Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-10
Aerial Navigation.

from the N. \. 1lmeS
The renewal OF Capt. Reynards balloon ex-
pertinent at Meudon, on the Seine, seems to
have met with q good degfee of success OF
course favorable 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 q gain in aerOnautics. In the recent
trials on two successive days the distance un-
dertaken was about five miles, the journey
outward in one case and homeward in the
other being made against the wind. The trip
10 T r,,r occupied about three9uar.ers OF
wind. No effort, OF course. was made to reach
great altitude.
ways been an aim of mankind, while the analo-
gOus desire for wings like a birds has, from the
days OF Icarus to ours, produced bold attempts
at flights with artificial piniOns, not seldom re-
sulting in broken legs or necks. Twenty years
ago the Aeronautical society, of Great Britain.
gave much attention to this latter quest. A
Mr.. Spencer at that time claimed to have taken
leaps Of q hundred feet from the ground by me-
chanical aids, and O Mr.. kaufman built a ma
chine which was to be sustained and propelled
by huge wings. These curious devices came to
nothing, and doubtless had been resorted to be-
cause the ordinary balloon lseemed hopeless to
rely on for air ships To get adequate
found impossible, and applying gas balloon
to help hold up the machine created volume
wnds after she failure a Of g,
spoken OF, and after two flights with wings in
Paris and Vienna had nearly or quite killed
been mere descents earthward, this temporary
effort to solve the problem of aerOnautcs by
going to M nature" and plating bird was aban-
and air ships proper again essayed.
To recount the lives and fortunes expended
machines have been built, With great pains and ID
cost, only to fail when they attem pied to face
an adverse 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 artifces to Offset weight by extra levity
At length the storage Of electrical power re.
vived hopes OF success. and last year, a little
more than q century after the Montgolfiers had
introduced ballOOning, a step toward aerial
navigation was taken.
The Tissandiers used storage batteries, but
With little success; then, in August, Captain
an assent at Meudon in a cigar-shaped craft
filled with hydrogen gas and provided with a
rose TO a short distance above the nlateam of
ChatillOn, and, after some rocking, the pro-
peiier. driven by electrical power, carried the
the rudder being applied. the air ship turned
toward Petit Bicetre, and finally made O COM
pete circle, so that after a voyage OF 25 minutes
It descended exactly ut the point whence it
That was the first genuine balloon steering
that had ever been accomplished, and great was
burg, at Okhta, like devices were undertaken.
and Ia this country dirigibe war balloon was
announced. Meanwhile n. Hefve Mangon i'm
formed the French Academy Of Sciences that
the problem of aerial navigation was solved.
Unfortunately, the following month, when the
machine was tried again, It made q failure the
screw working for less than q quarter of an
hour. The new trial had been undertaken
against "a fresh breeze, and that proved fatal.
Two months more elapsed, and then Capt
Renard with q brother officer made third ex.
pertinent, which resulted, like the first in sue.
cessful steering, the journey occupying about
three-Quarters Of an hour. The general judg-
ment OF aerOnauts was that q ship capable TO
being propelled for o short time in calm or light
breeze had been produced, but net one that
could breast winds.
The recent trials Of Q new air ship indicate
that some gain has been effected. Last year
balloon was said to be OF ten horse power. work
ing four hours. This years seems to be about
nth less powerful and with capability of
working only half that time. But IL is steadier
and seems to have gained in lightness, although
now carrying three persons instead Of two
Perhaps, also, the power OF last years machine
was misstated and exaggerated, since in the
actual trials 1t did not operate consecutively
for an hour.
Within certain limits and Under certain con.
ditions Of very light wind the Siderable balloon
has apparently advanced enough for purposes
Of occasional experiment Of pleasure; but there
are great steps yet to take before securing ordi-
nary and practicable travel in the air.