The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-08

>-aw York, March while the prob
-, nj how man might profitably fly
.-,,,rb the air in imitation of birds and
....essftlly meet the varying atmOspher-
rondftions. has not yet been solved,
+s.-s is a movement now in force that pre-
.s,ts positive progress in this direction.
,, seems as though the prophecy of Sir
,-so~re Cayley. of four hundred years ago,
.t,+ this noble art would soon be brought
tor,e TO mans general convenience. so
.tsr IL would be possible for him TO trans
,o-t himself and family. with goods and
rbattels. more securely by air than by the
-,rasent method, and in less time" may
be fulfilled.
There is new ground for hope that the
rinetecth century may see some practical
results of value to the world in this field.
4 bill asking encouragement from the gov
ernment has been drawn by Mr.. James
Means of Boston, and introduced in the
Senate by Mr.. Lodge, from which a fav-
cradle report is expected. 1t is now in
the hands of the interstate committee,
and authorizes and directs the Secretary
of the Treasury to pay the sum of $780,.
eaD TO any person from whatever part
of the world who shall at any time prior
~ the first of January, 1901, construct an
APPARATUS that will, on a verified report
of a committee of three members, APP
pointed by the Secretary of War, demon
s-rate within, or near the city of Wash
ington. the practicability of safely navi-
eating the air at a speed of not less than
thirty miles per hour, and capable of car
rving freight and passengers, weighing
q total of not less than 400 pounds.
Section provides: That the secretary
of the treasury shall pay the sum of $685.,
NO TO any person from whatever part of
the world, who shall at any time prior to
the first of January, 1900. construct an APP
naratus that will on the same. Verlilcation
Conditions. demonstrate the safety of nav
igating the air in free flight for distance
Of one mile or more in descending line, the
point of alghting to be not more than %
feet lower than the point of starting
Boston has peculiarly become the center
of flying machine interest. The Boston ae-
ronautical society, which was ORGANIZED
last Nav with Prof William II. Pickering,
Harvards well known astronomer, as
president and Albert A Merrill, secretary,
has taken IN the investigation with renew
cd vigor Mr.. James Means, who is a
graduate of the Institute of Technology, IS
also an officer in the new society. Mr.
Means has just issued the second NUMBER
of THE Aeronautical Annual Inc vol
ume shows great advance over the nrst
number issued year ago, IN US contents;
otto Luienthal the famous Berlin aerial
Scientist contributes an interesting article
10 its columns. ,-.
TO erect laboratory near the city, where
well paid men may be employed in that
line of experimenting. IL VIII prooapIy
be a barnlike structure, near the center
of a level tract, with a large Snee5 OF
water not far away. Such a Dullding
would answer the twO-fold purpose or a
workshop and a place for the storage
of apparatus. For the year 1895 part
of the money raised viii be paid out to
the worlds eXperimenters in the form OF
cash prizes. These are to be awarded
for certain kinds of apparatus which are
much needed. The sum already guaran-
teed to the fund is SUFFICIENT TO provlde
prizes well worth contending for, but, as
it is hoped that the fund VIII pc con-
gtantly Increased, the definite amount OF
the prizes will not be made public until
the first of next May.
The competitive trials will probably take
place at field meeting or the society
r. he held next autumn, in the vicinity
of Boston. Designers unable 70 attena
are invited to send apparatus wnlcn VIII
be tested by a committee or the soGIely.
Five prizes will be offered, as follows:
For the kite showing the maximum OF
lift to the minimum of DRIFT IN DIeeze
having a velocity of more than fifteen
miles an hour; for kite keeping us
equilibrium through the greatest extremes
of wind velocity; also for the soaring ma
chine in free flight, which, after gaining
velocity. shall make the best course
The Lilienthal Aeroplane IS a remarK E.a+
blv clever device and while 1t is not yet
of practical value for making protracted
journeys in mid-air, it is, nevertheless
hopeful indication Of the progress maze
It's purpose is to initiate the soaring of
birds as well as their ordinary flight
which is effected by the Tapping OF t nelr
wings The improved machine comprises
Two wings. which, after the manner OF
birds wings are slightly Vaulted upwards
The wings are fixed by two roqs lalu cross
wise one upon the other, ana nrmly COLI
nected together thus forming carrying
frame, or a part of carrying frame, 70
which the person intending to fly may
hold so as to be suspended between the
two wings. The inventor says:
Zone can fly long distances with quite
simple devices, without taxing his strength
at all and this kind of safe and free mo-
ton through the air affords greater pleas
ure than any other kind OF sport FROM d
raised starting point particularly Ironl
the ton of a hill, one can, after some
practice, soar through the air, reaching
the earth only after having gone a grea s6
employed a sailing apparatus very IKE
the outspread pinions of soaring pru.
covered with cotton-twill, which IS taken
hold of by the hands, the arms resting be-
tween cushions. The steering is brought
about by changing the center OF gravity.
This apparatus I had constructed with
supporting surfaces of ten to twenty
square meters. The large sailing surfaces
move in an incline of one to eight, so tnat
one is led to fly eight times as tar as the
starting hill is high. The rudser is fastened
firmly behind in horizontal and vertical
position.
The machines weigh from thirty-three
to fifty-fVe pounds In ORDER TO pfactlce
flying with these sailing surfaces one first
ed surface. tin he has accustomed himself
TO be borne by the air. Finally he is able
10 sail over inclined surfaces as far 2s ne
wishes. The charm of Such flight IS in
describable and there could not be a
healthier motion or more exciting sport
in open air. The present rivalry in these
exercises cannot but lead to constant
perfecting of the apparatus. The con-
struction is such that ii resembles in all
its parts a strut-frame, the joints, OF
which are calculated to stand pull or
pressure, in order to combine the great
est strength with the least weight. A
single grip of the hands is sufficient to
attach the apparatus safely to the body,
and one gets out of the apparatus just
as quickly on landing. In case of storm
the flying sail is folded up in half min
ute and can be laid by anywhere. If one
should not care to fold the apparatus, he
may await the end of the storm under
the cover of the wings, which are capa-
BE of protecting twenty persons. Even
the heaviest rain will not damage the APP
paratus.
My experiments tend particularly in
TWO directions. On the one side l endeaV-
or to carry my experiments in sailing