Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-07-17
Flying Machine.

and proved a success. The following
description of the air ship, and account
Of the second ascension, we find IN the
New York Sun: The flying machine is
all clumsiness above, all lghtness and
grace below. The lifting weris al
fOrded by a acknowledgement cylin-
der of "gossamer CLOTH" fine linen
coated with india rubber, twenty-five
feet in length and thirteen in diameter,
weighing emily 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 a rod of mandrel-drawn brass
tubing, nickel-plated, one and one-half
inches in diameter, and % feet long
From that rod the machine is suspended
by slender cords. The after portion OF
the machine is at the base parallelo'
gram Of rods tive feet wide and five and
one-half feet long, from which rise,
lengthwise, curved rods eighteen inches
high in the center, and drawn near to-
gether at the top. All these rods are
in reality hollow tubes Of mandrel'
drawn brass, light, and very strong,
Above the apex OF this form rises
cog-edged steel wheel, eleven inches in
diameter, with double handles SC
geared to a four. .bladed ian moving
horizontally, directly beneath, that the
operator can give the fan 1000 revo'
lutious per minute. The four blades oil
the fan are of white holly, each having
a superficial area of about fifty square
inches, and the extreme diameter Of this
revolving fan is twenty-fOur inches.-
The blades are set at a slight angle
like those of the screw Of a propeller
Just behind the wheel is very small
scat, upon which the operator perches
His feet rest upon two light treadles
above and in front Of the fan. From
the front of this form spring other rods
carrying at their extremity vertically
working revolving fan, like that beneath
the operators seat, except that it is but
TWENTY-FIVE inches in diameter. 1t is
SO geared to the main or horizontal 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 other, so as to defect the course ol
the machine in the air. This fan will
make $500 evolutiOns per minute when
the other is making 1000. All its
movements arc controlled by the oper-
ator's feet. When he presses the left
treadlc he throws it into gear, when he
presses with the toe Of his right foot il
turns to the left, and light pressure o.
hi. heel whirls it over TO the right. He
can alss reverse the action OF his main
fan. so that when it whirls enc way he
goes down, and when its course IS re-
versed, he mounts in the air.
That this is not merely claim, has
been clearly demonstrated. Then the
weight of the operator and machine
and the lifting power of the gas cylinder
have been so nicely adjusted that they
were exactly balanced, six pounds have
been added to the weight Of the ma
chine and the working Of horizontal tai
has caused the apparatus to rise and con
tinue TO ascend as long as the lifting
power of the machinery was eIerted
The weight, normally Of the machine
and the rod from which is is suspended
is forty-elght pounds. This, then, gives
ia ponds, as the weight of the entire
apparatus. The operator, Mark Quin'
Ian, who went up on Wednesday anC
again on yesterday, weighs niAety'sl1
mounds. and to balance him and the
dead weight against the lifting power o.
the gas, he had to carry along with him
about nine pounds of shot and stones.
The second exhibition was given IL
the afternoon. The weather was fal
from favorable. The wind came IL
quite sharp gusts, and there were threat
enings of coming storm. Nevertheless,
the ascent was made. Little Quinlan,
even 1.-THE does only weigh ninety-siS
pounds, has confidence and nerve enough
to coup in gale. Some time was spent
IN getting the weight and lifting power
so neatly balanced as to show that the
machine could exert hitting power oI
his own. When this had been effected
to Prof. Ritchel's satisfaction, the ap
paratus rested quietly on the grass, but
could be lifted er set back with the light
pressure of one finger. Then word was
given to Co. Quinlan began turn
IN. the wheel, the horizontal fan re-
volyed with a noise like buzz-saw, land
the machine darted up almost vertical
| ly to a heighth of about two hundred
feet. There a strong, steady current o
wind setting toward the southwest was
encountered, and the machine was
swept away by 1t, broadside ON the spec
tators. Then the operator was seer
throwing his vertical fan into gear. and
bv its aid the aerial ship turned around
pointing its head in whatever direction
he chose to give it. All this was the
work of but few seconds. Although
Ouinlan could move the apparatus
about. he could not make any headway
AGAINST the strong wind. Reserying The
motion of his horizontal fan, he descend
ed apparently about one hundred feet
to yet out Of the current, but, finding
that lmprachcablc, reascended to
tlo,, IL bo1 fro