The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-04
HE STUDIED THE BUzzARDs.
That's What John Fowler Did Before
He Began Inventing the Flying Ma
chine.
From the Mobile Daily Register.

chine.
From the Mobile Daily Register.
A reporter, accompanied by friend,
who is mechanical engineer, went out
yesterday to Magnolia cemetery to see
John Fowler working on his flying ma
chine. Upon inquiring the way, high
fence inclosing about an acre Of ground,
Just outside the cemetery gate, was
pointed out.
On entering the gate the visitors saw
an enormous network Of wood and wire
that seemed jumbled up in inextica BILE
confusion. The machine is eighty-tive
feet from bow to stern, and ffty-three
feet from tip to tip of wings The wings
have a gradual slant upward from the
center. The bow slants gradually upward
until within ten feet of the end, when it
curls up like the bow of an Indian ca
noe From the center to the stern is
an almost straight line, with slight de-
preston Joined TO the stern is the
rudder. The rudder is about 90 feet long,
10 feet at the widest place, tapering to
fine point. A simple turn of crank will
throw the rudder either way or up and
down at will. When it is worked up and
down it throws the bow up and the pres
sure of the air will raise the machine
ter covered with canvas. The propelling
power is furnished by gas pumped into
the cylinder and exploded by a spark
from a single cell battery. The whole
machinery weighs only 525 pounds, will
give pressure of 15-horse power, which
will give the propeller 300 revolutions per
minute. The enormous spread of canvas
will make the machine self-sustaining
when 800 feet from the ground.
Fowler claims that the propeller, with
out any assistance from the wind, will
give velocity of 90 miles an hour. John
said that he had been watching the buzz
yards flying for years, and had studied
their methods of rising from the ground,
and it was really from them that he got
his idea of starting and soaring. A pair
of common wagon wheels and 80 or 100
yards of level ground are all that he re-
quires for starting as, like the buzzard,
his machine must gather velocity before
leaving the ground. He says he is going
to practice in the enyirons of Mobile,
when it is completed, until he has time to
remedy and defect, and get the entire
control of his machine, when he will
make trip to New Orleans and thence
to Washington, where he will present the
machine to the United States government.
John said that he did not want the name
of the bird mentioned from which he got
his ideas, as he thought the buzzard was
not very elegant bird.
He stated that the people here thought
him fool, and that he built boat last
summer 10 show what a fool could do
He went from here to New Orleans in his
little boat, running an average Of 10 knots.
On his return he encountered terrible
storm, which proved that the boat could
not be swamped as he threw his oars,
rudder, and sail overheard and let him
self be washed ashore.
The idea of building a flying machine
has been in his head since he was a boy,
when he made model, but he has never
since attempted to carry out his ideas,
but has confined himself to studying the
methods of all birds.
When the reporter and his companion
took their leave silence was maintained
for some time, and when finally the re-
porter asked what he thought Of it the
engineer, who is careful and practical
man, said that he thought 10 was as fine
a piece of work as he had ever seen; that
II had the main principle of all success
full inventions, simplicity, and that,
though not willing To say it would fly sue
cessfully, he would not laugh at Fowler
or his flying machine again; that he was
very much interested in the principle and
did not foresee any natural cause TO pre-
vent its successful operation.