St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-26
COLLECTIONS TO 1T.

No information has been received that
the air vessel that was to make its first
voyage from Mount Carmel, Illinois, on
Christmas day, kept that date. Per-
haps the absence of some of the build-
ers of the structure, who lave been in
this vicinity recently. and possibly still
are about, may have something to do
with the delay. But if the vessel and
its aecOUterments that are to reyolu-
tiOnize terrestrial lOcomOtion by giving
it a new highway have not been able
to keep the first date. q great deal of
latitude may be given, in view of the
fact that others, scattered along a good
many centuries, have had mental an
Dramas of aerial navigation that refused
to take on the required matertality.
The intimatiOn that a vast area of
land has been bought in South Da-
kota for the manufacture of aluminium
for use in the chief part of the air car,
vessel, or whatever. may be an encour-
aging omen, especially if the sought
metal is to come forth from the earth at
the cost of a good cigar per pound, in
place of several dollars. Perhaps a
supply VI tiC uIlSNudlCu OZOIG Cl
this region is being sought for use
on tie swift voyages. The offer of
a contract with the postal department
for carrying the mails, and the assur-
ance of the visiting aerialist that long
before the opening OF the worlds fair
st. Paul people can be winged to Chi
cago in q small fraction of the rail time,
should aelieve doubts of the reliability
of anticipationS. 1t is certainly
to be hoped that these Mount
Carmel aspirantS have finally solved
the problem, and will make the nav
igation of the air all that they claim.
There is a fascination about the concep-
ton that one would not within .lv sur
render. With greater con O of the
conveyance than on land, NJ of
running off the track, increased secur-
ity, and hardly p%erceptible motion. there
can be no eXaggeratiOn Of the delight of
this sort of transit. There will be no
screening of locomotives, jostling of
wheels, dust or %annoyances of any kind.
Ii these Illinois parties are quite war
ranted in their claims, the problem of
railroad control will be solved, as there
would be little use for railroads, except
perhaps for the c0arser freight traf-
III. Envlous parties, however, would
discourage the enterprise and soar
ing aims of the new scheme by
interposing a political feature. 1t is
insisted that when these travellers above
roam along with their cargoes some
hundreds Of miles an hour and drop
down in any locality by day or night,
and leave or take on loads, it will be i'm
possible to prevent smuggling. There
cannot, according to present informa-
ton, be custom houses and officials sta
toned above, nor could they avail. No
definite plane or route would be had,
n the government officials could do no
effective police duty. HENRY GEORGE
at one time, perhaps, in anticipation
of the achievement of these Hi
nois inventors, expressed the opin-
ion that the success of air navi-
CATION would annihilate all tariffs and
Introduce an era of free trade. What
would become of McKinleyism and pro-
lection then Mr.. BLAlNE's reciprocity
would be swallowed up like a small fish
by the whale. Perhaps these men are
the agents of free traders, and working
with British gold to break down the in
dustries of America. 1t may be well to
examine their pedigree and pockets.
Then, in case of war, these air vessels
would sail above the towns and armies
and drop down the destructive ele-
ments. They could burn the cities and
kill the people, both in armies and out.
But there may be time for devices to
obviate such Inconvenience before they
arrive. The ship did not sail yesterday,
and may not for some time.