The Portland daily press., 1895-10-23
FLYING AT GREAT DIAMOND.
First Use Of Lilianthaps Design in
America.

Mr. Charles II. LamsOn Scared Against the
Misunderstanding Facts About It,
The Hargrave Kite Went up Mile and
| Half.
| As is we'll known Mr.. Charles H. Lam
son the jeweler, of this city, has bean ac-
lively interested for some time in the
subject of aeronautics. His experiments
with Malay and Hargrave kites have been
very interesting andihave been lllustrated
and described in this paper
He has recently had constructed one OF
those flying, or soaring machines, thai
have been used with 50 much success by
Lilianthal, the now famous German
aeronaut. 1t consists of a pair Of huge
wings with which it is possible to soar
| from the summit of hill, against the
| wind, for long distance land to con-
siderable height. Lilianthal has scared
for 1000 feet straight away and to a
height of 200 feet.
Mr. Lamson's flying machine has a
spread of wings of 90 feet and is feet
wide 1t weighs about 40 lbs. and has
both vertical and horizontal tails, or rud-
ders. The ribs are of spruce and the
whole thing is strongly braced with
piano wire.
Last Saturday Mr.. Lamson, together
with his son and his brother, Mr.. j. h.
Lamson, the photographer. went down to
ct. Diamond island to make the first
trial of the flying machine. 1t was the
fhoi
America.
They went to the top of the ridge on
the west side of the island The slope is
not very steep, but for the first trial II
was quite steep enough. To ride these
great wings on the waves of the wind is
even more difficult than balancing the
crankiest canoe on the waves OF the
water. 1t required long practice and skill
before Lilienthal could make his long
flight.
| Mr.. Lamson's first two attempts were
not successful The third time he got his
balance and scared for several feet. The
fourth time was still better. He scared
\ into the air to the height of or feet
and went a distance of 10 or 20 feet Then
the wind tipped up one OF the wings he
was suspended between them of course
Instead of throwing the weight OF his
logs and feet in the direction of the up
lifted wing in order to bring it down, ne
| inyoluntarily acted as he would OH a
oicycle and threw the weight of his body
4 in the direction towards which no was
tipping That is all right on bicycle,
but with a flying machine it is different
Mr.. Lamson and the machine came down
and one of the ribs was broken. 1t was
a trivial damage but it prevented further
| use of the machine.
Mr. Lamson son said that it was de-
liehtful sensation, as he felt his weight
! borne upward and suspended in mid air
Mr.. Lamson took to Gt. Diamond island
that day his big Hargrave kite, that
looks like too big square boxes, suspend
ed in the sky. The kite was flown and
went I'D to the great distance of mile
and quarter.
The cord was wound on drum tc
which a crank is attached. 1t took seven
men an hour to wind in this mile and q
quarter OIL uc piS hieo AO"NAAASN
to earth with much reluctance and the
men took turns at the crank.
When the kite was brought to within
about 100 yards from the ground 1t was
allowed to fly there and was thus taken
to the steamer. 1t remained in the all
during the entire trip to the city, not
once wavering, when the steamer stopped
and turned and backed at the different
landings. 1t was pulled down on the
wharf in the city.
When up mile and a quarter, it was
visible only as a tiny speck in the sky
though it is 10 feet long and four feet
wide.
In coming up to the city it seemed to
fly better along the side of the steamer
than when behind it. That is it kept its
position more perpendicularly above the
steamer.