The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-17

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ounces and develop one horsepower, bhe
lightest of that power ever made. There
are four boilers OF thinly hammered cop
per weighing little more than seven
pounds each and they occupy the mlddie
portion of the fish. Instead of water, a
very volatile hydro-carbon is employed,
the exact nature of which is matter OF
secrecy, but which vaporizes at COM
paratively low temperature. The fuel
used is refined gasolene and the extreme
end of the tail of the fish is utilized for a
storage tank, with a capacity of one
quart. Before passing on to the boilers
the gasoline is volatilized by going
through heated cell.
There are twin screw propellers, which
would be made adjustable to different
angles in practice, to provide for the
steering, but which in simply working
model are necessarily fixed at certain
point for a given trial. Screws of vari-
GUS pitches, and ranging from twenty to
eighty centimetres in diameter, have
been experimental with, but it is not
yet definitely determined which shall be
adopted for trial. With the smallest,
the engines develop a speed OF l70O rev.
olutions minute. With the larger ones
the speed is somewhat decreased.
A thin jacket of asbestos covers the
upper portion of the body of the fish.
1t is unusually porous, and probably is
employed to prevent undue loss OF heat
by radiation The wings of aeroplanes
are sector shaped and consist of light
frames of tubular aluminium steel,
covered with China silk. The front
one is forty-two, inches wide in the
widest part and has an extreme length OF
forty feet from tip to tip. The rear one
is somewhat smaller. Both aeroplanes
are designed to be adjustable with refer
ence to the angle they present to the air:
A tubular mass extends upwardy and
downwardly through about the middle
of the craft. and from it's extremities run
stays of aluminium wires to the tips of
the aeroplanes and the ends of the tubu-
lar backbone, and by this trusting ar
rangement the whole structure is rem
dered exceedingly stiff.
The machine was constructed and per-
fected to its present degree in secret
room in the Smithsonian Institution,
where it now rests. 1t was conceived
about twenty months ago by Professor
Langley, who associated with him in the
work Of experimentation Chief Clerk W.
G. Winlock and DR.. Kidder, a scientific
expert employed at that time in the in
stitution. Four skilled workmen 4 in me-
| chanics and metallurgy were put to work
!. at fifty cents an hour under pledge of Sc
crecy. The work went on at odd hours
| mostly at night and on Sundays At the
| institution the strictest injunctions were
| laid on the walchman to keep all IN
| truders off the scent. The watchmen
themselves were instructed to turn their
| backs or walk to the other end of the
4 -. xxynrd y,accn1 from tha
| chief that some article was to be con-
veyed to OF from the secret chamber. 1t
| is said that one employee was discharged
merely for being seen on the third floor
| of the building None Of the regular en-
| ployes were supposed to know what was
going on there. AS a matter OF fact,
| very few of them do know that anything
| is there at the present time.
Professor Langley went to France to
superintend personally the making OF
| the central tube, which constitutes the
backbone of the structure, and brought
| it back with him among his personal
| effects to insure careful handling. 1t is
so light that it can be handled easily by
an infant. During his French visit,
while in touch with the most advanced
investigators, he is believed to have
reached his conclusion as to the best
model Tor The general conIofmatlon OF
the proposed air craft, namely, the long,
thin. tapering lines Of the mackerel.
In the large lecture room of the Nation
al Museum Professor Langley has sue
ceeded repeatedly in producing success
full flight by small models. They would
fly as long as the power lasted, the power
being applied by means of lightly
wrapped rubber bands, on the principal
! of the striup ton The lighteSt of these
models weighs sixteen grams, and will
soar from one end of the room to the
other as freely as bird. It may be sup
posed that the gross weight has been SO
far reduced as to give hope of actual
success now, inasmuch as an outdoor
| trial has been planned. The intention is
to employ a tug to tow the experimental
party to creek about forty-five miles
down the Potomac, where the expert
ments may be conducted without fear Of
| interruption.