The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-23
THIS MAY
NAVIGATE
THE AIR
Novel Machine Being
Built Near Grand
Island.
TRIAL TRIP TO BE HELD
VERY SOON.
PropeIling and Steering to Be
Done by Strong Aluminium
PropellerS.
AN ENGINE WITH GASOLINE AS
THE MOTlV3 POWER.
Constructed on Lines Essentially
Different From Any Aerial Craft
Previously Invented.
PropelIing and Steering to Be
Done by Strong Aluminium
Propellers.
AN ENGINE WITH GASOLINE AS
THE MOTlV POWER.
Constructed on Lines Essentially
Different From Any Aerial Craft
Previously Invented.

GRAND ISLAND, CAL, May %. - a
monster aIrship, b1ilt on lines essentially
different from any aerial craft ever in
vented, is in an advanced stage of con-
siruction in secluded spot in the vicin-
iiy OF Grand Island.
For the past two months the people of
the neigh borhood have been kept busy
guessing what the strange structure is of
which they have occasionally caught
hasty glimpses. Rumors of mysterious
machine with huge wings, adapted equally
for navigation through air or water, have
crept into the local paper, and over the
whole country for miles around the mys-
terious craft Is the sole topic of specuia-
tion.
The airship is being built by the Sweany
Davenport Manufacturing Company,
which has been incorporated with capi-
tai stock of 10000, all subscribed and
paid up, for the express purpose OF making
this attempt to solve the long unsolved
problem of practical aerial navigation.
The officers of the company are F. l..
Sweany, president; NJ. G. Fornia, vice
president, and c. B. Pooler, secretary and
treasurer, who. with ". B. Parrett and c.
l. Davenport, constitute the board of di-
r-cscrE.
been busy working on the craft for some
weeks past, ana but for the delay of East
ern manufacturers N forwarding several
parts of the mechanism the ship would
have been completed before this the in
tention of the inventors having originally
been to make the trial trip about the first
OF May. AS 1t is it will probably be the
middle of July before the craft will be
launched.
When finished the craft will measure
125 feet in length, 471I feet from the floor
OF the car to the top of the cylinder and
371z feet between the tips of the propel-
lers- The structure will consist of an
elliptical gas-hlled cylinder. to which
caris attached, and Two propellers stu
ated not behind ne cylinder, as has been
the case with most airships, but on both
sides OF the craft at the end of revolvabIe
shafts. 1t differs also from other craft in
being without sails or rudder, being steered
entirely by the propel!ers.
CALL reporter and artist visited the
scene of operations this morning at the
Frank SiiIlig ranch, on the Sutter County
shore of the Sacramento River. Messrs.
Davenport and Sweany were busily at
work at the forge and in the carpenter
shop, adjusting the mech anism that is to
be used in the ship. At present the craft
is only partially constructed The car
has been nearly completed and the canvas
cylinder has been made. Il will be coated
inside and outside with rubber paint, and
when all is ready for the trial trip it will
be inflated with hydrogen gas. The tank
that will be used in generating the gas is
already on the ground, and also 5000
pounds of suIphuric acid and 5000 pounds
of iron shaVings that will be used in the
process.
Our structure, said one of the in
ventors, 'is not fying-machine, but an
airship. We rely, for lifting it, on gas
inflated cylinder with a capacity of 46, 600
cubic feet. Pure hydrogen gas will be
used, with total lifting capacity of about
$500 pounds.
There ale several new features which we
have introduced in the con struction OF the
cylinder. Besides being made non-coIlap-
sable by the use OF bicycle tubing running
length wise with the cylinder, there is at
tached to the cylinder underneath it
smaller, or compensating, cylinder, into
which the gas escapes as it expands with
the rise of the airship. As the ship de-
scends and the gas contracts it rises from
the compensation into the main cylinder.
Without this com pensator, the gas would
have to be allowed to escape into the air,
and would thus be lost, or the cylinder
would burst from the expansion of the
gas. Another improvement is the placing
of the safety-valve below the equator OF
the cylinder. thereby making it impossible
for more than half the gas to escape in
case of any accident TO the valve.
"The cylinder is rigidly connected with
the car, which is fifteen feet in length by
five in width and weighs 377 pounds. In
the car will be placed the motive power,
gasoline engine of four horsepower.
THE most important and essential fea-
ture of our ship is the mechanism by
which we obtain our propeiling and steer
ing power. We pend On no sails or
rudders for steering When these devices
are used il is necessary to achieve con-
sidera BILE speed before the sails or rudders
are of any avail. This has been the fatal
defect in every attempt at aerial naviga-
ton. With our mechanism our ship can
be perfectly controlled in any position,
whether at rest or in motion We can
turn clear around either way within the
length of our ship and ascend or descend
perpendicular independently OF the di-
rection of the wind.
There are two propellers, situated one
on either side midway between the cylin-