Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-23
Rep@sedF Feat Of the California Air
4 Ship
STORY @LD },.BY The INVENTOR
Machine Breasted the Storm That
Wrecked Vessel.
NO LOCAL IMPORTATION

SAN FRANCISCO, November 3.-The In
ventor of the mysterious airshlp, which has
been puzzling local scientists and others
for the past week, is believed to be one
DIR. E. II. Benjamin." an alleged dentist.
who occupied rooms in an Elliott street
lodging house for the past two years. but
so far he has successfully evaded all at
tempts to discover his identity. His attor-
ney, Collins, when seen yesterday, said
about the alleged inventor and his ma
chine: This morning the inventor came to
my office in the Croker building and told
me that he had tested the merits OF the
ship In last nights storm with the greatest
success The wind currents were very con-
trary. and one that tried the merits Of the
machine in the hardest possible manner.
but 1t came out of the ordeal In good or
der. having breasted the storm as we'll as
any bird.
He started from the locality where the
vessel is housed. and few over Ahetrez
and through the Golden Gate, sktrting the
Cliff House. and returning by the same
route acroTs the bay. He lowered over Seal
Rocks for fully ten minutes. and played his
searchlight on the seals themselves. His
intention Is to make another trip this even
ing. probably over the same ground, run
ming out as far as Sacramento.
A dispatch was received from Sacra-
mento last night to the effect that hun
dredS of people there had again seen the
mysterious meteor in the heavens. but as
yet no one has been able to see the object
sufficiently well to state definitely what
it is.
No Local Information.
At the patent Office today nothing could
be learned Of the application OF the flying
machine reported to be making successful
flights in the neighborhood of Sacramento.
Cal. The rules of the Office forbid any dis
closure of the names of applicants or the
character of the inventions for which they
seek protection. Inquiry among patent at
torneys Known to control Pacific coast bus
mess failed to discover any knowledge of
the alleged success in aerondutics at Sac
ranento.
1t Is not known at the patent office who
is the Washington representative OF Mr..
G. d. Collins the San Francisco attorney.
on whose authority the San Francisco ac
count of the flying machine il based. 1t
Is not likely that in matter OF so much
Importance u San Francisco patent attor-
ney would try 10 get a patent by CORE
spondence. and it is believed that Mr.. Col
Inns has lawyer representing him mere.
but who that person may be is not now
known. --H
Prof. Langley VIII Not Talk.
Prof. Langley. secretary of the Smithson-
ian Institution. when approached on the
subject this afternoon excused himself as
being too busy to- give his opinion whether
there were any truth in the reports of the
Successful Operation of the San Francisco
machine When published reports of the
trial OF the machine were shown him this
morning he thrust them from him in a
n.aI,ner indicating that he gave little cred
encc to the statements concerning the air
ship.
The air vessel on which Prof. Langley
has spent so much thought and time in
experiments. is operated on the aeroplane
principle. The reports from San Francisco
state that the inventor of the latest flying
machine has discarded the Langley model.
yet the descriptions of the invention say
that the aeroplane principle Is used in its
constructions.