Morning journal and courier., 1894-05-15
MT. MaIim's RIying-Maehine.

"f. Maxim's flytng-uachfne.
 A correspondent of the London World
 gives an Interesting account of visit to
 the Ayins-msshins of MT. Hiram s. Max
 i'm, who has large manufacturing estab-
 hshment at Bixiey, in Kent. The follow
 ing is an extract
 "A short walk across e corner of the
 grounds brings you to an enormous vood-
 sn building provided with great sliding doors-the largest in the world-snd,
 when fully drawn back, forming e screen or harbor to the hying-mschins on Its emerging from the shed on the lines of rail, laid down nine feet apart, and ex- tending three fourths of e mile. How ever. the great doors are only opsnsd on occasions of specially important eIperi- ments, So you pass Inside by e small
 wicket. The 'whirr' of wheels. the clsng of iron on iron, and the smell of oil, ss. lute you as you enter the dockyard of the monster air-ship. So large is IL that you mistake Its vast seroplsne of two thou sand square feet for a canvas roofng to
 sne buiidirE. At length the eye hxs cor rected its illusions, and you perceive o steel frame covered with canvas about forty feet long, and shaped somewhat like hat-bottomed boat. Above this is the huge stretch of canvas, sustained at con- siderable height by slender but very strong supports, which are at the same time the tubes for carrying the exhaust steam from the boilsr to atmospheric condeneers, placed ss border to the great aeroplane. adjustable sail arrangement fore and aft to regulate the possible pitch of the ship,
 with two lsrgs screw propsllsrs, each eighteen feet in diameter, give the stranger a kind of fantastic conception of hybrid
 result of the union of 6 ship in full sail
 with a small steamer provided with 6 very exaggerated awning.
 ''Sone idea of its actual dimensions may be gathered on mentioning that when ready to start 1t measures from stem to stern one hundred and forty feet and lat erally one hundred and ten feet, and its single mast is forty feet high, while its weight is seven thousand pounds. MT. Maxim explains In familiar language that his flying machine ia constructed on the same principles ss those determining the tens @ string to his kite, SO that when he runs be brings 1t against the wind. At 6 certain angle the kite sscsnds. With 8 bird, the weight of the body is many times heavier than the volume of the air 1t dis plscee; but this is overcome by the great mechanical power eIerted by the muscles of the wings, the outstretching of which form seroplanes. assisting in supporting the body of the bird snd operating in SD s.censionsl direction. The propellers of Ar. hsxim's sir-ship, driven st great epeed by two compound engines, take the place of the forcs exerted by the boy and the muscular power of birds pinions; while h!s extensive seroplanes represent the plane of the kite, ss alec the peunated area of the birdie wings These princi- ples being universally admitted. after the exhaustive experiments in which scientists have engaged, 1t remains for Ar. Maxim to design a motor the power of which was far in excess of its weight; and this he has perfected. Oa ascending the deck you cannot but admire the many which facilitate the working of the machinery, which is of the bghtsst 
 "The expenses of the preliminary experi- ments, with these attending the building and fitting up of the machine, have bsen no less than ten thousand pounds, 60 that y Ou are not surprised To learn that & ws'cn- man, armed to the teeth, sleeps nightly In the csnopied bsd. with one eye and both caIs Dptu. hE ab1Atn pGcAetC wll0 kle of his new machine, because, he says, he has proved most conclusively that 1t is possible to obtain a great asceusioual force without the use of & gas-bAg The railroad on which the machine ts tried is double, there being su upper and lower rail. When the machine is lifted one inch from the lower rail the wheels touch the upper rail, which prevents 1t from leaving the track, and 1t Is found that the machine when runniog st the rate of twenty seven miles an hour lifts from the lower rail and the wheels run on the top rail. The thrust of the two screws Eksn running st full speed is little more than two thousand pounds. Knowing that Mr. Maxim Is in- capable of fslss statement, you can no longer regard him ss a visionary, even If you ever did so. Very readily you can credit his assertion that before 6 couple of years are past we shall see the flying ma chine an accomplished fact. However, he holds ou. no hope that We shsll then find It on the nearest csbstsnd, nor even in the private coach -house. From Its great cost 1t will be only utilized for military pnr- poses. Then the whole system of modern warfare will have to be changed, even If 8 of peace will not have become for with lis uss the ironelad warship will possess no adequate srmor, nor yet fortress, against the destructive power of the bnmbs which could be let fell from the flying machine; while the rulers of country will be ss equally open to attack as the common soldier"