The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-01-26
THE ABODE OF GENIUS
A Unique Farm in New York 70,
Inventors
Everything Arranged for tbs Cse.
venience of Those Engaged
In Scientific Researches
Queer Iusfifution.

yond the reach Of the merely curisua
yet open to all of q scientific turn o
mind, is the only inventors farm in III,
world. There is doubtless no strange,
place anywhere, for it IS n farm wiher,
balloons are raised, aerial schemes AT.
hatched and air ships are born.
So far as the place at Frankfort
Herkimsr county, N. Y. is surroundec
by fields and groves which give no sug
gestion Of city life, it is a farm, but it.
products are those Of which the or
binary faauner knows nothing. For
these products are flying machines, bal.
looms, strange ships that-in theory al
least-dart through the airor skim the
ground like bird.
Prof. Carl E. Myers, who has estab.
lished the unique farm, is like most
men OF purely scientific mind in that he
is most conservative in his ideas of
publicity, and is content to live in the
midst of wonders with his assistants
and those who. from time to time, are
associated with him. If an inventor has
an idea that he viii be able to overcome
The forces of nature and construct a
mechanical bird, it will no longer be nee
essary for him to spend fortunes "a
work out his ideas or die without &C.
complishing his life's object. All he
needs to do Will be to go to the inven-
tors farm and find there willing hands
and fruitful brains, as well as all ap-
pliances of this electrical age to assist
him.
Almost in the center of the big farm
is a modern country house, standing
amid many smaller buildings, in which
are to be found the materials for every
form of experiment. connected with
aeronautics. The lower portion of the
large house is given over to living
rooms. while third story and attic ex-
tending the length of the building and
occupied by balloon apparatus, access
sories and wonderful devices for the
construction of air ships.
The farm was especially selected for
its natural advantages. There ere
stretches Of level ground, gently ris-
ing slopes and strong declivities. Thus
it does not matter at what stage of work
the inventions may be, suitable grade
can always be found ON the farm ct
which trials can be made. If it be an
air ship that has been constructed
where there is doubt as to the exact
nature of its workings. it can be tested
on the slight grades. so that there will
be as slight risk as possible to human
life or to the ship.
Close to the main house, in a glen, is
one of the most Important fea-
lures of the farm. This is the spot de-
signed for the making of fabric for all /
of flying machines and balloons.
On this half acre Of ground, which is
skrted by the higher ground and trees.
the fabric is stretched to receive the
coatings of gasproof varnish. For this
application of varnish a special machine
has been invented and constructed by
Prof. Myers, SO contrived as to supply
a complete coating of thick uarnish and
then to remove the coating with the ex-
ception of an exceedingly delicate film.
difficult to bemeasured by instruments. |
OnC SCStiOA VI thC ol lifc DIX
house is a workshop containing all tools |
necessary for the construction of ap- |
paratus from wood, metal or textile, in |
,luding lathes of various and original |
designs, steam engines, all classes of |
woodworking machinery and kindred |
apparatus for making comparative |
ests. This is the section in which is
the material for the full |
sized machines Of the air after working |
models have been tested. Another sec
ion of the attic is given over to space
md machinery for the construction of |
MODELS especially of kites, aeroplanes,
or self-propelled motors.
winged apparatus worked by hand and
eet, gas vessels propelled by screws or
serving to support other devices for
'afe trial by their inventors.
In the little buildings scattered over
he farm are located the gas engines and
anks for practical experiments, the
chambers and several furnaces
Ind retorts. Some OF these last are so
,trange and unusual that their ap-
earance suggests the laboratoryof some
,ld-time alchenist rather than Nine
eenth century workshop.-N. Y. Her
Id.