Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-08-04

matter of record that Congress, not
so very long ago, considered bill for
the construction of this particular air.
ship. The committee to which 1t was
referred recommended the appropria-
tion of $4,000, but because workable
machine could not be built for less
than $150,000, the inventor withdrew
his proposition. Since that time the
originator of the airship has endeavor-
ed to interest men of means. A COM
pany has been incorporated at last, OF
which the following are the directors:
Colonel A.. c. Fisk, president OF the
Federal Supply Company; S. B. Reed
architect; A. De Bausset. inventor;
Charles L. Pierce, life and fire insur-
ance broker; Thos. f. Donohue, build
er and contractor; Ernest l.. Squire,
secretary Interstate Law Assocla-
ton; Ambrose Sweeney, contractor
When young Joseph Letter was at
the high tide of wheat speculation ne
became interested in the airship pro-
ject and started East to complete ar
rangements for beginning work at
once. While on the way he received
a telegram telling him of the reaction
Just that moment begun and by the
time he reached New York Mr.. Letter
had other uses for his money than to
experiment in airships. The principle
of the De Bausset airship Is absolute
Iy new, easily understood and appeals
o;na II he
best understood by stating q we'll
known fact concerning airships. Make
a ship-of iron six inches long and 1t
will sink in water. Make one sixty
feet long and it will float, because 1t
displaces more water than the boat
,itself weighs. Take small, hollow,
alright cylinder, exhaust the air from
within, and it will not rise. Make
steel cylinder eight hundred feet long,
at lease one hundred and fifty feet in
diameter, pump the air out, and,
strange as it may seem, the weight OF
the air taken out is greater than tho
weight of the cylinder itself. For that
reason the cylinder VIII float in the
air just the same as a steel ship floats
in the water Really the only problem
is to so brace the sides of the cylinder
that the pressure of the air outside
will not cause it to collapse like an
eggshell under a bootheel. Engineers
who know about such things, how
ever, say that the inventor has over
come that difficulty.
Many persons, no doubt, will pro-
claim TIE projected aeroplanes imprac-
ticable. There is no reason to be in
credulous on this account. When the
idea of steamship was under discus
sion, just as the projected aeroplane
is now, many of the scientific men of
the time pronounced the scheme Wis
ionary Among these was DR.. Didoy-
sius Lardner esteemed in his day as
the greatest scientific authority in
England. Dr. Lardner demonstrated
to his own satisfaction that no vessel
propelled by steam could cross the At
lantic. He lived long enough to see
steamships taking the place of sailing
craft, which up to that time had been
the only means of ocean navigation
Among the most amusing literature
to be found anywhere are the speech
es of eminent statesmen against the
practicabiity of the telegraph. 1t is
surprising that the vivid flashes of
their scorn failed to paralyze the pow
er of electricity. Aerial navigation
does not seemsa more difficult problem
in 1899 than ocean navigation was in
1889. !. II as b ~ Ss.-S
The only system of aerial navigation
that has been successful 80 far is that
of imitation by hydrogen gas. This in
all its nature was not practicable as