Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-26
FLYING THROUGH THE AIR.
Problem Which Has Puzzled the In.
ventOrs of ali Times.

A Problem Which Has Puzxied the In.
| ventOrs Of all Times.
FLYING MACHINES AND AIR sHIPs-rHE CO.
RIoUs APPLICATIONS THAT COME BEFORE THx
PATENT oFFICE-A WASHINGTON MANS IN
| vENTION
| Not many days ago IL was announced In THE
STAR that man in Cumberland. Nd, proposed
TO test machine of his own invention, which
would transport him through the air and allow
MIN to go from place to place without employ
Ing the means that are resorted to by people
generally. This bit of information was among
the other items that make up the news Of the
world as found in a modern newspaper, and has
not attracted any particular attention. If, for
the nrst time in the history Of the world this
ment would have created wide spread atten-
uon Excursion trains would have carried to
sne Town OF Cumberland thousands of anxious
spectators, and the army OF special correspon-
dents would have given all the details to an in
terested public. But the truth Is that the fly
earliest day men have experimental and risked
thelr lives and squandered their fortunes In en-
S snbng 70 give practical shape TO some
s Sa1 OF grial navigation. The name OF Dae-
oalus, the first inventor naturally recurs to the
nina when thinking. Of flying machines, but
areen f fRe os the
Is not encouraging to inventors, but the inven-
i've faculty Is not repressed by lack of encour-
>~eSShS, III lACt IL seems 10 tuTlSc OcSb Ou w
position. People not familiar with the subject
Wouid oe surprised TO know how much thought
ana an Ill INGENUITY has been given to this matter
IN al past ages, and how it has continued TO
tors.
AN EXPERIMENT IN WASHINGTON.
1t has only been a few years ago that man
with flying machine made an experiment
from the roof Of the Patent Office. He wanted
TO demonstrate to skeptical examiner that his
invention was practicable, and he made 1t q
Pennsylvania avenue that he would consider
the experiment failure. After he had gath
cred up the fragments of his machine from the
like a stone, he expressed surprise that the ma
chine had acted in that way, and said that it
remedy. He went BACK SI to England to get get
workmen to assist him. and the examiner is
still waiting for him to return and make the
ventor q few years ago committed suicide in
rejected.
WHAT A PATENT OFFICE Examiner SAYS.
The files Of the Patent Office furnish much
valuable and curious information about these
inventions, and II any one doubts that aerial
navigation Is not live, practical question OF
the day, he had better go to the Patent office
Oscar Woodward, who was formerly examiner
IN charge OF this branch, told q STAR reporter,
nan sne ia for patents or
navigation averaged two each month. The
number Of patents already granted is very
1--WE no longer issue patents for devices to en-
able men to fly through the air." said MIR.
woodward, because the thing is impossible
to issue patents for impractical Inventions. The
whole idea about a man s being able to prOpel
himself through the air is founded on a miscon.
ceptlOn of the strength Of man as compared
with his size. A fly is stronger than a man and
birds are much stronger. The various devices
Tor sustaining mans weight in the air are, of
course. practical bnt when To
manipulating any kind Of wings or propellers
against the currents of the air he is unable to
tive genius of man is, in these days not SO
much occupied with this feature of aerial navi-
CATION as it is in the air ships, which are pro
posed 10 traverse the ocean of the air much as
the steamships plough across the bosom of the
deep. The idea In these air ships is the evolu-
ton Of the balloon. It has taken q great many
years to work out q system of air navigation
from the first made balloon Of theFrenchexperi.
mentor, Montgolfier, in 1874, to the inventions
THE OBSTACLES TO AERIAL NAVIGATION.
GAS every one knows" continued Mr. Wood.
ward, "the difficulty with the ballon is the
impossibility of controlling it in the currents of
the air. There is no difficulty in sustaining the
balloon IN the air, but the trouble lies in man.
agalng It, Very much like a balky horse you
may harness him to the carriage and drive him
some distance, but at any moment you are
defect in the balloon there has been and there
is to-day great deal Of time and money spent
on inventions of varions sorts. For instance
here Is drawing of a patent already issued
which does away with mere mechanical devices
as indeed all the more recent inventions do
and substitutes hydraulics. AS you see, here is
q gas space, oval in shape instead of rounded,
as Offering less resistance to the air than the
rounded surface of the balloon. Beneath this
boiler, which are used to work the propeliers.
which are at each end. The gas space is light
enough to carry up into the air the weight of
are employed to advance the vessel in any
direction. There is also q steering apparatus
AS l have said, great many patents have
been issued, but none of these great air ships
have been made, because Of their cost. Some
OF the inventions provide tor the lower portion
with accom- ;nodations for passengers, with
cabins and an outside promenade"
What do these cranks expec t to accom-
plish?' asked the listener.
You must not call them cranks" was the
reply, for that does them an injustice. Several
abe bp are not only men Of
air ship navigation is feasible project. but
they do not seem to be inclined to risk their
whether this idea is capable of being put into
practical shape or not 1t is enough to say that
scientific men are OF the opinion that the idea
that promises the best results is that which is
suggested by the movement of bodies in the
air For instance, you throw piece of slate or
shingle into the air. You will find that it sails
along with its edge to the wind, now going up
as If sliding up hill on the air and then going
down in the same way: un til finally gravitation
hausted. A bird flies In the saLie manner New
inventors propose to construct a fiat surface of
SILK or some light substance, which Is stretched
upon frame. An engine is suspended from it,
which works prOpellers on the top of this flat
surface. In motion this arrangement is made
to initiate the piece of shingle and dips oh
hquely when going up and down SO as to slide
along on the air. as 1t were. The propelIers
keep 1t in motion, and there are also arrange
ments at the ends to steer the affair."
MODERN AIR SHIPS.
1.-THE air ships of modern times" continued
Mr.. Woodward, "are of great length, and with
their engines and other apparatus cost a great
being able to enlist the interest of Capitalists
They are confident OF being able some day of
reaching practical solution of the problem of
aerial navigation"
1t is interesting in this connection to state
that, while no citizen Of Washington is at pres
emit occupied with the problem of making q
flying machine, there is a gentleman here who
mas been working for many years ON an air
snip, and his application tor patent is now be-
fore the Patent Office. His experiments have
been conducted at his home In the country. a
lew miles from this city, and he thinks that he
has attained encouraging success. AS the nat
ent mas not been issued 1t Is impossible to give
aAdetailed description of this proposed air ship
been perfected after a careful study of the
wings Of birds and their functions in fight
which are now regarded as the natural fying
machines. This gentleman has written q small
pamphlet, In which he explains the structure
Of the wings Of birds and how they enable q
bird TO fly.
THE MECHANISM OF AN EAGLES WING.
As this natural principle Is now the basis of
all modern inventions of air ships, his descrip-
ton OF how an eagle flies will be interesting He
says;