Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25

VERY RECENTLY THE PRACTICAL
world was surprised to read in the daily
press with circumstantial minuteness an ac-
count of the incorporation of a company to
build ship to navigate the air. 1t set forth
in glowing terms with great particularly where
the ship was to be built, how it was to be con-
structed to float, how equipped and so on, just
as if some superb ocean steamship or govern
ment war ship was the subject of its enthusi-
astic story. And well may the enthusiasm of
the writer for the press be allowed. for to navi-
gate the air was the dream of man long before
marine navigation by steam, and almost the
bare thought of its accomplishment makes the
heart even Of the skeptic beat faster upon a
contemplation Of the teeming possibilities
of the subject Who is so indifferent to the
enormous profits that it would yield as to
neglect the opportunity to enter ION the
ground floor corporation that first made
practical aerial navigation by building and
equipping a line of air monsters to ply between
New York and Liverpool, san Francisco and
other cities with such safety and speed as to
run down the eagle in its fight. and that. too.
without a qualm of the stomach en- voyage!
There simply would be ''milh lns In it." The
mind can scarcely comp -el mi the quick and
far reaching effects of thu revolution in the
traffic of the world which aerial navigation
would bring about. The steamship and the
railroad for local passenger and freight traffic,
the aerial ship for the through passenger, mail
and express transportation
MEN WHO WANTED TO FLT.
In the earliest legends OF man are found many
ideas which show that he has always aspired TO
sail in the air. las free as q bird" The aneients
had their stories of Daedalus and Icarus. father
and son. who being imprisoned in Crete es-
capped together by means Of wings made OF
wax. Icarus however. being a headstrong
youth. unmindful of the paternal caution not
TO fly too high. approached too near the sun.
BY the heat his wings were melted and he fell
headlOng into the sea and was drowned.
The Christian spiritual man in his imagina-
ton has pictured himself in the life to come IN
flowing robes of heecy white with feathered
eings and winged sandals on his feet
AMI up and down the skies.
With winged Sandals ShOd,
The sngsis and 20. the messengers Of God
And the poet. with eyes in fine frenzy roll
ing" has written.
The helmed Clsrrbirn
And swOrti-t Se1lphin
Are seen in gitterin< ranks with wings displayed
Doubtless man got the idea of flying with
wings from his observation OF the birds of the
air, and he has. with great pains and infinite
ingenuity. tried in MANY to successfully
initiate the feathered navigatOrs of heavens
azure vault But his many limitations are all
failures, judged by any practical and useful
standard.
The English and the French particularly the
latter. have given much thought and labor to-
ward solving the problem of aerial navigation,
but have 10 write only of what has been done
In this country in the matter of aerial naviga-
ti5n gathered from the American patents
recorded in the patent Office and the various
methods proposed therein that have its accom-
pllshment for their object.