The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-05-04

Seen by n Press Correspondent-He Claims
to Have Approached the Aerial G uissr
and Interviewed tho Captain-His Dea-
criptieu Of the Fast Flying Vessel.

to Have Approached the Aerial Cruiser
and Interviewed tho Captain-His Des-
criptiep Of the Fast Flying Vessel.
Glouster. o. April "a telephone mes
sage received at 10 o'clock Thursday night
from the assistant night engineer. called
the correspondent for The Press to- Mine
No. $, situated three miles east OF this
city. The much-talked about air ship
was said to have alighted near the north
side tipsle. and some men were engaged i'm
loading on coal.
The representative of The Press reach
cd the mine in less than - minutes and
had the pleasure OF satisfying himself
that there Is ar air ship that will fly and
which carries human beings more grace.
fully than any passenger train.
The strange craft remained at the coal
tipple for a few minutes over an hour
and took on board a half car load OF coal
and several three barrel tanks OF water.
On the outside the machine fully re-
semblcs the cuts that have been published
from time TO time by the newspaper "a
TIL ship proper Is made up OF "A huge
round-shaped structure. with narrowed
ends. and has "A mammoth platform cx-
tending about sixteen feet on all sides
directly under the large portion OF the
flying apparatus.
Your correspondent bravcly approached
the group Of black uniformed sailors who
were throwing aboard coal and asked for
lHIOfflsstlon concerning flH WONDERFUL
snip that had been the talk OF the whole
country for several days. From their
cordial words of greeting one was quickly
appraised OF the fact that the men were
not unearthly nor immortal creatures.
and were not from regions beyond the
land OF our own fair America After n
few preliminary remarks one of The sail-
ors, who gave his name and address as
Frank l.. Losing. OF Denver. Col. called
the captain. owner and assistant inventor.
by name August De Falamath.
Captain DeFalamath came down from
n pair OF steps out OF the main room of
the ship and announced himself as will
ing TO talk for Il brief time. lie was
small of size. and about 20 years of age
and in his conversation plainly Indicated
his French birth and manners. lie was
brief III his statement, even To rudncss
and he Enthusiastically was really opposed
TO any interview at all. The conversation
of the reporter several minutes before
hand with the sailors was the only rea-
son. probably. that ne committed himself
for talk, believing that if injury was tn
be done il had been done already.
The captain said the ship was built near
a small silver mining town a few miles
distant from Albuquerque y. NJ. togcth-
er with a larger and better one. Ills part
ner. Mr.. Gordon, was now also taking u
trip over the continent in "A larger and
somewhat better ship. The two men.
with assistants, had invented the intri-
cate machinery that solved the difficult
problems of aerial navigation. and De
Falamath believed the future held much in
store for their discoveries. Three years
and ten months were occupied in building
the two ships after the important dis
coveries had proven 10 be a success. The
greater part of the heavy machinery used
in construction was made almost ex-
| clusiVely of aluminium and every pound OF
weight possible was curtailed while build
ing. The captain positively refused to OK
| plain a word about the working OF the
| ship or any of it's facts and rclapsed into
| obstinate silence whenever the Informal
ton might tend TO explain the system OF
navigation. beyond the single. simple fact
that the flying vehicle was "A wonderful
success. Mr.. DeFalamath said the ship
carried twelve sailors, his wife, two chill
dren, and his father and a maiden sister
He explained it could easily carry four
times as many passengers.
The two peculiarly constructed engines
on the ship, said the captain, used about
a dollars worth of fuel daily and carried
the vessel about $50 miles in twelve hours
The captain said Mr.. Gordon and him
self were experimenting by riding over
the country, and intend in a couple OF
months to settle down and have the dis.
coveries patented. He reports the sensa-
ton on n flying machine to be exceeding
ly pleasant at times, especially when tho
wind was moderate. He cited n few in
cidents of his trip over the country and
how the people gazed in ,open-mouthcd
establishment. At n school house in Kan
sas, the pupils from a little country
school house, who were out for a rambic
at recess, fell upon their knees In a heap
and appeared as quiet as If dead. Near
an Indiana town some man shot a rife
into the ship and destroyed a piece of
canvas, but did no special harm.
The flying machine generally moves
along in the air about 260 feet. though
sometimes it Is much lower and at others
considerably higher.
Mr.. DeFalamath said the people OF THIS
country would nnow all about the flying
machine in a few weeks from now.
When questioned about his rumorcd
visit TO Columbus he vchcmcntly denied
being at any time within n hundred miles
of the place. Tho ship has been sailing i'm
every section of the country and passed
through southern Ohio near Cincinnati on
April II.
| Your correspondent was unable TO get
a photograph of the wonderful machine
as Mine No. Z Is three miles from the
nearest photographer and IT being light
would have prevented any view being
taken except by fash-light, and no one
was prepared for that. The captain re-
fused to disclose his future movements.
| The ship sailed slowly away to tho
south after the sailor had given The Press
man a hearty good bye. One jovial fellow
on the platform gally cried out as the
machine slowly arose: Just tell them
that you saw u.s."
| CThe writer of the above Is a well known
newspaper man Of Glouster: one VINO has
had considerable experience: "A gentle
man who stands high In the community.
and the story is published just as written
and furnished TIL Press by the author
who claims that he personally interviewed
the captain OF the airship. While the
story seems almost incredible II Is given
to The Press readers only al one coming
from a man of neutrality-suspicious. 60
l 1umbuS Ohio Press