The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-18


to ESQ.
Darius Green Outdene.
A Mt. LouIsAN CLAIMS TO HAVE SOLVED THE
PROBLEM OF AERIAL NAVIGATION.
Ist LOUIS Republican,
Yesterday a Republican reporter OBJ
tanned the Information that gentleman In
this city was engaged in the construction
OF an aIr-ship on entirely new principles.
He took the first spare time TO hunt MIN
nm. After considerable difficulty and by
dint OF little genteel fattery iudiciously
anplied ne oyereame the gentleman's re-
luctance to speak OF the invention. FRO
lessor G. Nadar Is Frenchman, little be-
low the medium height. iron-gray Deard,
somewhat bald, with highly intellectual
features. which assumed a really pleasant
expression rs he enthusiastically described
his invention. The reporter yentured 10
ask the Professor
"Wbat Is the new principle In the con-
struction OF your balloon 2"
"Therc is no new principle involved NJ
all. On the contrary, II Is an application
OF old and well-known natural laws. lner-
tin OF matter is the great law concerned.
NV machine will consist OF balloon point
ed at both ends-cigar-shaped That you
yourself know Is nothing new. In TACT,
everything in ar-sailing has been thor
ouohly tried, but no one has yet been able
to control the direction OF the balloon IN
dependent OF the current. This claim 10
have accomplished. To enable you to 1n-
derstand me ! will give you an example.
Take a cannon OF true cylindrical shape,
something like howitzer, perfectly smooth
on the outside; enclose this in Closely
fitting metal tube open at both ends, luDri-
eating the space between. Let the cannon
| be firmly fixed on carriage. Now, II you
load the cannon with ball OF equal weight
10 the cannon and fire il of the recoil
will be equal to the projection. TINS
every teacher OF physics will corroborate.
Even Lord Dundreary knew it when he
explained the wagging OF his dogs tai,
though it took him two months to make
| the discovery. | am now constructing a
cannon OF eight thicknesses, OF the best
sole-leather. Don't laugh, fo- 1t is nothing
new, having been done successfully III
times past. This cannon is mounted on a
pivot in the centre OF my basket, so II can
| be turned around in a circle. i could use
an ordinary cannon OF small size. but on
account OF the weight it would require a
balloon so much larger that the progress
through the air against the current would
be much slower. The explosive | use i
gun-cotton (pyroxlne), which, for equal
weight, has four times the power OF pow
| der. 1t can be compressed to occupy about
one third the space OF the same weight Of
powder. AS a proiectile / use well-tttin2
ball, into which is inserted staff project
ing from the bore OF the gun, and upon the
outer end Is fastened parachute, or wha
you might call areversed umbrella,o OF strong
construction. You can now easily calcu
late what an immense propeIling power I'm
The opposite direction) pound OF gtl1-t o.
L would give to an object freely SUI
pended in the atmosphere and constructed
TO offer the least possible resistance
But, Professor, wouldn't II take ;
power Of umbrellas TO sail across the AT
| lantic?"
$50 it would, but at present don't IN
tend to make trips to Europe. ,shal
leave that for the cranks VINO pretend t.
know all about the upper atmospheric cur
rents. You must remember, my cannon l.
only called into action when the wind i
driving my air-ship oil its course. There
fore do believe that could make the trip
| lllt 'ulltut ieNUi'O hsAAi Ah'
distance. There VIII be one more advan
tage in travelling on land. II ! want t
descend, don't let off my gas, but jus
fire my cannon upwards and that will senC
nv balloon down. so that il can be an
chored and hauled down, not wasting
cubic foot Of gas. In fact the vessel will
retain its original floating power to the ent
Of the trip, ne matter how many landings
may make
You seem TO be sanguine Of success II
spite Of the many failures that have re
suited from other experiments"
''Sanguine is not the world am abso
lutely certain-nor am | really an expert
menter. My invention is based on sounC
physical laws"
"When do you intend to make an as
cent?"
81 do not know yet. / am in CORE
spOndence with the secretary OF the Aera
Navigation Association, OF Chicago, and
may 20 there TO start on my first trip"
Don't start from Chicago. st. Loui
would turn green with envy. II you nee
capital | know it would readily be forth
coming here"
mo; | have used only my own money
thus far $1,000. and / shall require onl
about $500 more, including the hydrogeI
gas for Glling."
"Would you object to permitting gen
tlemen TO see your air-ship?"
cit would Interfere with the progress G
the work too much TO admit and talk {
every one who merely wants 20 crafty al
: idle curiosity, but il you have any friend
who wish to see 1t give them your card [
! introduce them. Let them knock at tn
north gate OF the Veiled-Prophet shed
: where the balloon part is being made
Please do not send any newspaper people
: As soon rs | get more time shall write
! long descriptive article, with illustrations
for YounsdnS Science Monthly. q.
"Will you not protect your invention
by letters patent!"
"No, sir! | disdain TO do 80. tt
greatest inventions in France have bee
! freely given To mankind. There is glor
: attached 10 such unsefishness OF whic
: you practical Americans have no conceI
ton. Think OF the glorious discovery q
NJ. Daguerre. Do you believe he woul
: have exchanged the proud satisfaction {
having benefited his race for mlllionsy"
II is proper to state that NJ. c. Nadar
: not novice, be having made many asceu
sions under the guidance Of his uncle, NJ
: Nadar, OF Paris, the famous aerial nayigs
tor and photographer.
| A,.,avf.. A.ua.c. go ~zs-.