The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-20
A FLEET OF
AIRSHIPS.
Aerial Navigation Company
Files a Charter.
First Vessel to Be Launched
Next Month.
ISMADE OF ALUMINIUM
Inventor Has Spent Is Years
in Perfecting 1t.
Weighs l 800 Pounds and Will
Carry 1000.

New York, Sept. 20-The Aerial Nav
ISatlon company, organized for the
manufacture of flying machines, has
MED articles of incorporation in the
{ Hudson county On. j. clerks office. The
machines are the inventions of Charles
A Kuenzel of No. 260 Eleventh street,
Hobo6en, who holds all but three of the
5000 shares into which the capital stock
OF the company ($3O0, 0OO) is divided.
VIM H. Graffmeyer and John Sicily
mold the remainder of the stock. The
once of the company is at the printing
oftce of Mr.. Grafmeyer, No. 260 Ninth
street, Hoboken.
When the inventor was seen at his
home he was 10th to discuss the mat
ter of his achievements in aerial navi-
cation.
wait until we are ready to give our
perfected mechanism a public trial." he
said. Then the facts will speak for
themselves. I have worked on this theo-
ry of a practical air ship for almost IS
years.
Five years ago in one of the public
parks of Philadelphia l tried a working
model 1t was not large enough to sat
1sfy me as trial horse so l have had
a larger one made-one that can carry
f1ve men, provisions, etc. Next month
1t will be tried from the Gutenberg
race track. The parts have been con-
structed in two different machine shops
in widely separated localities in order
to preserve the necessary secrecy. All
care to say now is that the balloon
is 1875 feet long and 40 feet in diameter
with a capacity of $50, 900 cub' feet of
gas. The ship is 60 feet long and 20
feet in diameter. The engine and all
the running parts, steering gear, ETC.,
are made of aluminium. One gallon of
petroleum a day will suffice to run the
engine, and about 40 gallons can be car
ried-enough to last for a month with
out replenishing the fuel.
Unlike Prof. Andree, we are able to
renew our supply of gas as fast as 1t
leaks and the balloon loses it's proper
DllOXAncV Of ho
whole affair will not exceed 1,500 pounds
The balloon proper cost $4,000 to con-
struct. 1t will support 1000 pounds be-
sides the weight of the craft
Last spring L received a letter from
the Spanish war department, which was
Forwarded to me in Chicago from Mad
rid, and others have made propositions
to US. But we are not boastful, and
prefer to wait until fair public test
shall have been made before claiming
to have fully solved the great problem
of aerial navigation. The filing of in
corporation papers was only a necessa-
ry legal preliminary"
Kuenzel is a frank, blue eyed Ger
man, only 81 years old, but is a mem
Der of the American ASSocia ton of En-
gineers, a machinist of Is years eXper-
fence, and the holder of more than a
dozen American and foreign patents.
He has patented a beer filter for brew
cries, a rapid water filter, an ice-mak-
ing machine, a furnace which is heated
by chemical action, several improve
ments in deep sea fishing apparatus and
a butchers meat chopping machine
He received medal at the last Paris
exposition and also a diploma for his
ingenuity. He has worked at his trade
of rnachinist and boiler designer in
Philadelphia and this city. His present
factory is at Union Hill, N. J. If all
goes we'll the Aerial Navigation compa-
ny will make a strong effort to get the
800 600 mentioned in the resolution Of
fered by Senator Lodge in congress last
year for the construction of air ship
up to certain specifications of weight,
carrying capacity, speed, etc., for war
purposes.
In appearance KuenZel's invention is
an elliptical-shaped balloon, supporting
by guys a boat shaped vehicle equipped
with q complicated looking gas en- gine.
\ pair of wins S operating in eccentric
circles, so arranged as to present little
or no resistance to the upward motion
of the air ship furnish motive power,
while a screw serves as a rudder. The
engine is of 25 horse power, sufficient to
enable the navigator to make heaGway
against most ordinary adverse air cur
rents.
Kuenzel is an experienced aeronaut,
having served in the German army
corps which was detailed to make ex-
periments with balloons for war pur-
poses in 1SS1-83, and he has made many
ascensions in this country with the late