San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-27
THE ABODE OF GENIUS.
A Unique Farm in New York for
Inventors.
Everything Arranged for the Con
venience of Those Engaged
IN Scientific Research-a
Queer institution.

In the heart of New York state, be-
yond the reach of the merely curious,
| yet open to all of scientific turn of
mind, is the only inventors farm in the
world. There is doubtless no stranger
place anywhere. for ii is farm where
balloons are raised" aerial schemes are
Matched and air ships are born.
So far as the place at Frankfort,
Hcrkimer county, N. Y, is surrounded
by fields and groves which give no sug-
gestion of city life, 10 is farm, but it's
products are those of which the or
binary farmer knows nothing. For
these products are flying machines, bal
looms, strange ships that-in theory at
least--dart through the air or skim the
ground like bird.
Prof. Carl i. 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
the forces of nature and construct a
mechanical bird, it will no longer be nee
essary for him to spend fortunes to
work out his ideas or die without ac-
conplishing 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 APP
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, acces-
series and wonderful devices for the
construction of air ships
The farm was especially selected for
its natural advantages. There are
stretches of level ground, gently ris-
ing slopes and strong declivities. Thus
1t does not matter At what stage Of work
the inventions may he, a suitable grade
can always be found on the farm at
which trials can be made. If it be an
air ship that has been constructed
where there is a doubt rs TO the exact
nature of its workings, it can be tested
on the slight grades, so that there will
be as slight a ris K as possible to human
life or to the ship.
Close to the main house, in i glen, is
situated one of the most important fca-
lures of the farm. This is the spot de-
signed for the making of fabric for all
manner 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 special machine |
has been invented and constructed by |
Prof. Myers, so contrivcd as to supply !
a complete coating of thick varnish aud |
then to remove the coating with the eX-
ception OF an exceedingly delicate film, |
difficult to bemeasured by Instruments. |
OhS SSSbOl1 VI lllC IbltC VI GiIS DlS /
house is workshop containing all tools |
necessary for the construction of APP
paratus from wood, metal or textile, in
GLIDING lathes of various and original |
designs, steam engines, all classes of
machinery and kindred |
for making comparative |
tests. 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 |
ton of the attic is given over to space |
and machinery for the construction of |
models especially Of kites, aeroplanes,
wind-borne or self-propelled motors, |
winged apparatus worked by hand and |
feet, gas vessels propelled by screws or
serving TO support other devices for
safe trial by their inventors.
In the little buildings scattered over |
the farm are located the gas engines and |
tanks for practical experiments, the |
chemical chambers and several furnaces |
and retorts. Some of these last are SO |
strange and Unusual that their ap-
suggests the laboratoryof some |
old-time alchemist rather than Nine
tenth century workshop.-N. Y. Her
aid.
Astronomical Discoveries.
That the best attainments are not the