The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-12-16
Airship for the Cuban War;

A San Francisco special to the New York
World says:
Former Attorney General Hart, as evil
which is said to have been tried with sue
cess, has submitted the following state
ment to the World:
10 the Editor of the World:
In reference to the airship which has
been puzzling and astonishing many of
the people of California, will say this. I
have not seen it personally, but talked
with man who claims to he it's inventor.
I have spent several hours with him. He
has shown me drawings and diagrams Of
his invention, and am convinced that
they are adapted for the purpose for
which he has designed them more than
any other invention making such claims
that have ever seen.
II seems to me that the evidence col.
lected in reference to his airship, the char
acter of the people who have seen it, the
fact that it moves against currents OF air
as we'll as with them, and the fact that it
has the power to dart from side to side or
forward ought to convince people that
there is something in the invention.
I asked the gentleman who claims to be
the inventor what his desires were in REQ
gard to carrying on the business, and be
stated that he did not desire any money,
that he did not ask or want any one to
invest in il; that he was not citizen OF
California, and that he came here to per-
feet and test his airship, as the climate
and currents Of air here were most suit
ed to his purpose. It further stated that
he had progressed so we'll since coming to
California that the State was certainly en- .
titled to the honor Of its invention, as 1t
was yet in crude state when he first
came here. lie added that he had two
airships already constructed. One, he
said, was of large size, capable of carrying
three persons and thousand pounds of
additional weight; aud the other was
smaller, capable of carrying one man
and five or six hundred pounds OF
freight.
The inventor also stated that he was q
cousin of Mr.. Linn, who is Antony Ma
ceo's electrician, and that he expected to
take the airship to Cuba for the purpose
of aiding in the capture of Havana as
soon as be could perfect it and acqualnt
his associates with the handling oft. The
man is of dark complexion, dark eyes
and about five feet seven inches high and
weighs about 140 pounds. He says he
has three associates, all of whom are
mechanics; that he uses two kinds ofpow-
or, gas and electricity; that his lights are
sometimes produced by electricity and
sometimes by gas, with the aid OF retlec-
tors. He claims to have moved l20 miles
in one flight, and in less than six hours
and half, and not going with currents;
that he uses electricity for p'opelling his
vessel against the wind, and uses gas
largely in going with the air currents, in
order to save power.
II is proposed to build another airship,
and one of the parties interested with him
has told me that they were now at work
on a third vessel, and that it would be 80
constructed that in the event ofthe ma
chinery getting out of order and its falling
into the water it could be used as boat
by detaching portions of the. alrship.
When this is completed.and ready TOR use
the inventor intends to leave California
for Cuba.
So far as the electrical power Is con-
sufficient capacity, as to power and light
ness, to furnish the requisite power for
aerial navigation. and the inventor pro-
poses to use this power in connection
with the other for his operation. The
battery can be stcrci to its full capacity,
which is twenty horsepower, in seventeen
minutes. I am of the opinion that the
airship will be success, and its success
far more probable at this time than Morse
telegraphy was at the time Morse first Of
fered tie same to the public. So far as
public opinion is concerned, this inven-
tor does not ask any one to invest in the
enterprise. Perhaps this may be evil
dence of insanity. I will admit that this
is the first time to my knowledge that
anybody had anything in which he did
not want anybody to invest money.