Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-23
QUITE A SURPRISE
Given Scientific Men by Prof,
Langley in His Talk on
Flying Machines,
VALUABLE HINTS FROM HIM
Proving The Possibility of PrOpelling
an Air Ship.
EXPERIMENTS OF TIE PROFESSOR
On Observatory Hill, Allegheny, That Go
to Prove His Theory.
VALUABLE HIN is FROM HIM
EXPERIMENTS OF TIE PROFESSOR
On Observatory Hill, Allegheny, That Go
to Prove His Theory.
TEMPTING OFFERS FROM WEALTHY MEN
rFEoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT. !

WASHINGTON, April 22.-The talk of
Prot. 5. 2. Langley on the possibility Of
firing machines before the National Acad
emy OF Sciences yesterday, was by turns
vcxing, amusing and serious subject to-day
among the myriad of inventors, patent attor-
news. employees o; the Patent Office, and engi-
neers who are cOugregated in the city. Il
was a great surprise to tie scientists, who
had looked upon Prof. Langley AS devoted
almost wholly TO the investigation OF solar
phenomena.
1t was admitted generally that what Prof.
Langley had said would terd to correct the
false impression that has obtained ever since
the publication of the rhyme of Darius
Green and his flying machine that the
study OF aeTostaticS is only for cranks. l.
the successful flying machine is in
vented, and that is predicted as thing of
the near future, it is possible that Darius
Green may yet have monuments erected to
him as the one in whom the original thought
Was born.
Guarded in His Statements.
1t is announced that the e1temporaueous
talk of the Professor yesterday is but the
prelude to the publication of volume
which will give perfect analysis and illus
IratIon OF ms experiments in the grounds of
the observatory on the hills that overlook
the city of Allegheny One OF Prof. Laugey's
friends said to-day that PROT Langley went
much further IN his private conversations than
lie aId IL his communication To The Academy
Necessarily, he was guarded in his utterances
before that conservative budy and connned
alnlst!t Ia stating just exactly what was proved
b. experiment.
Prof. Langley having proved the possibility
tn
the air an air-shlp. together with the engine
creating the power, it remains for man or
men OF mechanical genius to Meet the difficult
ties that still remain. Devices for starting the
snip from The earth, of guiding it III the AR and
OF bringing IL 10 the earth again must be
worked out by inventors.
Offers for a Syndicate.
A scientist laughingly remarked to-day that
he saw no way of starting the ship on its aerial
flight except by having an elevated track and
running the car or ship along that until it got
under good heaGw2y and then letting it shoot
off the end of the platform. He did not see
any way of stopping it safely, except by lasso-
ing or letting ii down to the ground gently by
means OF big parachute
Aside from the field for interesting or humor-
Gus speculation capitalists aud engineers are
undoubtedly alive to the Importance of the
field of which they have been given a glimpse
by Prot. Langleys experiments. Prof Lang
ley. II l. said, has, during his experiments been
approached by men of wealth desirous of form
ing an inventors syndicate. and received offers
OF a most tempting character. but has declined
them, preferrng to go on with his scientific
work. giving the world at large the benefit of
his discoveries.
To Solve the Problem.
Prof. Henry, Prof Langley's predecessor as
Secretary OF the Smithsonian Institution.
made important discoveries and expert.
ments demonstrating the scientific posi-
billties of the telegraph, and gave his
discoveries to' the world, leaving the
mechanical details to be worked out bv men of
inventive genius. In the present case Prof.
Langley, SAID member of the Academy to-
Gay, interests himself IN the subject of arti-
ncl:tl Il lZht as a problem IN physics.
When this scientific problem is solved, the
practical application of the results he will leave
10 be worked out by inventors, and give his at
tenuOn 20 other questions. Prof. Langley
though devoted to pure science, possesses un-
usual inventive genius. the apparatus used
10y him In his experiments aud constructed by
hun attests. IIGuTNER