The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-05-09
A MAN WITH AN AIRsHIP.
A Texan Guarding His Secret Care
fully En- Route to Washington.


lunch stand?" said an official Of the South
ern Pacific yesterday morning at the Nor
gan depot.
THAT man with a gray coat and sand
witch in his hand" said the reporter eager
ly. for Major Andersons tone of voice in
dicated that the gentleman In question was
the possessor OF an interesting story
Yes. that hungry looking gentleman"
who is he?" asked the reporter.
well. l don't know" replied Major An
derson. but he has something to do with
airships"
"Airships!" and before one could have
remarked scat" the reporter had showed
his card under the gentleman's nose, right
alongside of the sandwich.
"Ah, indeed" said the airship man, lay
ing aside his lunch. Yes. very glad to
know all reporters. for they move the
world But | really do not know Of any
thing l can tell you that is news My
name is Dodson, am from Palestine,
| Texas"
But" began the reporter. "Did you
bring your airship with you?"
well. I'll be skinned. calculated the
airship man, who In the thunder told you
/ had an airshp?"
Why" hesitated the reporter, you
looked like something OF that kind-rather
one would secure the idea that you were
an inventor from your handsome looks
yes, handsome goes" continued the scribe
in an underbreath.
Mr.. Dodson. however. made no further
inquiry regarding the -~rce OF The scribe's
information. hat gently led him to a seat
why, 1t is a fact" he said, that l am
EN- route to Washington. and it is fact
| that l have brought an airship along with
NE, but IL is such n small one you would
never be able to take stroll in it."
"Ah. Are you the gentleman who edited
the famous airship which was seen in Texas
and St Louis and other places sometime
| ago." asked the reporter.
| My, my. has that old stale April fool
| story ever received any serious considera
tion here" said MIR Dodson, laughing.
| why, that was a clean-cut fake from
the start. | have the only airship which
! has ever been successfully invented. But
| do you know that the eagerness with
| which SO many people received that
| Omaha airship story really means some
| thing? OF course there was nothing in
the story of the Omaha airship. That
| was a fake pure and simple. started by
| some enterpristng reporter like yourself,
| and rolled along by all other scribes.
| But 1t shows that sensible people will
| not be sstonished at the appearance Of
| real airship. There are hundreds and
thousands OF people in this land today
who are PERFECTLY prepared to swallow
| az allSiiip SloTy, lot Lney KNOW II Is
| coming. They know that the enterprise
| and inventive talent of the whole world
| is today concentrated in MASTERING This
| great secret, the secret OF the air. Many
! nave claimed success. but yet none
| have proved it. But | have done so. The
model which | shall submit to the patent
| office at Washington will. | think, dem
onstrate that the airship is a success. But
| can not give tho secret of its constitute
| ton. You know there are hundreds OF
! theories upon which the airship Is built
| have an entirely new theory, end the
only correct one. | would like to ,ell you
| The principle Of 1t, but for fear of some
one getting in ahead of me on the caveats
in Washington. But l can tell you this
| much"
| The air ship man here hesitated, and
| seemed about to regret his promise
! We'll. what is it," asked the reporter.
'Di Won ever see an eagle In the a'r?"
Thousands OF them"
| We'll. YOU have seen than with motion
| less wings sailing along for miles in the
| clouds. haYe YOU not?"
Yes. yes, thousands OF miles, said
| the reporter
Nell have discovered how they man
age TO do this and you must know that
| ltls ability Of the eagle 10 sail In the air
without motion of wing has long been the
| troublesome knot with students for their
models. 1t has never been demonstrated
W tleln HOW tHls could be done, now the
movement OF wings, and how the elevation
/ could he maintained. | have discovered
now IT Is done. and therein lies the pri a.
clple rt Inc air ship ! have Invented. and
me principle upon which people will sail
the az in the future"
The air ship man again hesitated.
Would you like 10 know what the rrin-
ciple is?' asked the air ship man.
For heavens sake. p ease sir!" gasped
the report az
Well I'll tell you" said Mr.. Dodson.
IT'S done by the bird filling its lungs
Win ar II you were close enough to the
eagle or hawk when 1t begins this soaring.
you would see that the proportion of It's
oody is nearly one-third larger than when
IN It's normal stage, or whom il is Mapping
'is wings. The body OF the bird is so con-
suucted That 1t can compress the mir. so
~, 10 SPEAK, 10 such density as to materially
hghten It's body. The query naturally
arises how can this poise the bird in
hluair am unable TO say why 1t is.
put have demonstrated to own satisfac
ION mat air compressed 5000 feet above |
.he surface of the earth is much lighter |
s n"h ar compressed on the earths sur
noe bld you ever see n bird soar close 10 |
the earths surface? l mean. as thew do |
Nheh several thousand feet above tho |
ear ,. surface, eyenly and upon a straight |
me "a GU never have. and no one ever
~, uae' lne AR several thousand feet above |
liise $500 sulla'"' however PRODUCES n /
INV eheot wnen produce! upon any
! sehar ISM constructed after the model a. |
1 1,,r eagle or any Of the other poisinp birds
ms is the principle have discovered and
may, nave been for years perfecting an eagle
a ,'He meenanlsm. Here has been my great
est u1henity, for as the eagle. when 4, IL |
risirg. must flap its wings So was o ~ 20
pelea TO secure some kind OF mechanisn,
q, ,.' e,ava'ins my machine, Once elevated
,, saAsS ~ me needed amount of COR.
pressed and floats, that is all
nm ~" n, nousoh told the reporter all this TN
nn earnest tone OF voice, and whe,hsr nr
not he has really discovered tho "I ,r,n OF
snip or not romans to be seen, ''' an
viiio .ci, over tho Louisville and Nash.
v ,iiis road FOR Washington, taking his node,