Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-10-22
ERiAL NAVIGATION.
Tho Problem OF Air-ship Construct
Engaging Many Minds.


mo Problem of Alr-shlp Construction
Engaging Many Minds.
The problem OF air navigation Is re-
ceiving more attention now than ever
before. Nor is 1t "cranks" only who
are working at it Mechanical engi'
neers OF ability and reputation are de-
voting time and thought to Its solu'
ton. That some one VIII work II Out
at a not very distant day Is not AT All
impossible nor even improbable ~
Is simply question OF increasing power
without increasing tne weish' Oh tne
apparatus oy when the power Is de-
Veiopeu'
just no" much the ratio OF power 10
weight must De increased we 10 NOT
venture to say, but there are no sum
cient grounds Tor asserting that suen
increase is impracticable The soin-
ton OF the problem may be found In
Improved engines and boilers or In
new fuels, or In storage, batteries or
In some yet unexplored part OF the
neld OF electrical force IL would pc
rash 70 predict Just now success Will
20 reached pnt u wouic Do sali moro
rash 70 insist mat IL never "ll DC
reaehed.
The successful air snip WILL 1t 10 saie
70 say DC large structure very hght
In weight compared with us strength
out yet many times heavier than the
Mr which IL dispiaces Inc meenah-
zeal skill whlch mas produced tna'
marvel OF ilghtness aud strength tue
modern bicycle VIII not hnd the task
OF designing such a structure TOO DIM
cult
Attempts 10 navigate the ar oy
means OF gas-inhated receptacles nave
oeen persisted In througn hunureu
years. out no real success mas oeen
reached oucn ueVices' IN spite Vi All
enorts 70 make them airigioie' are Out
as ica'ners !" .no VIM. an suon
.ennp's are IN 'he wrong uirec'ioh' a
ORA can ny-not because 1t is com
paraliveiy iigh' IN weight Vor !" 10
noD' ou' because ~ is strong its
ore"S' MUSCLES oy "nion It's wings efe
opera1eu' are oi immense ProPor'ion
a'e SIZE, anu ,ne raPiu circuia'iou VI
us o.ooa suPPi'es ',iese niuSoieS WIN
aounuah' iorce anu energy vi III.
liVing creatures tue 'i.ai energies VI
.he ora are the most INTENSE anu IL
3D. 'hereiore' aD'e W prouuco 'ne
power requ,reu W sus,'ii" ,'' 0ouy Al
anu proper IL 'hrousn 'no ar
a western inventor proposes "
solve 'he Prooiem ny means vi an iin-
mense cyiinuer ooo iee' ions anu ioo
rec. IN aiaineVer' rom inc insiue vi
~nicn the AR Is ~ Do eAnaus.eu IN
oruer 70 hgnten H. Inc pan VIII not
Dear in'eseigat'on' Inc air IN sucn
cyiihder "ouip "eish ABOUT ioO IONS,
Aua conlcai ehds' eacn extending zoV
ieet' ana IL "ouiu DC l'heoreticaiiyl
PosS'ole 70 pump OUT aoou' zoo IONS Vi
ar nut 'ne cylhder itseii' muue Oh
quarter-lnch steel' without any IN
ternai oracing' wouid welgh at least
l'zoo tons. compared with TINS the
weight OF the air Is .lnslgnln cant
hardly more than that OF the food in a
pigeons crop compared with the
weight OF Its entire body. And as to
exhaust the dir from the cylinder
would at once subject 1t to pressure
OF considerably over S,oOo,0oo pounds
from the outside atmosphere the
scheme appears rather wild. Much
less open to adverse criticism Is the
plan suggested by MIR. L u Steadman
years ago In an article published In
the then Scribner's Monthly Maya
zine, which was TO I'LL all the hollow
spaces In the proposed air ship with
hydrogen gas. This gas, at normal
pressure, would sustain the pressure
OF the atmosphere, while Its weight Is
only one-fourteenth that OF air.
The notion that aluminium. because
OF Its lightness, may make @riai navi-
CATION possible, Is a mistaken one.
That metal has only about one-third
the strength OF steel and no special
advantage cOulu Do gained from lts
use.
The aucCea9flfl air aliD Will not he n