davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
uY JOHN DNsBEN WALKER :,

tMr. Walker, tho editor of the Cosmopolidn
Magazine has taken up the subject OF aerial
navigation and has been for some months in
communication with the most noted scientists
OF the day regarding that subject, under whose
direction number OF important experiments
viii be made. Mr. Walker presents below a
summary of his plans and Of opinions secured
from such men as Mr.. Trouve and Mr.. Edison
on this all-importaut problem of engineering.l
War. which has been the mother of
many inventions, gave an impetus to the
study of movement through the air. 1--WE
must get out of Paris," said the Partisan
ENJOYS; but how, with Krupp rifle COM
handing every approach? A balloon
served the purpose. AT the close of the
Franco-Prussian war the French govern
ment gave the sanction to experiments by
engineer officers which should have been
given years before. In consequence partly
OF the impetus given by the war, and
partly by the development made in
electric motors, ample means were
coniided to Messrs. Krebbs and
Reynard to push experiments in
this line. The result of their
work was an elongated gas bag with car,
to which was attached two-bladed
propeller driven by an electric motor. Out
of seven trips made by La France-the
name given to their balloon-in five they
succeeded in returning to the point of
their beginning. Progress was made in
the direction of lightness of motor, in the
construction of elongated gas holders and
the efficiency of propeller blades, but the
experiments did not involve any radical or
novel departure. In fact, La France i'll
volved no more than the fulfilment of
plans submitted to the French govern
ment sixteen years before by an American.
Three men have done much toward the
consideration of this subject in this
country. The first. Mr.. Edmund Clarence
Stedman, poet and author, at the risk of
being denominated crank of a high
order, did not hesitate to publish in the
Century Magazine, in the year 1879, de-
lightful article outlining the possibilities,
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

suggesting not few points that were
practical in character, although he did not
pretend to attack tine subject as scientific
man, and calling attention to the curious
phenomena presented, that while this
particular invention outyied in Importance
all other mechanical subjects it had been
confined in its consideration in the past
almost exclusively TO dreamers and I'M
scientific men. That whereas millions of
dollars had been forthcoming for the de-
velopment of almost every machine that
promised usefulness to the human race,
the aerial ship alone had been refused
funds sufficient to try even the most
simple experiments. Mr.. Stedman, since
the writing of his article. has been a close
student, and it is violating no confidence
TO say that he is today one of the frmest
believers in an early solution of the
problem.
Another literary man, Mr.. Lorettus Met
calf, for many years the editor of the
EorGm, takes strong interest in oil mat
tiers pertaining to aerial transit, and it is
al his suggestion that the subject has been
taken actively in hand by the Cosmopolitan
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

attention OF the ablest engineers ana IN
ventors, and that he believes it to be in a
fair way to an early solution. He has
made numerous experiments which have
demonstrated the ease with which plane
NAV be driven through the air with COM
paratively slight expenditure OF power,
and he has succeeded, it is said, in pro-
ducing motor which combines great en-
ergy with marvellous lightness.
The third name to which Americans Will
be indebted, if this matter ever reaches a
successful conclusion, is Mr.. Octave Cha
mute, president of the American Institute
of Civil Engineers. He has not only
studied closely, but has written, with con-
tidence as to the future, a number of arti-
cles calculated to excite interest in the
subject and induce its consideration by the
inventive mind. Very curiously, in read
ing one of Mr.. Chanute's pamphlets, writ
ten in 1890, and which only came to the
notice OF the writer after the programme
of the Cosmopolitan had been announced,
there is found a suggestion which coin
cides almost identically with the plan of
operations adopted by the Cosmopolitan.
Success might be much fastened, !"
suggests Mr.. Chanute, "by an association
of seachers in this field of inquiry, for no
one man is likely to be simultaneously an
inventor, to imagine new shapes and new
motors, a mechanical engineer, to design
the arrangement of the apparatus, a
mathematician, to calculate its strength
and stresses, a practical mechanic, to con-
struct the parts, and syndicate of capital
lists, to furnish the needed funds. 1t
is probable the working out of complex
invention requires so great variety of
talent that progress has been so SLOW"
My hope in this matter lies directly in
these lines. Already the assistance of
able men has been promised-brains fur
nishing all the requisites for proper
solution of a problem which is, after all,
entirely within the limits OF scientific &C
complshment, if we take the word of
those who have a right to speak. The
work of the Cosmopolitan will be to as
simulate the plans of the various inventors
and give practical form to those best cal
culated to serve the purposes of aerial
transit,
The conditions of aerial science-for so
we may term it--may be divided roughly
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

and Will keep it ut a moderate tempera-
ture. Yet there will be little danger of its
getting heated, for the simplicity OF the
mechanism, the absence of all rotary or
sliding parts for transmission saves loss
by friction and does away with the neces-
sity for lubricants"
NJ. Trouye believes that the combined
advantages of the generators otor-propel-
Ter render it the lightest aviator that it is
possible to construct. 1t possesses, he be-
Heves, every warrant of essential power
and safe return. He says in conclusion of
the description of his machine: 1--WE shall
be glad II We have succeeded in conveying
to our readers the faith we have in the
possibility and the near realization of prac-
tical navigation of the air."
No ingenious combination of words can
convey an adequate idea of day spent in
the basket of balloon. No view that re-
wards the climber of Alpine peaks can
rival the vastness of the panorama seen
from an airship. AT an elevation of two
miles we have the running of many
streams, OF cascades leaping over rocks,
ests, the roar of breakers on far away
shore, the tinkling of bells; drifting above
great silvery sea of clouds we see through
the riffs pictures of rivers and green fields
al & the white dots of village homes.
Mr. Langley, secretary of the Smithson-
IAN institution, says: 1T seems at first
Incredible that any practically obtainable
power can make the viewless air at the
same time support dense body like brass
or steel and cause it to run rapidly and
securely along upon the thin element;
nevertheless, have seen it done. and for
this best of reasons it has seemed to me
that it can be done again-and that such a
matter as mechanical fight ought not to
be left to the opprobrium which past mis-
taken efforts and consequent failure have
brought on it, but that it should be REIN
Yestigated by scientific methods.
progress IS rapid, now, especially in
invention, sand it is possible-it seems to
me even probable-that before the century
closes we shall see this universal road of
the all embracing air which recognizes
none of mans boundaries Travelled in
every direction, with an effect on some of
the conditions of our existence which
will mark this among all the wonders the
century has seen.'
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
GOSSIP OF NEW YORK.
Hills Candidacy Stirring the
Dregs of Politics.
NEW Works. INFAMOUS HOTELS.
Buffalo Bill ut the Worlds Fair-The
Forced Resignation of Presf-
dent Beers.

NEW YORK, Feb. 15.-TSpecial Core
spondence. Senator David b. Hills open
and direct candidacy for the presidency of
the United States has resulted in stirring
New York politics to the very dregs. 1t is
something of curiosity to see a man dill
gently working to secure the presidential
prize through the same methods that are
employed to shape ward caucuses and to
secure district Ieaderships Senator Hill
does not sit back in calm dignity waiting
to be invited to the presidency, but he
goes out and seeks it and is not at all
ashamed of his action. He began five
years ago to build up political machine
in this state. He has not ceased
from that labor for one hour, and as
result he has today the most perfect
machine-like organization of any man
in the country. When mis- state commit
tee called convention for the odd of Feb
ruary to nominate delegates to the Demo-
cratic national convention, wild howl
went up from the element of the Demo-
cratic party attached to the political for
tunes of Grover Cleveland. The early
date set for the convention surprised them,
and they denounced it as an unprece-
denied piece of political chicanery. They
went into the newspapers with their wall
ings, and they have held a great mass
meeting at Cooper Union to denounce
Hill and his cohorts. OF course, all this
has no effect on the Hill programme and
IN my Judgment it would not make par
ticle OF difference whether the state con-
vention be held this month or the last
week in May. The weather and season
will not affect the result. Mr.. Cleveland
has at no time since 1888 had chance
of securing o delegation from this state,
for the simple reason that he has no
power and no machinery. Mr.. Hills
campaign, as planned, is to secure New
York-Cleveland's own stronghold-and
then proceed to gather in such other states
as may be controlled or influenced by the
fact that he has the Empire state behind
him. Of course the outcry of the so-called
Democratic mugwumps will injure him in
the West and South, where he is weakest,
and that is what l suppose the protest
here means. By branding Hill as trick
ster and peanut politician they excite pref
udice, but they probably will not help the
cause of Mr.. Cleveland much. The aver
age Democratic politician in this part of
the county is not broad-minded or en-
lightened man, as rule, but I find that
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

into two divisions-first, the work of the
aeronauts, which involves the buoyant
forms of gas for it's operations; second,
the experiments of those who hope to
drive through the air planes which will
depend for their support upon the princi-
pie known to the skater who travels with
rapidity over thin frozen surface, or the
schoolboy who sends by force of arm a
thin piece of slate sailing high in the air.
The aeronauts may be termed the old
school. while the more modern school,
embracing noted scientists, attacks the
subject radically and claims that the mat
ter has resolved itself into a question of
motors. The well-known inventor, Mr..
Maxim, belongs to this school, and it is
announced that he has succeeded in per-
fecting an S00-horse power engine of
weight so disproportionate to its power
that it is hardly worth calculating, and
which may be safely used to operate an
aeroplane. 1t is probable that the first ex-
pertinent we make will be in this line of
combining the salient features of the
schools.
Practical aeronauts have not been the
most sanguine in regard to the future of
the balloon to be driven through the air
by power. They have been accustomed to
the voluminous gas bags required for any
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
GUILDS SIGNAL.

Two low whistles, quaint and clear,
That was the signal the engineer
That was the signal that Guild, It's said,
Gave to his wife at Providence,
As through the sleeping town, and thence
Out in the night,
On to the light,
Down past the farms, lying white, he sped!
As husbands greeting. scant, no doubt,
Yet to the woman looking out,
Watching and waiting, no serenade,
Love song or midnight roundelay,
Said what that whistle seemed to say:
ITO my trust true.
So love to you!
Working or waiting, good night" 1t said.
Brisk young bagmen, tourists fine,
Old commuters along the line,
Brakemen and porters glanced ahead,
Smiled at the signal, sharp, intense,
Pierced through the shadows OF Providence
'Nohing amiss-
Nothing it is
Only Guild calling his wife," they said.
Summer and winter, the old refrain
Rang DER the pillows of ripcnng grain,
Pierced through the budding boughs oerhead
Flew down the track when the red sheaves
burned
Like living Goals from the engine spurned;
Sang as it few:
"To our trust true,
First OF all. dutyl Good nightr' It said.
And then, one night, it was heard no more
From Stonington over Rhode Island shore;
And the folk in Providence smiled ard said,
A they turned in their beds: THE engineer
Has once forgotten his midnight cheer"
One only Knew
To his trust true,
Guild lay under his engine, dead.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
A Venerable Poster Envr,,

I saw the other day the venerabl. Ia
w. Morse-a relative of the inyento. - ~ y
telegraph-who made it possible. az a ,;v;.
price, to delight the eye with tho,s ~.
moth circus posters of today. The e;r,
poster of forty years ago was not al
gorgeous and beautiful thing il ncv n
because the ''woodcut" from wh;ch !,
printed was of mahogany, which No,
expensive for large engraving N M
elephant in the picture ever 49,
on his head on pedestal in those ~
he was such a small elephant AZ ~
quite unworthy the name Mr.. Morse
a man well along in life at that time Ia
was wood engraver, and, BY makir,
tools of a different pattern from fhos
then in use he found that he could en~-s,'
his picture on pine boards as well ~ =
mahogany. When he could do this i
glued several boards together, and br ..
craving picture in sections and pett;r
the entire picture by printing it from tw1
or more separate blocks, he was aha .
produce the mammoth posters which =
have at present. There have been "a,
discoveries in the way of producing d,
many and brilliant colors on the cirr.
poster, but in the soft wood enerayir,
which Mr.. Morse introduced into the \
was perhaps the most important discoyr,,
OF all. Mr.. Morse says the first large pIs
lures produced by his pine wood cuts We,
made for Howe's old circus and wsr
taken by him to England, where the Fps
lIsh small boy viewed them with ss,o1
ishment and delight, and where thew a.,
beguiled the reluctant shilling from "a
pockets of his elders. Mr.. Morse also in
vented device for crossing the East rrs
on an aerial car, but it was triae to
scientific and visionary for the people q
that early time. and no serious effort wa
made to put it into use.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

Magazine. Mr.. Metcalf would like TO see
the setting forth Of an American aerial ship
on the iith Of August, lS92, for the shores
OF Spain, 400 years after the sailing of
Columbus IN search OF the New World.
While The most sanguine may not hope
Tor such probability, vet the idea is one
that takes = strong hold of the imagina-
tive mind as the most fitting celebration of
this 4rJ;h anniversary.
After Mr.. SteGman, the man who came
next 70 advance the consideration of this
important subject. was Professor Z. :.
Langley. at the head of the Smithsonian
Institution. Standing as the foremost
representative OF scientific pursuits in this
country, Professor Langley has not hesi-
lated 10 say plainly and unequivocally
that the subject comes properly under the
domain OF science; that it IS worthy the
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

OF face and form, despite his handicap OF
SO years. When l saw Cody twenty-five
years ago, knocking about the country
with wretched border play, which he
presented in theaters, he was as handsome
a man as could be found in ten states.
But there was good deal of the uncoutn-
ness OF the frontier about him despite his
chivalric bearing Today he is polished
traveller and gentleman. His association
with the dignitaries and better class aristo-
Gratis of the old country has broadened
his mind and given him a social bear
ing which makes him most distinguished
indeed. The colonel. it is said, has made
a half million of dollars during his latest
stay in Europe. and his business here now
is to make arrangements for exhibiting
his "Wild World show at the Worlds
exhibition in Chicago, Instead of con-
filming himself to cowboys and Indians he
proposes to gather in one combination all
the fearless, rough riders of the earth,
from the Cossack of the Don to the wild
galloper of Tartary, and from the
English fox hunter to the fierce Arab
of the desert. He proposes to build
on the exhibition grounds in Chicago q
reproduction of the Roman coliseum.
That which chiefly interests him now
is the question of Sunday observance in
connection with the Columbian exposition.
The proposition to close the show ON Sun
days does not please Bison William. He
says that Chicago's theaters are open on
Sunday nights and there is no reason why
he should not be permitted to give Sun
day afternoon exhibition. As this will
probably be his best day, ne looks at it to
help cut the edge off his enormous ex-
penses. If he cannot open on Sunday the
probabilities are that he will reduce the
size of his exhibit materially Perhaps he
may conclude to remain with his cowboys
and bucking bronchos in Europe.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

continued travel in the air-the expendi-
ture OF gas in order TO descend. the ex-
penclture OF ballast IN order to ascend. re-
quirinc lifting power vastly greater than
would be needed were the gas preserved
IN metallic envelope and power used for
elevation or depression. Familiar.
then, with vast envelope surrounded
by network of cords generating friction.
swaylng with every puff of wind and com
pieteiy az the mercy Of the most trihing
current Of ar, 1t is no wonder that ex-
perience has caused them 10 doubt the
feasibility Of construction which NAV be
driven IN the teeth of gale Bat the ex-
perlments Of the French engineers demon
sIraied that a spindle-shaped object is
capable of being projected in the teeth of
a moderate breeze and that the overcom-
ing OF heavy gale Is only question Of
motive poKer.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
An Incident of the Hotel Royal Fire

New York Tribune.
One of the bravest acts recorded was
that of Policeman Griffin H. Merritt, of
the Nineteenth precinct. Merritt, who
had been on patrol duty in Fortieth street
at the outbreak of the fire, saw young
woman standing at the window of a room
on the third floor on the park side of the
hotel. The woman was in her nightdress.
1t was evident that IN trying TO climb out
of the room she had lost consciousness.
Merritt ran to a fireman's ladder which
stood by the window. Mounting il until
he stood on level with the window, he
stretched out his hand and drew the
woman out of the room. Then encircling
her inanlmate form in his strong arms
he carried her down the ladder to
safety. The crowd which had watched
Merritt brea;hlessly no sooner saw
the pair touch the ground than it
broke into wild cheering. Bat another re-
ward was in store for the brave and hand
some young policeman. The cold night
air had brought the woman back to con-
sciousness. As the policeman carried her
along the pavement 10 q neighboring drug
store she opened her eyes and instantly
realizing the efforts that had been made
for her, she threw her arms around Mer-
ritt's neck and kissed him passionately,
until he left her in charge of the ambu-
lance surgeon.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
A Great Insurance Magnate.

The shaking up of the New York Life
Insurance Company and the forced resig-
nation of President William Ii. Beers is
very significant. Few people can imagine
the influence exerted by these wonderful
financial institutions, with their millions
of surplus capital. They came pretty near
controlling this metropolis. And yet the
New York Times, by series of well-di-
rected and sustained attacks, has COM
PEELED complete reorganization of one of
the greatest. John A. Mccall, who is to
succeed President Beers, is one of the most
magnetic and persuasive men in the
country. He is about 45 years of age.
His hair and mustache are white and he
has something of the manly beauty of a
French marshal. He is as genial as
stage driver. Anybody can get at him
and he is as plain in his methods as a ru-
raj storekeeper. For five or SIX years he
has drawn a salary of $25, 900 4 wear as
comptroller of the Equitable. He now
goes to the New York Life, supreme in
control, at salary of $4,000 per year.
Everybody believes that he will soon re-
coup the loss which the company has sus-
tanned through the attack made upon the
management. Mr.. Mccall is an ardent
Democrat and stanch supporter of David
b. Hill. He was born in Albany. 1t was
there that he began his career as an insur-
anee agent. Governor Cleveland made him
state superintendent of insurance He
left the place to join the Equitable because
OF the allurements in the way of salary.
The retirement of Mr.. Beers from the
presidency of the New York Life Insur-
ance Company on an annual pension of
$37, 800 may be accepted as an indication
that the life insurance business is by no
means on short commons" Mr.. Beers
received salary of $4,000 a year, and in
addition to this the board of trustees usu-
ally voted him christmas present" of
about SIS, 600 The insurance companies
are credited with paying larger salaries
than any of the other corporations. and,
as rule, they probably do. The baking
powder people, who ali make their goods
absolutely pure" also pay the presi-
dents of their companies salaries ranging
anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000 year.
Few railroad companies pay their presi-
dents such handsome compensation
probably with the exception of the New
York Central, none of them do. The an
nual stipend which the Equitable pays
Mr.. Hyde or the Standard Oil Company
pays to its chief executive officers is not
known, but 1t is supposed that these gen.
tlemen should be placed at the head of the
men who receive big salaries in the United
States. And, Notwithstanding these facts,
L observe that statesman has introduced
bill in the House of Representatives to
reduce the salary of the president of the
United States to the paltry sum of SIS, 900.
1t should be defeated before it drives all
our presidential timber" into the life in
Surance business