The Red Cloud chief., 1878-03-28

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An interesting lecture on the above
snbjec, Wa delivered by Mr.. Brear.y.
the honorable Secretary ~ the Aero
nautical society In London, u few weeks
ago. in which he explained the princi.
pies upon which aerial navigation must
be conducted. and indirectly condemned
the proposal Ia reach the pole 10y means
~ balloons. Flight. he said. was mere
ly u mechanical acton capable II imi-
tatioD. hat h was unassisted by air
cells or other |convcniences for efiecting
leyity. and that the balloon. ~ a means
II locoiDoiion, was useless Ia man. cN-
ccpt In the way 81 wnftagc. Having
explained the rudimcnts II aerial set.
cncc. and detailed III. various expert.
mcDts made by English aud foreign in.
ycntors, showing Whist their progress
had been, he pointed out the curious
fact that light ~ the atmosphere 1. in
proportion Ia the weight II water. the
rarcr medium was capable VI support
ing u creature much heavier than itself.
while water. N times heavier. only
supports a fish Of about equal weight.
bulk for bulk. The currents, too. which
creatures In the rarcr element had Ia
cope with. were out II all proportion To
those Of water. This apparent anomaly
was capable ~ explanation it was due.
~ he said. to flight by n merely me-
chanical action. Surprising fish bore
the same proportional weight to their
elemental medium ~ birds do Ia the
atmosphere. they would have Ia bc
made II something heavier han plati-
mum. A. IL was. u fish was really n bird
without wings. lie gave some curious
comparisons between different birds and
insects ~ Ia the surface they presented
Ia the atmosphere and their weight.
Thus III. gnat was 3.OD,0OO times less
weight than the Australian crane, but
presented In proportion 40 times more
surface Ia the air: and between these
two there were almost all gradations.
In these Investigations lay some of the
most hopeful facts which seemed 10
render aerial navigation possible, and
IL man could get sufficient surface. he
could certainly get sufficient machine
power for propulsion. II was not So
much u question Of power M II the
right application Of power. There was
also the question at balance. The man
ner in which n bird kept its balance
while its wings are being cncrgctically
worked alternately above and below its
center of gravity WAS marvellous. MI.
Brearey thought that with the recent
example Of the bicycle the question Of
balance would not present much diff
Guilty. lie then touched ON the applica-
ton II steam To the navigation Of the
mir. Until lately Il had been Thought
that this was inadmissible ~ q motive
power. because III the cumbrous meth
oil Of Its generation, but II has been de.
clarcd that when steam could be gener-
atcd and applied with u weight not OK.
ceeding twenty pounds per horse power
the problem would soon be solved. This
had been accomplished. aud they would
hope that the prognOstication would
he true. Man might not he able to
reach the mechanism Of n bird, but they
might NIL reach the problem In another
way. Many were now working ut the
problem in secret--in secret. partly
from fear If ridicule, and partly from
want Of protection by patent. The at
titudc Of the Aeronautical Society to-
ward inventors was explained, and then
the lecturer concluded by asking wheth-
or he had not shown just for fur
Their research into this most interesting
subject.
The lecture had considerable interest
added To il by varions demonstrations
given by Mr.. Brcarey. illustrating diff
fercnt modes of flight, including flight
by projection, gravity. force, surface
and weight, and propulsion by q plane
surface. His models Of bats swooped
down upan the audience in a manner
quite natural. The birds. too. rose In
graceful motion ~ they traversed the
air from the platform to the other end
Of the room, or. swerving to the right
or left. bobbed their beaks upon the side
walls. One large model Of Nh albatross,
with n spread of wing reaching twelve
and a-half feet (the average size Of the
living bird) anne To grief upon = gas
pendant just rs II was bending its flight
into the regions Of the upper air. Huge
butterflies were also sent flying about
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