Italian engin-
GERS, who had been delegated be the |
Italian Government to report upon