New-York tribune., 1898-11-27
LANGLEY, AERONAUT.
GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION OF HIS
FLYING-MACIuNE PLANS

Washington, Nov. 26.-The recent determine |
ton Of the United States Board of Ordnance to
Appropriate S25 600 to develop the idea OF Secre-
tary s. p Langley Of the Smithsonian 1nstitu- |
ton In the construction Of q man carrying, |
power driven aeroplane Is an evidence of conf |
dence In the future efficiency Of the apparatus
20 which Professor Langley has devoted many
years that must be extremely gratifying TO MN. |
The decision of the Board OF Ordnance to
institute further investigation was influenced by
the value in time OF war to reconnoitre the !
enemy's position and to drop high explosives
from above the value Of which is appreciated by
Ali stratcgists. and one that has led some ma
lions 70 experiment with balloons. as this coun-
try did during the recent war. Balloons have
not. however realized all the hopes that have
been entertained regarding them.
When the subject was recently under dis
eussion by the Board. Professor Langley ap-
peared before it and gave his opinion in regard
to making further experiments, explaining the
Workings of his own machine, and telling IN
the most concise manner of the progress made !
In aerial navigation in Germany ana france
where he went last sun ,ncr and became familiar
with the state of the art The Official state
ment is made that he has consented to give the
Board the benefit of his knowledge and eXperl-
ence on the understanding that he is to receive
no remuneration for his work, it being his am
bitlon TO donate his labors TO the cause OF sci
ence and his country, evidence OF whlch
his machine has not been patented and with his
consent never will be.
Professor Langley's invention was perfected
IN 1893 and a short successful fight was maue
with an aerodrone in the spring or that year.
M, he was reluctant at that time, for reasons
obvious to those VIII, have followed the story
OF mechanical fight from its beginning, 10 make
his success public, and ii was not until year
later tha, the world was taken into the conn
dence of the great inventor. On May ~ iooo ms
aerodrome made two successful fights, which
were witnessed by only a few people, but 1of'1-
nately by those who understood and had sym
pathy with the project and whose tes'lfhoh!
was universally accepted. Among those fe"
were Alexander Graham Bell, who subsequently
wrote an Interesting paper concerning ms op-
servations when the Langley machine made
flight thrce-quarters of a mile in length, the
longest known.
After only few years devoted 70 the problem
of mechanical flight. Professor Langley sue
ceeded in surmounting several obstacles 'ha'
had heretofore been considered insuynountaDle
md in producing machine the incon'eStaDle
s,lnt in regard to which is that II VIII ny ana
ts susceptible Of being steered. But his expert
ence records many failures, end four machines
were built before he rnadc one 'Idt INV 'HO -
X,irements Of free flight. After many unsuc-
sfuI attempts to launch tho fourth aero
tro1ne. he was finally gratihed by seeing his ma
chine soar like a great bird til oush the air
and from this time on the problem Of launching
was solved.
IL an article published in "The Aeronauiical
Annual" Professor Langley makes graceful al
lusion TO those who were associated Win ana
assisted him in his work. Dr Carl Barus ana
] Efreth Watkins the latter Of whom Is stiI
aseociated with him In the work Professor
Ianrlev's aerodromo looks in fight like a huge
bird: its projections, however, are greater than
any known inhahitant Of the air measuring
from tin to tip of its wings fourteen feet. 1t Is
bu,lt almost entirely of steel ana driven by
steam engine. Its weight, including everything
Il carries j. about forty pounds. Tho method oil
nrou,lsiou IS by twin-screw prOpeliers, and there
&c no aas or any other aid for raising or keeping
u ND in the air except its Internal energy. Inc
machine here referred to- however, did not carry
snv tass, ngers, and was only "oHKi1g model
IT remained aloft two OF three minutes.
Professor Lancley was born sixty -iour years
900 i'm Eoxbury Mass, and received his early
.drcatinn in that classic institution. SO many
of ,yboee alumni have become famous the hos
,r Latin School Aftcrward he entered the
rnclish High School. being graduated from
thare in 1851. Curiousy enough, be did not go
10 college. but devoted himself at once 10 the
study Of astronomy, which mac DEC" '''' '
from earliest youth.
In 1867 Professor Langley made a Journey ~
Europe and on his return was appointed assist
h4T