The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-12-18
WILL BUILD AIR SHIPS.
PREPARING TO NAVIGATE THE
UPPER REGIONS.


plication Made for Letters Patent on
Twenty two Separate Devices-A Com
pany Incorporated to Garry Out the In
ventOr's Ideas-DescriptiOn of the Prin-
ciples Of the Projected Machine.
TChicago dispatch.
f. n. Atwood, graduate of the Bos-
ton School of Technology, and formerly
a marine engineer, has been diligently
struggling with the problems of aerial
navigation for the last twenty years, and
has just made application for letters
patent to protect no less than twenty
two separate devices he has completed.
The inventor was visited by q reporter
at his Office, room 513 Rialto Building.
He talked freely of his experiments.
"Any one can build an air-ship," said
Mr.. Atwood, "but the problem is to make
it navigate the air. We may attach a
gas bag to freight-car and call the
combination an air-ship. Two import
ant and elementary principles are to be
observed in making a vessel that is to
navigate the air successfully.
every one knows that so many cubic
feet of gas will lift so much dead weight.
Gas enough may be carried on any air.
ship to lift the vessel and it's cargo.
The other important point, then, is to
propel the vessel after it is elevated"
Mr.. Atwood has devised wind-wheel
or fan to be driven by steam or electric
power, by which he claims to be able to
drive an immense air-shlp at a high rate
of speed
A company has been incorporated in
this city, known as the Chicago Air-Ship
Company, by G. o. Shields, w. B.
Bogeoh, f. n. Atwood, and FL. Haupt,
Jr The capital stock is $2OO,OOO of
which $16O, 900 has been placed. AS soon
as the remainder of the stock is placed
the company will organize under the
State law, and work on the proposed
air-ship will be commenced.
The first vessel to be built will be 27O
feet long, 48 feet high and 40 feet wide.
1t will have two lifting wheels and two
driving wheels, each ten feet in diane
ter. These are to be driven by steam or
electric power, and from numerous eX-
periments and tests that have been made
both in this country and in Europe it is
known to a certainty that these wheels
can be made to lift several thousand
pounds each when revolyed at high
rate of speed.
There is to be large gas dome with
two auxiliary domes inside. Underneath
100 feet long and 20 feet wide. This is
bly furnished. Underneath the house
the engine will be placed, SO that it's
weight will serve as ballast for the
vessel.
One of the devices which it is designed
to use is that of the kite. The air-ship
will be built with large aroplanes or
wings aggregating at least 1000 square
feet of scaling surface. The belief is
based on scientific experiments that the
vessel may be lifted by it's engine and
air-wheels to height of, say, 5000 feet;
that both the lifting and driving power
may then be shut off-as railway en-
gineer shuts off his steam on down
grade-and the bow of the vessel slightly
depressed, when the weight of the YES
sci will drive it in whatever direction
headed, even agaiGSt a strong wind, at
terrific rate of speed.
The curvature of the earth's surface
is such that the vessel, starting at such
a height as that mentioned, would scale
fifty to 100 miles before it would again
touch the earth. When the vessel ap-
proaches within 500 feet of the earth the
bow may be again elevated and the driv-
ing-wheels set in motion. and it will rise
rapidly on the same kite or scaling prin-
ciple, the momentum acquired by the
downward run aiding the engine in the
matter of main tanning the great speed
already acquired.
Another principle to be utilized is that
of the parachute. In case of an acct
dent to the machinery or gas reservoirs,
the vessel could not fall rapidly to the
earth The same aroplanes already
mentioned, together with long wide
wings, which hang from the sides near
the top of the vessel, and which would
then be thrown out by any downward
motion, would give such a vast air sur
face that the vessel would settle down
as slowly and as safely as the man who
descends with his parachute.
Mr.. Atwood has devised plan for
supporting the vessel on land that is
new in aeronGutics. A monster pivot,
framed into the bottom of the hull Of the
air-ship, to which is attached an air.
cushion, supports the main weight of the
vessel. Six other posts or piyots are set
into the hull at different points, to the
bottom of which are attached wheels or
casters.
These are set on adjustable springs,
so that they will adjust themselves to
any irregularities in the shape of the
ground. The main pivot being ahead OF
the vessel, and a rudder set at the stern,
the air-ship becomes great weather
vane, and no matter how hard the wind
may blow or how rapidly it may change
it's direction, the bow of the vessel will
turn just as rapidly aud will always head
directly into the wind