The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1885-10-31
AERIAL NAVIGATION.
The Experiment of Captain Renard, Of til
French Engineers.

Inv ion"W" Va SaPudin heHaTu
balloon experiments at Meudon, on the
Seine, seems to have met with good
degree OF success Of course favora-
BILE circumstances were chosen, the wind
on one trial blowing only about two
miles an hour and on the other perhaps
six or eight. Still, to make progress
against any wind is gain in aeronaut-
les. In the recent trials on two sue
cessive days the distance undertaken
was about five miles, the journey out
ward IN one case and homeward in the
other being made against the wind.
The trip to windward occupied about
three-quarters of an hour, or twice as
long as the one before the wind. No
effort, of course, was made to reach
great altitude.
Journeying through the air in ships
has always been an aim of mankind,
while the analogous desire for wings
like birds has, from the days of
lcarus to ours, produced bold attempts
at flights with artificial pinions, not sell
dom resulting in broken legs or necks.
Twenty years ago the Aeronautical So
ciety OF Great Britain gave much atten-
ton to this latter quest A Mr.. Spen-
Ger at that time claimed to have taken
leaps of hundred feet from the ground
by mechanical aids, and a Mr.. Kauf-
mann built machine which was to be
sustained and propelled by huge wings
These curious devices came to moth
ing, and doubtless had been resorted
to because the ordinary balloon seemed
hopeless to rely on for navigable air
ships. To get adequate power without
too heavy weight had been found i'm
possible. and applying gas balloon to
help hold up the machine created a
volume which put the apparatus at the
mercy of the winds. But after the fail
ure of the devices just spoken Of and
after two flights with wings in Paris
and Vienna had nearly or quite killed
the experimenters and were shown to
have been mere descents earthward,
this temporary effort to solve the prob
lem of aeronautcs "by going to ma
ture" and playing bird was abandoned.
Wings were left to theatrical fairies
and air ships proper again essayed.
To recount the lives and fortunes ex-
pended in this quest would be long
task. Scores of machines have been
built, with great pains and cost, only to
fail when they attempted to face an ad-
verse wind. The devotees of perpetual
motion have not been more persistent
than those of aerial navigation. But
the old difficulty always returned, that
power required weight, and articles to
offset weight by extra levity made the
ightened structure prey to the winds.
AT length the storage of electrical
power revived hopes of seccess, and last
year, little more than century after
the Montgolfers had introduced bal
looming, step toward aerial naviga.
ton was taken. The Tissandiers used
storage batteries, but with little sue,
cess; then, in August, Captain Charles
Renard, of the French engineers, made
an ascent at Meudon in cigar-shaped
craft filled with hydrogen gas and pro.
vided with rudder and screw pro
peller. The machine rose to a shor
distance above the plateau of Chatillon
and, after some rocking, the propeller
driven by electrical power, carried the
balloon rapidly over Meudon Forest
Then, the rudder being applied, the all
ship turned toward Petit Bicetre, anc
finally made complete circle, so tina
after voyage of twenty-five minutes
it descended exactly at the poin
whence it had started.
That was the first genuine balloon
steering that had ever been accom-
plished. and great was the enthusiasm
over it. At Kiel, at St. Petersburgh, a
Okhta, like devices were undertaken
and in this country dirigible war bal
loon was announced. Meanwhile M
Herve Mangon informed the Frencl
Academy of Sciences that the problem
of aerial navigation was solved. I'm
fortunately, when the machine wa
tried again, it made failure, tn
screw working for less than a quartz
Of an hour. The new trial had bee
undertaken against fresh breeze, an
that proved fatal. Two months NOR
elapsed, and then Captain Renard, wit
brother officer, made third expert
mert which resulted, like the first, il
successful steering, the journey occu
pying three quarters of an hour. Tn
general judgment of the aeronaut wa
that ship capable of being propelle
for short time in calm or light breez
had been produced, but not one tina
could breast winds.
The recent trials of a new air ship in
dictate that some gain has been eli
fected. Last years balloon wa
said to be of ten horse power, workin
four hours This years seems to
about fifth less powerful, and wit
capablity of working only half ths
time. But it is steadier and seems t
have gained in lightness, although no,
carrying three persons instead Of two
Perhaps, also, the power of last year
machine was misstated and exaggel
ated, since in the actual trials it did nc
operate consecutively for an hour
Within certain limits and under Gel
tain conditions of very light wind tn
Siderable balloon has apparently al
vanced enough for purposes Of o,
casional experiment or pleasure; b.
there are great steps yet to take befol
securing ordinary and PRACTICAL
travel in The arm Y Times