Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-15
now ALLAN ROPES TO FDY.
His Machine VIII bore Hole I'm the
Air and Go Up in the Hole,
Seattle Post intelligence.


Seattle observation-disclosures.
In an upstairs room in the Western
House at Ballard has been developed
within the last eight months what, in
the opinion of men of sound Judgment
will prove, if practicable, the invention
of the age.
Mr.. William Allen, a real estate broker
and a former employe of the West Coast
Improvement Company, has nearly
completed the model of an aerial ship,
or flying machine. II consists of two
oval or cigar-shaped bodies with taper
ing ends, the smaller suspended within
the larger. Around the larger an i'm
mense thread of stiff canvas, or some
other strong but light material, winds
spirally from end to end. Within the
smaller body is situated the propelling
power, which, by means of set of
pulleys, bands, wheels, &C., revolves
the interior oval body, and as it moves
SO it causes the larger machine on the
exterior to move with correspondingly
greater velocity.
The theory which William Allen has
held and reasoned upon for the last 20
years is this: A screw by revolution
forces itself through wood, so Mr.. Allen
concluded if he could invent machine
with threads large enough to revolve in
the atmosphere it will travel through
space, and with great rapidity, on the
same principle If Mr.. Allen be not a
deluded inventor, one may travel in this
machine in any direction with almost
any speed desired, and with perfect
safety, by means of steering apparatus
and speed regulator, which are attached
and under the control of the aronaut
within the bowels of the invention.
If the invention proves practical
and Mr.. Allan thinks ii will, railroads
and ocean gray hounds will be easily
distanced. The details of the machinery
cannot be fully described, as only a
working model has been constructed,
and although Mr.. Allen has obtained
caveat, he does not wish to give away his
secret until he has more substantial
financial backing.
Mr.. Allan has also constructed a huge
unicycle, or, as some paradoxically call
1t, one-wheel bicycle. II is II feet ip
circumference, and has tire one foot
wide. The cyclist stands in the centre,
and by moving his feet up and down
on pedals turns small wheel, which
revolves the larger at the same time. As
every revolution Of the smaller wheel
turns the larger, it will readily be seen
the cyclist goes distance of II feet
every revolution. The unicycle is now
in the yard of James McLachlan, q con-
tractor and builder, who is putting the
finishing touches upon it under Mr..
Allan's supervision. 1t is expected a
public trial of this invention will be
made in short time.
Recently, in conversation with re-
porter, Billiards. inventor said; "There
may be some skeptical people who deem
my inventions impracticable, but the
public thought Fulton was crazy when
he was building the Claremont; and
when Columbus was trying to convince
the monarchs Of Europe that another
world existed, even the children sig
niflcantly pointed their fingers to their
foreheads when he passed by. But
there was no screw loose in Columbus
head, neither was there in Fulton's."