Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-11
SAILING IN THE AIR.

The ability to fly has been the dream
of the ages. With the exception of the
supernaturally gifted, men have been
compelled to travel in vehicles Of a mum
dane character or go a-foot. The bal
loon was good enough for circus and sci
entific purposes. and incidentally to ex-
plre in during war times, but |. failed to
fill a long felt want. The desire to navi-
gate the air has never been satiated.
Apparently insurmountable difficulties
stood in the way of successful aerial ven
lures. but within the past few years
scientific men have satisfactorily demons
strated the possibility of navigating
through the air, provided necessary con-
ditions are met. To overcome these diff
culties has been the ambition Of every
inventor whose mind aspired to such
lofty heights. Occasionally a partial
success has been scored, only to be
finally given up as impracticable.
The experiments of the last few years,
by competent men who are thoroughly
IN earnest. have caused an abandonment
Of the principle of sustaining heavy
bodies in the air wholly through the
operation of wings. Many elegant and
expensive machines of this type have
been constructed, being perfect in all re-
spects except in the ability to fly. Had
as well as they are able to fly theoreti-
cally, the mystery of sky-scraping would
have been solved long ago. Finally, the
better class of experiments settled down
upon the plan of depending upon gas for
support and Upon machinery for locomo-
ton and steering alone. Along this line
considerable progress has been made in
late years.
An aluminium balloo in Germany ex-
cited a great deal of interest, which was
kept up as long as the balloon was. A
collapse that was not on the programme
finally resulted in its too sudden return
to the earth. Another still more preten-
tious balloon of the same character is in
process Of construction, we believe, and
gives promise of a successful career.
But even an aluminium balloon is unsat-
isfactory, inasmuch as it cannot be pro-
PEELED and steered at will.
1t has been reserved for a Montana in
ventor. Mr.. c. H. Toliver, to apparently
master this phase of ballooning. His air
ship, now in the shape of a model, will
be safely and securely suspended in the
air by its immense aluminium gas tank,
while huge wings and propellers drive it
along in any direction desired, and raise
and Lower the machine within certain
Limitations. It's steering apparatus also
appears TO be perfect and to work like
a charm. a#G
Scientific men generally accredit Mr..
To!iver with having solved the mystery
of aerial navigation, the chief mystery
yet to be solved being the raising, of $780,
900 to Guild an aluminium air ship with
which TO make the test. 1t is understood
that public spirited men i'm Butte nave
subscribed over $4,000 to the enterprise,
and it looks as if this city may finally
claim the honor OF bringing forth a flying
machine that will revolutionize the world.
When Professor Morse invented teleg-
raphy the wise men of his day attempted
to laugh the project off the face of the
earth, and Il congressional appropriation
alone made possible the introduction of
the great device for transmitting
thought. Let us hope that Butte alone
will show itself public spirited enough
to place the Toliver enterprise on it's feet,
or, rather, in the air.