The morning times., 1895-09-15

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And II he should choose day when a
good breeze was blowing and mount
rapidly from the level Of his first step to q
position two or three hundred feet above
the earth, and then glide gracefully away
wherever he chose. those feelings would
be intensified
previous announcement In The Times
would draw q regular inauSurstontiay y
crowd to witness his feat. Yet it is just
this sort OF thing Dr. Otto Liiienthal has
been doing IN the vicinity OF Berlin
The fact has been well known to scien-
lists, but has received very little atten-
ton from the general public. Accounts
of DR.. Liiienthafs experiments have ap-
pearcd from time to time in the Prumethcus,
a German scientic periodical, which has
practically no circulation in this country.
Reprints have been made of several OF the
| articles, but even these fave had only a
limited publicity.
The work has attracted the attention
OF Du Bois Raymond, the great scientist,
and he has taken part in the more recent
experiments. He has himself taken sew
eral flights little less extensive by the
use of DR.. Lilienthars apparatus
The problem of Tight for men is to-day re-
ceiving study in a way never before known
in the history of the world. Learned socfe-
ties have taken it up as serious work and
one or two periodicals. are devoted almost
entirely to the subject.
BROKE MAXIM's MACHINE.
Maxim's great experiment in England
last year, in which his mechanism was
broken in pieces, is familiar to all, ard
everybody in Washington knows something
about Secretary LaIgley's machine.
It is constructed on entirely different lines
| from that OF DIR. Lilientbal, or any
other for that matter, that has
ever been constructed. Its pur-
pose is for aerial navigation, rather
than baIiooning OF human kite flying, and is
| Is expected to carry load and to go about
in the air from place to place, something as
| steamers do on water.
The model has had one practical test be-
low the city, and it was quite successful.
| IL was made privately, but The Times got a
good account OF it, Since then very little
has become public regarding Secretary
LangIey's machine.
DR.. Howard Clark, of the Smithsonian,
said yesterday:
Secretary Langley is In Boston, but II
he were here. he would not talk about his
work in aerial navigation He has steadily
| refused TO say anything about what he Is
doing. 1t is a fact, however, thatsoine very
important work has been done, and some
very valuable facts solved. The study now
| being done is OF the most rigid, scientific
4 character. One of the greatest contribu-
1 tons to the sum OF knowledge upon the
subject is Secretary Laugiey's treatise
| upon the internal work OF the wind. Each
step taken IN this way is permanent and
leads surely on to the desired goaL'
DR.. Lii:cnihal is an enthusiast upon the
subject of human flight through the air He
| thinks the difficulties are to be overcome
not by any brilliant leap OF invention, but
4 by careful study, watcAing the flight OF
| birds and the like and by practical efforts
| 10 fly.
He thinks the evolution of the flying ma
\ chine, like that of tie bicycle, will be by a
| number OF discoveries and inventions. He
! believes that men must learn to fly as they
! learn 10 walk. by continual practice through
| a long time. This he exemplifies by his ex-
| perience.
HIS FIRST EXPERIMENTS.
He says: My own experiments in flying
| attempts were made from grass plot in
| my own garden, upon which, at a heightsof
sDe metre from the ground, had erected
| a sprinGboard, from which the leap with
my sailing apparatus gave me an oblique de-
scent through the air After several hun
| dred OF these leaps 1 gradually increased
| the height OF my board TO about eight feet;
and from that elevation L could safely
tha ar.IAt
| 10 hilly section, where leaps from grad
| ualIy increased elevations added to my
| skill and suggested improvements in my
| apparatus"
"Indulsing in subtitle Inquiries and theo-
rizing do not promote our knowledge OF fly
| ing, nor can the simple observation OF nat
urai flight transform men into flying be-
| ings, although it may give us hints pointing
| toward the accomplishment Of our pur
pose"
He describes how by practice he learned
| sEiIifuIly 10 change the center of gravity
while in The air, something as the bicyciist
| does, and thus to guide himself and TO take
| advantage OF the air currents.
This use of the air current Is one of the
greatest advances made by recent study
| OF the problem. 1t has been considered by
| lift the body through the air, but this is an
| error. The current of air will bear up the
machine with its occupant just as wind
carries away heavy bodies, and 1t is often
| est only question of Judgment whether
| the current is so strong as to render an ef-
fort to use 1t dangerous.
This work done by the air in bearing up
bodies in 1t Is the essential feature of
I'rof. Langley's discoveries. He found that
there are present at all times currents which
the student of this problem must take
into account that are not noticed at all In
ordinary matters.
SOARING A DELIGHTFUL PASTIME.
DR.. LilIenthal recommends the practice
OF lis method of soaring which he thinks
must precede any flying, as a delightful
pastime, which it may be hoped may afford
in addition TO much pleasure a sure relief
| from some forms of disease He says:
'sIt is difficult to convey to one who has
never enjoyed aerial flight q clear per
ception OF the exhilarating pleasure Of
this elastic motion. The elevation above
the ground loses its terror, because We
have learned by experience what sure
dependence can be placed on the buoyancy
of the air. Gradual increase of the ex-
tent of these lofty leaps accustoms the
eye to look unconcernedly upon the land
scape below.
ITO the mountain climber the uncom-
Portable sensation In thrusting bis feet into
the slippery notch cut in the ice OF to q
treachorous hubble above deep abysses,
with other dangers of the most terrifying
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