The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-17
GAN MEN LEARN TO FLYP
A Problem That is Agitating the
Academy of Sciences.


NEW YORK, Feb. l6.-Shall we mortals
ever be able to hyi
The ordinary answer to this in the minds
of most people would be, Yes, when we
enter into the angelic state"
This answer would hardly be satisfactory,
however 1t is an accepted though melan-
choy fact that we are not all of us gong TO
be angels. Consequently tn re is a certain
percentage Of US who will never be able TO
fly unless some more immediate means than
those afforded by joining the angelic throug
be found
But it is now claimed that such means are
at hand
A few weeks ago an adventurous aeronaut
succeeded in flying a couple of miles in he
suburbs of New York, VITA the aid of a
huge machine that had wings, and that
seemed to use them with considerable sue
cess For something like generation the
inventor of this hyi1g machine had been at
work upon it, and had been laughed at be-
canse of it, as heartily as ever the IRE
pressible Keely, of motor lame, was
laughed at. But he was a Scotchman, who
possessed true Scotch tenacity He stuck
to his idea and finally had the satisfaction
of seeing it's grea wings beat the air over
Coney Island and carry it a considerable
distance before it was thought well to let it
rest.
AS result Of this there has been organ
lied a company with a capital of $1,000, 900,
the object Of which is to educate the puolic
in the matter of flying and to supply the
wings that will be necessary.
This practical exhibition of faith in the
future of the flying business might well
arouse discussion and it has
Even the august Academy of Sciences
which once every week discusses subject
that most people know nothing about and
whose members know pretty much ever y
thing that mortal man ought to know is
taking some cOgniZanCe Of the affair a.
ISSUE and in quiet way is discussing the
question, as to whether or not man VII be
able to fly Many of the learned professors
insist that as man has by aid of machinery
been able to propel himself through the
water there is no reason why he should not
conquer the air in the same manner. But
many more of the professors shake their
heads in solemn negation when this argu
ment is advanced
Still the Scotch inventors success has
created an impression. His flying machine
is cigar shaped, some go feet in length aud
AZ feet in diameter. Its wings work exactly
like those of bird by the aid Of a pr pelior
worked by electricity and the passenger is
carried Just as the eagle carries its prey 1t
is a peculiar affair, but has been more sue
the arguments among the scientific profes-
sors. Most of these professors be-
lieve that man will be able to fly by
means Of mechanism only when that
mechanism is made after that Of the bird
One of these learned men discussing the
matter entire nous the other day expressed
this opinion. He said that from the earliest
time the dominant wish of man had been to
fly after the manner and method of the
oil Of air hot
have been attempted have been after the
bird of flight; and particularly of the sea
bird whose ability for continual fight owing
to its power of tightening Its b dy is well
known.
SHOULD man ever fly successfully" said
the learned man. ''he will have to do it by
means of mechanism modelled after the
elastic and muscular form of the sea bird
In general way this seems to be the
opinion of scientific mon though few will
say jus. what their opinions are. But these
opinions of the learned are Illuminating
enough in their way for they show that we
are but little ahead OF tue ancielts after
all, despite the general opinion that we have
distanced them The authorities tell us that
the flying machine is Of prehistOrical
origin. We are told also that some 400
years B. c. wooden pigeon was made to
fly with cOnsi ierable Success As this ex-
years before the Montgolfer brothers start
ell their balloon on its flying trip and more
than 2,200 years before the trial Of our
Scotch inventors machi e. once o. the
opinion on the part of experts that we
must initiate the bird if we would fly, we
have not much to boast of.
But whether we are initiating the aucients
or not it is certain that this craze for flying
has seized upon a good many people lately,
and that good deal will be heard of it 10
the future. 1t is probable that the would
be flyers will go slow about the matter,
however. The ambitious ones are waiting
until there can be no doubt as to the relia-
bility Of their wings. After that time the
air will probably be filled with all sorts and
conditions of men.
Just what will como Of the discussion al
the Academy Of Science remains TO boseen.
Nothing at al may come of it in the cad
except a good deal OF theorlzing But in
the meantime Patrick c. Campbell, the
doughty Scotchman, who Is the inveator OF
a machine that made the recent successful
fight through the air, is going right ahead
and is terribly in earnest. He has worked
nearly all his life on his invention, and now
backed as he is by capitalized company,
he thinks he sees success ahead.
He is confident that the tins when men
will h'a. through the air ike a bird is ap-
preaching DAVID NECHsLER.
The Dudes Know 1t,