Evening star., 1897-05-08
A MISSING AIRSHIP,
A Smithsonian Man Has Something to
Say the Subject.

speaking of this airship aerial what
is-it, remarked an old clerk in the
Smithsonian, (which seems to be perambu-
lating through the circumambient atmos-
phere, within the last few weeks, I am re-
minded of an experience that came to me
years ago. l was a boy of ten and had pro-
nouEced taste for mechanics of all kinds
My home had been in Massachusetts, but
MY mother dying and leaving me alone
| in the world. 1 went to Ohio to stay with
| an uncle, who was a rich farmer living
| about twenty-five miles south of Lake
Erie.
| than myself, and working on the farm as
| the farm blacksmith was man of about
thirty years of age, who was the most in
geniors fellow 1 ever knew. AT least he
seems SO to me now, judging with my ma
| turer judgment by the impression he made
| on my youthful Imagination. l used to
play in the shop, and he took particular
| delight in having me there and helping
| me make various little things of iron. NY
cousins were fond of being with him. too
put they had less time, so that 1 became
his nearest friend
| He would tell me about great things he
| was inventing and sometimes would show
| me odd-looking wheels and funny little
| fans and a lot more that he would tell me
| nothing Of After l had been on the farm
| nearly Two years, he took me out one day
4
would show me. and then he let me info
| his sanctuary beyond the big room over the
| snop. where l saw a peculiar boat-shaped
, vsssel. ABOUT twenty feet long. with fam
| IKE propeller for tail, and along the sides
| mike wings. Inside Of 1t was an engine
mat worked with some kind Of chemicals.
| w nat they were I do not know, but when
ne mixed them in the retort and set them
anre' they made a light that blinded me
| SO could not look at 1t.
| lie told me very little about his boat
except that 1t would run through the air
a,h a,,u ,nat ne was going to give 1t trial trip
| me only my two cousins were to see the
] start The moon fulled a week later and
a. lO O'Clock at night. when everybody
omt ~ ~as r. asleep my cousins and 1 slipped
out OF the house and Joined the blacksmith
at the shop. With our help, he soon got
the boat, which was very light. and on
roliers as well, to the hole in the wall
| "nere ne had knocked the planks off.
Taking his place in it with his chemicals
| Ieady and light in his hand to start
the power going he told us he thought the
aa Doat uw would probably sail out of the shop
| away. If it did not do more than Let hiro
| oown easy fifty feet away he would he sa +
lsfied What it did do was to carry him
TO the nil, and when we came after him
ne was nearly crazy with the excitement
OF success. and wanted to start right then
and there for Cleveland. about thirty miles
| away. We tried to talk him out Of If
out nc was sure everything was all right
| and at once ran back to the shop and GOT
| a great lot of his chemical fuel and loaded
| the retort with 1t.
| I'm some way, before he had got into
| the boat, the chemicals ignited and with a
| swish the strange machine gave a sudden
| lIrch, dashing the blacksmith to one side
| and, rising like an arrow, shot northward
| toward the lake at an amazing speed For
! an instant Its creator watched it as 1t sped
| away with ali his hopes and labor and
| study, and then with groan he fell to the
ground and lay there. When we turned
him over he was black in the face and
| blood was coming from his mouth We
| were nearly frightened 10 DEATH hut we
| got him home, and there he fingered for a
| week and died without ever quite regaining
/ full consciousness.
| "A less sensitive man might have sur
| vived the shock and built his boat again,
| but this man had his soul in his work and
| 1t went away when the boat did, What
ever became of the Graf. no one has dis
| covered to this day. though the general
belief was that 1t had fallen into the lake
! and gone to the bottom. though 1t is Dos
| sible that 1t might have been lost in the
| forests OF Canada. Wherever 1t went no.
| body knew enough OK it, except is BOYS.
| to make any effort to find it. and the dis
| covery ended with the blacksmith 1t is
| remembered in that section now only by
the outlines OF it made from drawing
| by one OF my cousins. which were cut on
| the plain marble slab over the grave of the
blacksmith in little country churchyard.''