Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-08
FLY ING MACHINES.
Mr.. Il KIM 8 Experiments-He Thinks thu
PcOhlem VIII Be Solved
Hiram = Mayin nan7bar Of tba A ,

|
said lately through the American press re-
garding my experiments in what the
newspapers call flying machines"
think it would be we'll before | sail to Eu
rope to say exactly what AIN doing.
During the last 10 years a great deal of
experimenting has taken place in Europe.
principally by the French with the view
Of obtaining some sort of a machine which
could be controlled in the air and which
would be used for military purposes. Last
| year a congress was called in Paris to con-
slider this question that the French are
pleased to call the problem On every
occasion of my visits to Paris the French
officers have said to me: ''Mr. Martin.
this is the problem, and you are the man
| to do 1t.
| would say that have been studying
this question about Is years, principally in
the direction of finding some powerful and
light motor, but during the last two
years | have been employing myself large
ly evenings to working out the mathemati-
cal part of the problem. have obtained
| all the data In German, French and Eng
| llsh. | have also examined the expert
mental apparatus in France, but am sorry
to say that all the data and information
| so far obtained are of very little value
A single letter written by Prof Richard
A. Proctor, and which was published in a
Boston newspaper, furnished more infor-
nation than tons of the work which has
been published in Europe Some Is years
ago society was formed in England sty-
ed the Aeronautical society of Great
Britain. The patrons of this society
were the duke of Argyle and the duke of
Sunderland and the society also numbers
among the LENDERS many other noblemen
and engineers of Irish repute | believe
there are different volumes in existence
which give an account Of all their proceed
ures and experiments, but during all these
years very little practical work has been
done.
| would say first among the large num-
bers Of societies to which belong in Eng
land the Aeronautical society is one, and
need | say that | am the most active mem
Der? 1.-THE present moment experiments
are being conducted by me at Baldwin's
Park, Becky, Kent, England, with a view
of finding out exactly what the supporting
power of plane is when driven through
the air at a slight angle fro,u the hori-
zontal. For this purprse | constructed
very elaborate apparatus, provided with a
great number of instruments, and ar
! ranged in such manner that | can as
! certain accurately the efficiency of a screw
working in the air, the amount of power
| required to drive d screw, the amount of
push developed by a screw, the amount OF
sip, and also the power required for pro-
pellirg planes through the air placed at
different angles, as we'll as to ascertain the
with she subject. | have been expert
4
in making them 50 that they will develop
one horse power for every six pounds Ny
experiments show that as much as 1873
pounds may be sustained in the air by the
expenditure of one horse power. Of
course it is premature now to express any
opinion; still, If | am not very much mis-
| taken, and if some new phenomenon
which do not understand does not pre-
vent it, | think | stand fair chance of
solving the problem, and think | can as
sert that when In a very few years some one
if not myself, somebody else-will make
a machine which can be guided through
the ar, will travel with considerable
velocity, and will be sufficiently under
| control to be used for military purposes.
have found In my experiments that it is
necessary to have speed of at least 80
miles an hour-that so miles is
| still more favorable, and that 100 miles
| would seem to be attainable. Every
thing seems to be in favor of high speed
| Whether succeed or not, the results of
my experiments will be published, and as
! | am the only man who tried the expert
ments in a thorough manner with delicate
and accurate apparatus, the data which |
shall be able to furnish will be of much
greater value to eXperimenters hereafter
| than all that has ever been published be-
| fore.
In order to conduct these experiments
rented large park-in fact an old Manor
and erected a wooden shed of large
dimensions. provided myself with every
requisite and employment two eminent
American mehanices to assist NEIL. A.
| House and his son Of Bridgeport, Conn
These gentlemen have already been work
ing with me more than year and both
seem confident of success.
| appreciate fully the presumption on
my own part of the attempt to solve this
problem, considering that all mankind
have failed up to this time. Nevertheless.
it is fact that we do see in nature ma
chimes which do fly, some birds weighing
nearly so pounds each; even common
goose can fly without any considerable eff
fort.
1t is true that no one has ever taken
hold of the question in the same way and
with the same appliances that have
| Most of the experiments have been con-
fined to small machines weighing only a
few ounces and having for motor a
twisted rubber string or a spiral spring.
If an eXperimenter has had the necessary
intelligence and mathematical knowledge
he has not had the necessary room to con-
duct his experiments and the results so
far have been nil, but | feel satisfied that
if such men as Mr.. Westinghouse, Charles
Brush and Mr.. Edison, should seriously
and earnestly attempt to solve the ques-
ton they would succeed in making some
sort of machine that would fly. but they
would have to do as | have done-obtain
place where they would be plenty of
room, provide themselves with the very
best mechanics, and spend about $4,000.
| would say that the two motors which |
have made, and which weigh 900 pounds
cost their weight In silver, while an en-
CINE of much less power, made by q
French experlmenter. cost more than
three times its weight In siver
| may not succeed The three gentle
men whose names | have mentioned might
also fail. but am satisfied that when the
problem is solved it viii be an American
that solves it. If it should happen to be
solved in England first, England would
certainly be entitled to some portion OF
the credit, even if the experimenter were
an American.
FROZEN TO DEATH.
Very Severe Weather Reigns in Europe at
| Present.