The Topeka state journal., 1897-08-09
HE DIDN'T JUMP.
FeItz Went to the Top of Pixies
Peak
But the Programme Ended
Right There.
Ended
FOG WAS TOO DENSE.
Says He Will Make the Leap
When Conditions Are Right.
Thousands of People Turn Out
to See the Performance.

b. F'eltz did not make his jump from
Pixies Peak yesterday, but that was not
| his fault. With the conditions of cloud
and fog it would have been blindfolded
leap to certain destruction.
Feltz went up to the summit of the
peak in the morning carrying his inn
mense aeroplapes with him. Two hours
We're required in adjusting the big wings,
| but heavy clouds gathered and slight
snow falling at the time convinced him
that leap from the peak would have
| been suicidal.
The leap was postponed, but Feltz is
still on the peak, and it is said he will
stay there until the conditions favor
| able, when he will sail down into Colo
| rado Springs, twelve miles distant.
Great crowds went up the peak to wit
| ness the leap of the daring aeronaut, and
field glasses and telescopes were in great
demand. The crowds were greatly dis
appointed on account of the postpone
ment.
The aeroplane, which to the minds of
| scientists promises so much in the way of
| future possibilities of aerial navigation.
| Feltz believes fully equal to the task, and
with arrangement of his own devisng,
| he will leap into space from the summit
of the peak.
| Pixies Peak rears its massive head to
an altitude of IA. .14 feet above the level of
| the sea, and more than 5000 feet above
| that of the plain upon which, twelve
| short miles away as the eagle flies, Colo
rado Springs is situated. From the sum-
| NIT of the peak the east side, toward
| Colorado Springs, drops in a sheer and
abrupt descent to over 1000 feet, and then
| slopes away gradually eastward till its
| base is reached at Manitou.
So, when Mr.. Feltz jumps into the air
| from the ragged cone of the peak, his
! descent under the best of circumstances
! will be almost fall, and in case he loses
| his presence of mind or his expectations
| in regard to his aeroplane fail to be real
| lied, friendly ledge or spur will save
| him from being dashed to pieces at the
foot of the precipitous side of the noun
| tain.
Mr.. Feltz' machine is slight modifica-
| ton of the aeroplane devised by Lilien-
| thai in his early experiments, with few
| improvements which are considered of
| Importance by Mr.. Feltz adding to it's
| safety and the possibilities of guiding it
| at will. The aeroplane has two great
| wings, shaped somewhat like the wings
| of bat with combined surface of about
| 200 square feet. The wings are covered
| with strongly woven silk, fastened to ribs
| of bamboo, which give it considerable
| strength with little weight. Each vane
| dips low at its junction with it's mate
| and from the center swoops upward and
| outward III d graceful COnNG& CURVE H.
ward the tips, however, there is an upward
| trend of the pinions presenting the con-
| vex downward to avoid danger from ex-
| treme lateral swoops and oscillations
| The voyager sits in a comfortable har-
| ness between the two wings, which meet
| Just at his waist line, his head and
I shoulders being above and the lower part
| of his body below the level of the aero
| plane.
| Directly over and ranging back from
| the body of the voyager. firmly connected
| and drawn taut between the body
frames and wing braces, there is an i'm
| movable rectoplane, like the dorsal fin of
| fish, which is designed to protect the
! right line of flight. hinged extension of
| the rectoplane, operated by pair of op-
| posing guys, within easy reach of the
| operator as he hangs in the harness, pro-
| vides for the lateral changes of direction
| while the wing, acting on the same
| principle the tail of fish.
! The center of gravity being below the
horizontal parts of the aeroplane and
much below the convex extremities, the
danger of forward dips and rearward
| dives are said to be practically obviated.
The wings, however, being rigid and
| rather wide in extension, the tendency, in
| case of a sudden lunge either up or down,
| would be to continue the accelerat ting
| motion in that direction until the terrific
| velocity would grow menacing or ruin
| Gus to the mechanism and to it's proper
| manipulation. To guard against such
| happenings, as well to regulate the
| incline of the planes, there is a tail vane
| attachment to the body frames, like the
tail of a bird, which is under control of
| the voyager.
| Mr. Feltz does not claim that he is go
| ing to fly, but that he let himself
down from a great height safely by
| means of his invention. He alleges that
| he has tried it successfully at lesser dis
| tances with smaller and less pretentious
| aeroplane models, but in this experiment
| he expects to outdo all previous efforts
| anywhere made. He has witnessed ex-
| periments made by others, and has close
| ly studied their machines and their ideas.
| He claims to have watched Professor Lii
| lenthal in Germany and to have seen Mr..
Ditreaux, when he essayed his flight
| within the shadows of the pyramids of
| Egypt.
'T have made number of wagers,"
said Mr.. Feltz, ''at one to five that can
make the trip from the top of the peak
to Manitou and a few at one to ten that
| 1 will reach Colorado Springs. If 1 am
successful I will have demonstrated the
| fact that aerial navigation is possible and
will have won enough money to mater
tally assist me in further experiments
which 1 propose to make.
"I do not claim that 1 will be able to fly
with my present device; but have work
ed out plans for machine which, when
am able to construct it, will, in my
opinion, actually be able to fly and navi-
gate the air as easily as a bird does at
the present time. That is the main OBJ
ject of my proposed flight from Pixies
| Peak. 1t may also assist me in securing
further financial backing than what I
may be able to make by the winning of
my wagers.''