The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-01-26
LANGLEY, AERONAUT.
GOV eRNSENT RECOGNITION OF HIS
FLYING MACHINE PLANS.


ted States Board of Ordnance to ap-
propriate s25O00 to develop the idea
of Secretary S. +. Langley, of the
Smithsonian Institution in the con-
struction of man-carrying, power
driven aeroplane is an evidence of con
hdence in the future efficiency of the
apparatus to which Professor Langley
has devoted many years that must be
extremely gratifying to him.
The decision of the Board of Ord
nance to institute further investiga-
time of war to reconnoitre the enc
my's position and to drop high explo-
sives from above. the value of which
Is appreciated by all strategists. aud
one that has led some nations to ex-
pertinent with balloons, rs this coun-
try did during the recent war. Bal
looms have not, however, realized all
the hopes that have been entertained
rgarding them.
When the subject was recently un-
der discussion by the Board Professor
Langley appeared before it and gave
his opinion in regard to making fur
ther experiments, explaining the work
mgs of his own machine, and telling
IN the most concise manner of the pro
gress made in aerial navigation in Ger
many and France, where he went last
4 60 o,,,i1 ior rt-it1 hn
state of the art. The official statement
h made that he has consented to give
the Board the benefit of his knowledge
and experience on the understanding
that he is to receive no remuneration
for his work, 1t being his ambition to
donate his services to the cause of sci
ence and his country, as an evidence
of which his machine has not been PAT
ented and with his consent never will
be.
Prof. Langley's invention was per
fected in 1895. and a short successful
fight was made with an aerodrome in
the spring Of the year, but he was re-
luctant at that time, for reasons OBJ
viOus to those who have followed the
story of mechanical flight from its be-
ginning, to make his success public.
and it was not until a year later that
the world was taken into the conf
dence of the great inventor On May 6.
1896, his aerodrome made two success
full flights, which were witnessed by
only few people, but fortunately by
those who understood and had sympa
thy with the project, and whose testi-
mony was universally accepted. Among
those few were Alexander Graham
Bell, who subsequently wrote an inter
esting paper concerning his observa-
tons when the Langley machinr
made flight of three-quarters of 4
mile, the longest known.
After only few years devoted to
the problem of mechanical flight Pro
fessor Langley succeeded in surmouni-
ing several obstacles that had hereto
fore been considered insurmountable
and in producing a machine the incon-
testable point in regard to which is
that it will fly and is susceptible Of
being steered. But his experience re.
cords many failures, and four ma
chimes were built before he made one
that met the requirements of free
fight. After many unsuccessful at.
= tempts to launch the fourth aero
drOme, he was finally gratiiied by see.
ing his machine soar like a great bird
through the ain, and from this time on
the problem of launching was solved.
In an article published in THE Aer-
onartical Annual" Professor Langley
makes graceful allusion TO those who
were associated with and assisted him
In his work Dr. Carl Barus and j.
Elfreth Watkins, the latter of whom Is
still associated with him in thefwork.
Professor Langley's aerodrome looks
in flight like a huge bird; its propor-
tons, however, are greater than any
known inhabitant of the air, measur-
ing from tip to tip OF its wings four
teen feet. 1t is built almost entirely
of steel and driven by a steam engine.
It's weight, including everything il
carries, is about forty pounds. The
method of propulsion is by twin screw
propelors and there is no gas or any
other aid for raising or keeping it up in
the air except it's internal energy. Tho
machine here referred to, however, did
not carry any passengers and was only
a working model. 1t remained about
two or three minutes.