Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07

any captain on the water. He has only TO
steer right and left. l must steer I'm four
dlreciions-up and down and right and left.
When the balloon begins TO sink I must
steer upward. So l save my sand. which
must keep for last emergencies"
But how can you steer upward?' asked
in aStonlshmcni.
do you see those two weights fore and
aft in the rigging" askei the navigator.
They are simple and effective. The cigar
SNAPPED balloon is long. while ! am a mere
point in the center hanging below it. DO I
want to steer upward2 1 null back the fore
weight which is high up there in front OF
NE. The center OF gravity OF the balloon II
changed. 1t points EsrHy upward Do
want to steer downward? l pun IN the aft
weight II Is SOMETHING on the principle
Of the aeroPlane. which Professor Langley
says contains the future Of tn living ma
chime. Only Tor the pressnt / do no; care
10 go skating diagonally through the arr at
any greater rate Of speed than l can ac-
coEplish with my little propeller"
A slight DimruIty.
Against the windr' I exclaimed symna-
theucany.
Santos-Dumont looked at me compass
sionately. In aerial navigation there is no
such thing wind. They always ask how
can work against the windi Why. the
airshio Itself is in the wind II feels no
wind. II moves with the wind as a boat
moves with the current of tn. river NaVi-
SdilOn OF the AR must always hC compared,
not TO the navigation OF the ocean, but TO
the navigation Of a river. Say the current
of the river is ten miles an hour. The
steamer has speed. OF twenty miles an
hour. Against the current Il works twenty
miles, but IL is carried back trl. miles while
doing it, Should ii steam with the current
it would make thirty miles 81 Is just so
with my balloon. Ii can 40 twenty miles
an hour through the air. Therefore. il the
air is moving less than twenty miles an
hour. | anywhere | plpagp If the
air is moving more than twenty miles an
hour am I'm the position of a steamer that
cannot make way against the torrent of
river"
In that case what do you do?"
What does the steamer do2 1t certain
ly does not go up the river"
'One last question. monsieur" I asked
timid!y. They say a flying machine ought
to be heavier than the air, SO that 81 will
be independent as a hird?'
Santos-Dumont looked doubtful. Il be-
lieve in the FAR future the thing will be
done. but not now. These flying machines
heavier than the air, viii have to find light
engines. The motor of r. ynaTd and Krebbs
weighed 1.Goo pounds and developed six
horse power. My motor weighs fifty pounds
and develops three and half horse power.
Were my motor twice strong 1t could
lift its own weight. Evidently. IL improve
ment keeps up a this rate. II may he pos
sble to fly some day as a bird flies. But
there is anoj her difficulty mere discourage
ing. a bird is a living machIn" that works
instinctiVely. without hesitation. without
breakdown. Where would l have been
the other day with machine that must
stay up of lis own force a. a bird does?
My air pump broke. 1t was "A trifle /
came down. but 1 came down gently. Let
some hing break In flying machine and
IL will come down with a rush.
Santos-Duncnt remains the only uSNi ga.y
tor of the air al present.
STERLING HELLO.