The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-10
CAMPBELL'S AIR SHIP.
Aeronaut Allen Rides About in 1t
as on Bicycle.
He Drives 1t with a Treadle To and
Fro In the Air About 500 Feet
Above the Earth.
From the New York sun.

Il
1t looks as if the dreams of all inventors
since the world began were, partly at least,
to be realized, for Peter CarmOnt Camp
bell, of Brooklyn, has partly demonstrated
the feasibility of his air ship.
The balloon is designed to hold a little
more than enough gas to overcome the
resistance of the boat, its rigging and its
cargo. The capacity of the balloon is
$4,000 cubic feet, but it contained
considerably less than $4,000 cubic
feet of gas on Saturday. Perhaps the
most remarkable test of the invention was
made during the first five minutes of the
experiment. The ship had risen about
as high as the top of the lofty skeleton
tower of the observatory near by, when
Mr.. Campbell remembered that photo
grapher was in waiting to take q picture
of ii. He shouted to Allen to come down.
Mr.. Allen looked over the edge of the car,
saw what was wanted, and turned crank.
Slowly the big thing descended, and yet
no gas was allowed to escape. He was
not directly over the spot from which he
had started, but so perfectly did
the apparatus wo4k that he came
to rest without jar beside the
gas machine where the aloon
had been filled. A moment later, after
the photograph had been taken. He was
aloft again. At an attitude of about 500
feet Mr.. Allen brought the ship to stand
still to observe the force and direction of
the wind and make sure once more of his
steering gear. Then he set the propellers
in motion and adjusted the rudder so thet
the ship started off toward Brooklyn. AT
ter short run in that direction he turned
deliberately about and came back. The
wind was not very strong, but it had a
big surface of balloon and webs to work
upon. Nevertheless, Mr.. Allen sailed
nearly straight against it, and by lacking
he attained what appeared to be good
speed. In every direction went the
strange structure, followed by the staring
eeyes of the crowd below. Now and then
they cheered, but the least excited man
was Mr.. Campbell. He bore all congratu-
lations calmly and quietly. He knew it
would ESQ.
The navigator capped the climax of his
evolutions after zigzaggging about for
half an hour by propelling the ship around
in circle without noticeable breaks in the
course. Then he sailed off to the east
and came to land again near the Catholic
church at Sheepshead bay. The route
originally laid out for the trial tri o in
cluded fight over Brooklyn, New York
and Jersey City, but there were SO many
delays in getting ready that it would have
been dark before reaching New Jersey,
and Mr.. Campbell disliked rsking his
frail boat to landing in strange place
after dark.
81 never had a pleasanter sail in my
hfe," said Mr.. Allen yesterday. "The
mechanism Is nearly perfect, and the ship
minds her rudder as quickly as does
sloop at sea. The labor of propulsion is
not at all difficult: l wish l owned the
ship. l could make fortune out of her.
No, had no hesitation at all in making
the trial. was convinced by investiga-
ton that the thing would go, and l regard
the Saturday experience as ample demon.
stration of it's success"
give been looking forward to this for
twenty five years." said Mr.. Campbell,
gravely. I've been to no end of thought
aud experiments, 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 fol-
low my specifications. They know 80
much. Even now, after all the delays, for
which have not been responsible, the
ship is not in exactly the condition it
ought to be. The shape of the balloon is
not as l designed it, and there are other
features to be improved and perfected.
We propose now to go to work and build
other ships. 1 think that they will be
available for general transit but for
time look to seeing them owned by in
dividuals and used for pleasure cruises,
just as man may go off in his yacht"