The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-08-18
AERIAL TRAVELLING.
EDISON SAYS WE MAY ALL Ely
BEFORE LONG.
within Ten Years Flying Machines
VIII lie Common and Make
From Seventy-nvc to 100
Miles an Hour.
UTHo,IAs A. EDISON says that
within ten years aerial navi-

9 plished fact, and that there
is nothing to prevent us travelling
through the air just above the tree
tops at speed ranging from seventy
five to 100 miles an hour.
Mr.. Edison, forever experimenting,
has devoted some time to the prob
lem of aerial navigation. He has stud
led the matter carefully, so that what
he has to say on the subject is not the
mere haphazard guessing of the unin-
formed man.
$50 many minds are working on
the problem now" he said TO u New
York World reporter, "that the time
must DO short when some one will
strike tho right principle. After that
1t will all be plain sailing"
what is the right principle to
your way of thinking?" he was asked.
at is hard to say what is the right
principle" answered the wizard.
''The machine, whatever form it takes,
will have to rise by it's own power
and not by balloon power in any form.
Any method employing gas for hota-
ton is not practical. The whole
problem will DO solved when we can
get one-hCrsc power for every five
pounds III weight of the flying ma
chine"
Have you yet seen anything which
you think emboiIes the right princi-
p!e?"
81 have seen only what has been
published on the subject from time
to time" said Mr.. Edison, "und in
those publications l have not discov-
cred what L consider the right princi-
pie. There is one man, however, who
Is devoting considerable time and at
tention to that subject in whom have
the greatest confidence. He is Pro-
lessor Langley, of the Smithsonian In
stitutiOn in Washington. My conf
denco in him arises from the fact that
he is man of rare scientific attain
ments and fine experimenter. / have
not seen the results of his expert
ments published.
'Do you think the motive power
for the flying machine will b, electri.
city?" Mr.. Edison was asked
NO" answered the wizard slow
II. 81 rather think that gun-cotton
or some chemical that makes its own
gas will furnish the motive power.
The gun-cotton employed will not be
of the high explosive quality, of
course, but rather in the nature of
celluloid gun-cotton. l took some
stock-ticker paper here one day and
made it into n lower form of gun.cot-
ton and fed it between copper rollers
1t didn't explode, but ignitei and
flashed aud the gas did the work. l
got three thousand strokes minute
with them, There was good deal of
heat generated that could not be
utilized, but that could be overcome
without difficulty"
"What speed could the aerial ma
chine attain with perfect safety |"
off the hotation Is all right a speed
of from seventy-five to one hundred
miles an hour will be nothing. The
friction of the air will be very small
matter. The speed will depend alto.
gether on the amount of air friction
and power employed. The hotation
must be secured without the use of
gas. 1t must be complete mechanical
fotation, otherwise the flying machine
will be at the mercy of the wind.
at is the displacement of water
which makes so much power necessary
In vessels. 1T we can get the same
grip on the air that we can on water,
friction and the like will be but tri-
files, because we will not be doing any
work against gravity. You know il
we push anything along n horizontal
line where there is no gravity, only u
small amount of power is required.
1t is OIL the grades that great power is
required In locomotives to haul trains.
On the levels only small amount of
power is necessary.
Horizontal propulsion will be the
method in the successful aerial ma
chine. The ilotation is the problem
to be solved. IL machine IS invented
that will lift itself and two or three
hundred pounds besides to distance
of fifty feet in the air and stay there,
then the whole matter is solved and
becomes simply n question of details
for draughtsmen."
And how soon do you think this
will DO accomplished"
Within ten years." snid MIR. Edi-
son, promptly.
"And will any of the theories al
ready advanced supply the principle ?"
"No, for they are neither com.
mercial nor reliable. / have but little
faith in the aeroplane. All / want is
n rope on n machine with the other
end Of the rope fastened TO n stump,
and the machine Go pull strong on the
rope for two or three hours. Then
III know the whole question is solved.
don't want tho machine very high.
There's no use going much above the
tops of trees, and the aerial machine
should land somewhere near the
ground. As for the form the machine
will take, that is minor considers.
ton.
There arc three, possibly four,
theories IN all which are of value. One
OF them is the right one Which one
that Is we must find out. And well
get it soon"
A Strange Acridcut