The herald., 1894-10-14
MAN MAY YET FLY.
Wonderful BirdliSo Machine Constructed
by Professor Lilienthal.


by Professor Lilienthal.
Can man fly? Learned professors of
the sciences of aeronautics agree that he
cannot, and formidable commission
of experts appointed by the German
government to investigate into the pos
sibilities Of aerial navigation have final
ly and deoisiyely and officially said that
it is impossible. Sill an ingenious and
observant German Of the name Of Otto
Lilienthal, after o long series Of expert
ments and in the face Of the decisions of
the eminent scientists, has succeeded in
proving that a clever man can fly, and
fly for considerable distances too.
Professor Lilienthal, like most men
who have solved difficult problems, has
gone clear away from the principles to
which other men have found limitations.
When he decided to fly, in other words,
he left the possibilities afforded by the
balloon entirely out Of his calculations.
Balloons, said he, are crude affairs, dan
gerous, not to be depended upon, nom
dirigible and clumsy. There is nothing
in nature built upon the principle OF
the balloon, yet there arc things in ma
ture which can fly, and fly much better
than the best balloons Those things are
birds. To the birds, then, I will go for
the model OF my flying machine. And
to the birds he went.
From these same birds it was that
Professor Lilienthal. learned the true
principles of aerial navigation, which
principles he has succeeded to degree
in adapting to the uses Of man. He first
learned that it is the concave> shape Of
bird IS wing that enables il to soar, ris-
ing or falling at will without muscular
exertion in the teeth OF high wind.
Then he learned that a birds wing
bones are constructed similarly to those
in man s arm. Knowing these things,
he built his flying machine, or, to be
more correct, his soaring machine. He
made for himself of light but impervi-
GUS cotton cloth and split willow wands
two immense wings 23 feet from tip to
tip, and q practicable il not highly Or
namental rudder or tail.
He preserved in their construction as
nearly as possible tho form Of a birds
wings and tail, increasing tho parabolic
curve of the birds wings to the exact
proportionate degree for his larger ones.
These wings and the tail, weighing in
all only 25 pounds, are SO constructed
as to fold up like the wings OF bat.
Having completed them, the professor
adjusted them to his arms, took run
along q hilltop and calmly and conf
IDENTIFY jumped over the side, spread
ing his wings as he did SO. He scared
some distance and alighted in safety
and comfort. He repeated his expert
ment many, many times, learning how
to control his apparatus, how to change
direction, how to rise or descend at will.
Ee improved his wings and tail and
kept on praotioing until now be can
soar for several hundred yards, rise to
a much greater height than he started
from and fulfill most Of the functions Of
big bird, save only that OF propelling
himself IN still air and starting his
flight from level ground. These two
things man is not strong enough to
do, the bird possessing much greater
strength for its size and weight than the
most muscular man. But what Profess
sor Lilienthal lacks in strength he has
made up in ingenuity, for he has now
constructed a little motor, operated by
carbonio acid gas, which, while it adds
scarcely anything to the weight OF his
flying apparatus, is capable Of develop
ing continuously two horsepower, or
more than enough energy to work the
wings Indeed in tho first trial the lit
tie motor developed TOO much strength
and broke tho WINGS putting a stop to
further experiments tbr the time.
If Professor LilienMhal succeeds in
perfecting the great invention, the prac-
ticability OF which lie iaas already dem
onstrated, and in making aerial navi-
gRtion on the simple principles favored
by the birds safe for mankind, he will
have, achieved o notable triumph over
the wonderful forces of mature as well
as tho worlds greatest scientists. And
he seems very likely to succeed, unless
no should grow careless in handling his
experimental wings and pegchance fall
victim to tho awful fate which overlook
the laniented and legendary Icarps, the
first rnan who attempted to Ay.-Chi-