Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-01
THE MAXIM AlRSHlP.
A Description of Its Lightning Flight
Along the Trial Track.

A Description of Its Lightning Flight
Along the Trial Track.
Pushed by the vorkmcn, the machine
rolled slowly out of the house and shortly
stood upon the track in the Lark. 1t had
completely filled the workshop from roof
to floor, but here, with only the sky above
it, seemed smaller and lighter. The steam
was kissing in the boiler the big screws
had made one or two preliminary revolu-
tons, and flight along the track was inn
minent. Jump on boardH' shouted its
owner, who stood at the boiler coming
half dozen different gauges and climb
ing over an outlying rod like the outrig
ger Of a canoe ! mounted the platform,
which was of the lightest matched boards,
SO thin that they seemed insufficient to
bear mans weight, Prior to the start a
/ rope running to dynamometer and post
was attached behind to measure the for
ward impulse, or "push," of the screw.
Mr.. Maxim turned on the steam, and
the screw on the port side began TO revolve.
1t is 1 I feet I / inches in length, ) feet wide
at the ends and 90 inches at the waist. 1t
is made of the lightest American yellow
pine and painted Il pale blue, the paint
/ having been sandpapered to perfect smooth
ness reducing the skin friction to point
at which it became negligible 1t revolved
faster and faster as the steam power was
increased until il was whirling on its seem
! ingly frail framework at II dizzying speed.
Then steam was shut off, it came quickly
to a stand.till. and its fellow on the other
side was tried All working smoothly,
both screws began to turn faster and faster
and faster until the eye began to lose the
| blades and retain only the sense Of two
whring disks. The action of the screws
at high speed caused remarkably little
( shaking of the whole machine. This is
/ one of the surprises of the invention, the
tremendous force cXerted as compared with
, the lightness, steadiness and compactness
of the whole.
| Behind the screws. 40 feet away, two men
were squatting over the dynamometer and
indicating the degree of ''push' on large
! index board for the engineer to read. The
| index marked 400. 500, 600, 700 and final
| ly 200 pounds Of push" The pressure
was then diminished below 500, and the
| commander yelled, "Ict go!" A rope was
/ pulled, the machine shot forward like
/ railway train, and with the big wheels
whirling. the steam kissing and the waste
/ pipes putting and Gurging flew over the
/ 500 feet of track in much less time than
| 1t takes to tell it. 1t was stopped by a cou-
/ pie of ropes stretched across the track,
working ON capstans fitted with revolving
| fans. The stoppage was gentle, and the
| passenger breathed freely again. looking
now upon the machine with more friendly
and less fearful eye, as if it We're dan
gerous bulldog with which amicable rela-
/ tions had been established and fear of in
/ jury was over. The machine was then
/ pushed back over the track, it not being
/ built, any more than a bird, to fly back
ward. In a quarter of an hour it is again
at its starting place and ready for another
/ flight. w. Dam in McClure's Maya
/ zine.