The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-22
AN AERIAL BICYCLE.
Aeronaut Allen Works the TreadIes
500 feet Above the Earth,
New York SUM-


New York SUM-
1t looks as If the dreams of all inventors
since the world began were, partly at least
to be realized, for Peter Carmont Campbell
of Brooklyn has partly demonstrated the
feasibility of his air ship. The long-awaited
trial trip was made last Saturday on Coney
Island, and the experiment was highly sue
cessfUl, considering the weather and some
other things. 1t was more than three weeks
ago that the stockholders in his air ship com
pany, exasperated at the delays in the con.
struction Of the boat, put up miniature gas
house in the vacant lot next the Sea Beach
Palace and the Cycl0rama building, and en-
gagged Mr.. James X. Allen, Providence
@ronaut to stand by in readiness to take a
fly in the ship on the first warm day The
silk of which balloons are made is vanished
and like all fabrics so treated, is liable to
crack when exposed to cold air. Aeronauts
therefore, take in their apparatus soon after
the first frost, and it is not known that any
ascension was ever made in this latitude as
late In the season as November. Mr.. Camp.
bells ship would have gone to the dickens
with uncomfortable rapidity had the varnish
on the balloon cracked when II was up in the
air. The temperature last Saturday was
high enough to warrant an experiment, and
preparations were made early in the day to
get the ship ready.
The long light boat with its fantastic ar.
rangement of fans, wings. propellors and its
collapsed balloon, was taken from the Palace
to the gas machine. Then it was discovered
that the Coney Island water supply had been
turned off for the winter 1t takes a good
many gallons Of water to make thousand
cubic feet of gas, and it took Mr.. Campbell
several hours to arrange for the required
supply. There had been no time to give
public notice of the trial and yet 500 people
were present. The ovoid balloon was nearly
filled at 4 o'clock and the air had already
begun to grow chilly. 1t was decided, there
fore that Mr.. Allen should make the trip
alone, for there was danger in filling the
balloon sufficiently to sustain more than one
man. After rising few hundred feet from
the ground balloon always expands notice.
ably, owing to the greater rarity of the
air, and 1t would not have been wise to isk
the cracking Of the bag BY that extra strain.
Mr. Campbell was very anxious to go up,
but he was more anxious to have the trip
turn out successfully. So he swallowed his
disappointment, and Mr.. Allen climbed into
the boat. he made certain that the tiller
rope and the sheets were all right, put his
feet on the treadles that work the propel-
lers, and gave the signal to let 60. The rope
was cut and up went the odd-l0oking thing.
Most conspicuous, by reason of its size, was
the longitudinal horizontal balloon, 60 feet
loon was made fast at each end to straight
iron bar. which extends underneath the
whole length of the bag. At the middle
point the bar touches the bag, for there is
its greatest diameter. A web reaches from
the bar to the under side of the balloon fro m
the middle point to ca h end. The passenger
car, or boat, is suspended from the iron bar.
1t Is circular In the middle, with a seat ex-
tending around the interior capable of hold
ing four men. The forward and after parts
of the car are fashioned upon a boat model,
with horizontal keel that extends from the
bottom of the passenger car to each end Be-
low the car Is a propeller somewhat like the
paddle wheel OF steamer, which Is worked
by the feet like the drive wheel of bicycle.
IL was originally intended to use an electric
was abandoned in order to save weight.
Long, broad wings reach out on each side of
the boat. They are tapped in transit, but
are raised, or lowered, or kept in the same
horizontal plane according to the direction
taken by the navigator. Three other pro-
pellers Of the screw wheel pattern, but with
from four to ten blades each, are attached to
the structure aft, the largest one being di-
recty at the stern. The rudder is on the for
ward end.
These, in brief, are the principal features
of the mechanism, all being controlled by
cranks, ropes, levers and treadles in the car.
The balloon is designed to hold a little
more than enough gas to overcome the re-
slstance of the boat, its rigging and its cargo.
The capacity of the balloon is 1900 cubic
feet but it contained considerably less than
$1,000 cubic feet Of gas ON Saturday. Per-
haps the most remarkable test of the inven-
tion was made during the first five minutes
of the experiment. The ship had risen
about as high as the top ofthe lofty skeleton
tower Of the observatory near by, when Mr..
Campbell remembered that photographer
was In waiting to take picture Of 1t. He
shouted to Allen TO come down. Mr.. Allen
looked over the edge Of the car, saw what
was wanted, and turned a crank. Slowly
the big thing descended and yet no gas was
allowed 30 escape. He was not directly over
the spot from which he had started, but so
perfectly did the apparatus work that he
came to rest without jar beside the gas ma
chine where the balloon had been filled. A
moment later, after the photograph had been
taken, he was aloft again. At an altitude of
about 800 feet Mr.. Allen brought the ship to
standstill to observe the force and direc-
tlon OF the wind and make sure once more of
his steering gear. Then he set the propel-
lers in motion and adjusted the rudder so
that the ship started off toward Brooklyn.
After short run in that direction he turned
deliberately about and came back. The wind
was not very strong, but 1t had big surface
OF balloon and webs to work upon. Never
theless, Mr. Allen sailed nearly straight
against it, and by lacking he attained what
appeared to be good speed. In every direc-
ton went the strange structure, followed by
the staring eyes of the crowd below. Now
and then they cheered, but the least excited
man was MIR. Campbell. He bore all con-
gratulati0ns calmly and quietly. He knew
it would be so.
The navig ator capped the climax of his
eyolutions, after zigzagging about for half an
hour, by propelling the ship around in a
circle without noticeable breaks in the course
Then be sailed off to the east and came to
land again near the Catholic church at
Sheeepshead Bay. The route originally laid
out for the trial trip included flight over
Brooklyn, New York and Jersey City, but
there were SO many delays in getting ready
that 1t would have been dark before reaching
New Jersey. and Mr.. Campbell disliked
risking his frail boat to landing in a strange
place after dark,
II never had pleasanter sail in NY life"
SAID Mr. Allen yesterday. THE mechanism
Is nearly perfect and the ship minds her rud-
der as quickly as does a sloop at sea. The
labor of propulsion is not at all difficult.
wish owned the ship. / could make for
tune out of her. No, 1 had no hesitation
whatever in making the trip. l was con-
WINGED by investigation that the thing would
60 ana regard the saturday .n experience as
"Pye been looking forward to this for
twenty-five years." said Mr.. Campbell grave
ly. I've been to NO end Of thoughts and ex-
periments, but perhaps the hardest work of
all has been within the last year. You
would hardly believe how difficult it has
been for me to get mechanics to follow my
specifications. They know so much. Even
now after all the delays for which have not
been responsible, the ship is not in exactly
the condition ii ought to be. The shape Of
the balloon is not as l designed 1t and there
are other features to be improved and per-
fecled. We propose now to go to work and
build other ships. l think that they will be
available for general transit, but for time l
look to seeing them owned by individuals
and used for pleasure cruises, just as man
may 80 off in his yacht, l do not think we
shall tempt the cold weather again this
winter but In the spring we shall expect to
make extended journeys. As.for sailing in
a gale, we would experience the same disad-
vantages that water craft do, but in moder-
ate winds we shall have no more difficulty
than they do in making any desired port"
Mr.. Campbell was born at Rhinebeck in
1852. When he lived in this city he used to
talk over his schemes with Horace Greeley,
s. F. b. Morse, and other distinguished
men.