The herald., 1896-11-24
STILL STARING SkYWARD
In the Hope of Seeing a Fly
ing Machine
ATTORNEY COLLINS STORY
Is Minute in Detail But q Tfif!e
Inconsistent
One Statement is Probably Accurate
The Whole Thing is a Fake-No
Patent Applied For.
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 23.-The in
ventor of the mysterious air ship which
has been puzzling local scientists and
others for the past. week. is believed to
be one Or. E. H. Benjamin" an alleged
dentist, who has occupied rooms in an
Ellis street lodging house for the past
two years, but so far he has successfully
evaded all attempts to discover his iSen-
tity His attorney. Collins. when seen
yesterday, and pressed to tell further
about the alleged invention and his ma
chinery, said this morning: THE in
ventor came to my office. in the Crocker
building, and told me he had tested the
merits of the ship in last nights storm
with the greatest success. The wind
currents were very contrary and the
test was one that tried the merits of the
machine in the hardest possible manner
but it came out of the ordeal in good or
der having breasted the storm as well
as any bird. He started from the locality
where the vessel is housed and flew over
Alcatraz and out through the Golden
Gate, skirting the Cliff house and return
ing by the same route across the bay.
He lowered over the seal rocks for fully
ten minutes and played his searchlight
on the seals. His intention is to make
another trip this evening, probably over
the same ground, running on his return
srip 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 had been able to see the OBJ
ject sufficiently we'll to state definitely
what is is.
The story of the air ship is not gen.
orally credited. The inventor cannot
be found. and those who are reputed to
have seen it are not willing to give def
mite testimony. George d. Collins. at
torney, whose name has been connected
with the inventor as applicant for
patent, admits he was retained for such
service, but ridicules the story of the
Sacramento flying machine. He says
the story is a fake, but declares that his
client is working on a machine which is
a combination of aero-plane and tail
less kite. Attorney Collins, however
says he has not seen the flying machine.
and he discredits his alleged perform
ance. The name of the inventor is still
withheld, and he cannot be found
NO PATENT ASKED
WASHINGTON, Nov 23-At the pat
ent office today nothing could be learned
of the application for a patent on a fly
ing machine alleged to be taking sue
cessful flights in the neighborhood of
Sacramento. The rules of the office
forbid any disclosure of names of ap-
plicants or the character of inventions
for which they seek protection. In
quiry among the patent attorneys known
to control Pacific coast business failed
to disclose any knowledge of the alleged
success in aeronautics. Professor
Langley of the Smithsonian Institution
who has experimental scientifically for
some time to demonstrate the best
methods of solving the question of aerial
navigation. excused himself from dis
cussing the matter. His manner indi-
Gated plainly that he gave little credence
to Sacramento reports