Smyrna times., 1897-07-21
For the Smyrna Times
The Problem of Aerial Navigation.

Professor S. d. Langley, secretary
OF the Smithsonian Institute, Wash
ingtOn, d. c., in the May number of
McClure's Magazine, writes at length
OF his experiments as to the best means
to be used in the propulsion of air
ships.
Almost from the start the professor
seeks to initiate nature as means to
an end. Never was there a greater
mistake made, because if nature
"abhors a vacuum" it also detests
being duplicated. You may duplicate
the rose and fashion it's petals of the
softest silk, and render it fragrant
with rare perfumes, and conceal be-
meath the brilliant hues the secret
thorn, yet the law of nature calling
for this matchless rivalry of color to
wither and decay is wanting, and at
once nature enters her protest, the
withered leaves of the rose bow to a
higher law that cannot be duplicated.
You may scale Chimborazo, the
monarch of the Andes, and looking
down some vast abyss perceive white
object circling around slowly. 1t
rises until with spread of wings ex-
ceeding fourteen feet, it sweeps grace
fully past and clearing the dome of
the untrodden mountain, looks still
upward and gazes with undimmed eye
upon the nOOn-day sun. This is the
| condor of the Andes.
Let us see how nearly the learned
professor has succeeded in duplicating
the vulture of the mightiest range Of
mountains the Creator has deemed
best to fashion. First, the wings of
his airs ship have a spread of fourteen
feet, equalling those of the cOnder,
and are controlled by mechanism op-
Grated from car beneath. This is all
there is of it, To get initial or start
ing velocity a launching scow was
built, on the deck of which the ma
chine being placed, obtained mOmen-
tum for further flight as the scOw slid
into the water. Here is the results Of
initiating nature: the painted rose.
In the early stages of steamboat in.
vention Fitch took for his propulsion
model the human stride, and threw the
buckets of his paddle forward mucl
the same as person does his feet il
walking-a Fitch's steamboat soo1
sank into oblivion. Fulton, not alto
gether discarding the step motion
modified it to the walking beam anC
shaft with pronounced success.
In no notable invention has it eve
been demonstrated that strict adher
ence to natural models ever succeeded
in reaching the merits of the model.
There is more than half suspicion il
Prof. Langley's paper that he distrust
the ewing" arrangement of his air
ship, for he speaks of the propelle
wheel as being more suitable How
ever, that depends. If the air is 81
constructed as to have the same buoy
ant resistance as is given by mOlecula
water, then the fanges of the propelle
striking against the molecular part
cles of air would produce the sam
results the wheel does in water-viz
, a forward or backward motion Blu
. nature does not altogether bear out th
: suppOsition. The fins of a fish wit
! the propeller r-fanged tail, are altOgethe
2 different from the wings of a birC
e with the pointed tail feathers Offerin
: as little resistance to the air as pOss
[ BILE, and in no way suitable for propu
r sion. SO here with these deduction
from nature the analogy ends, an
while great credit is due PrOfessC
: Langley for even causing his ship
remain in the air for a few SECOND
r after receiving artificial velocity, mucl
( very much, remains to be done befOl
: the air-ship can Outdo that most grac
s full of birds on the wing, the ragge'
I uncouth, turkey buzzard.
q JAMES B. SCOTT.
D Wilmington, July, 1897.