The San Francisco call., 1897-04-26
At Least That Is What
Case Is Said to
Have Done.
Desires Space to Exhibit His
Invention at the Omaha
Exposition.
The Man Who Has Been Sailing an
Airship in That Vicinity
Heard From.

OMAHA, NEBR., April pa month
ago the directors OF the Trans-Mississippi
Exposition received note signed "a. c.
Clinton" requesting an option on ground
sufficient to fly an airship daily from the
exposition grounds. The writer admitted
that it was not his own name, but de-
clared he was the man who had been sail
ing an airship in this locality recently
and explaining that he desired to conceal
his identity temporarily.
1t caused much comment and an inves-
tigation was instituted. II has resulted
in the development that Clinton A. Case
is probably the inventor. Case is an in
ventor by nature and a violin. maker by
necessity. He went TO Kansas City some
time since. Before going be exhibited his
invention under a pledge OF secrecy to
Alva ]. Grover the weIl-known civil en-
gineer of Omaha. Case had evidently
signed his name backward to the commu-
nication addressed TO the exposition di-
rectors. The truth was made public
through Grover. Some time before leav-
ing Omaha Case exhibited to Grover the
plans of the vehicle designed for navigat-
ing the air, together with the drawings of
a propelling engine, the like of which the
ngineer had never before seen.
After a careful study of the blue prints
of Case's machine Grover declared HIM
self of the opinion that an airship or
aeroplane built upon those lines would be
able to naviaate the air, providing resist
ance TO air currents and steering gear were
in relative proportion TO the lifting capa-
city of the plane. A remarkable feature
- ~ ~ 4xNrr 81 fsva<,
engine, which, owing to the construction
Of the plane, must OF necessity combine
great power within small space. Cases
plans showed that after the first 800
pounds of weight every horsepower could
be secured by each additional three pound
weight OF engine, the whole power for
carrying 1900 pounds could be secured
within the space OF an ordinary Office
desk. Naphtha was 20 be used instead Of
coal, being easily carried in tanks at the
bottom of the plane.
he plane itself, Of an entirely original
design, was the result of many years, ex-
perimenting- lis framework was to be OF
bam boo. which the inventor had found
to be the strongest as well as lightest
material known. Th rty-foot wings of
BAN boo covered with silk extended out
ward and downward on each side of the
body of the ship, the latter having some
what the appearance of a boats keel 8,
tapering upward toward the front. The
propeller al the rear was like an ordin ary
steamships screw with the exception that
the blades were long and tapering and
made OF aluminium. At the bottom OF the
ship on each side wheels were placed,
iob tod IN
they were also to be utilized when alight-
ing.
Case tried to interest Omaha capital in
mis- invention, but at q time of financial
depression and when moneyed men were
very careful how they placed investments,
so the inventor left the city with the
avowed purpose of building mis- airship
himself in his native Missouri town. In
speaking OF the invention OF Case Engineer
Grover said:
when Case first came to see me 1 had
an idea he was one of those visionary per-
sons whose theories are based on the
amount of a busy mans time they can
consume, but as [ looked into his plans l
became convinced that Case was a man of
no ordinary calibeT. l advised him to
make duplicate drawings and send them,
with explanations, to Professor Roland of
Johns Hopkins University, Maxim. the
weIl-known experimenter in aerial naviea-
tion, and the chief of the balloon corps of
the United States army. He did so and
received replies from all three. Maxim
claimed Cases invention to be nothing
Few in principle, while the replies of the
others were of most encouraging nature.
Especially so was that of Professor
Roland, who is the highest authority on
aerial navigation on this side of the At
iax