The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-08
he WILL FLY.
III. b. Van VOOrhis Of Topeka
Invents a Flying Machine.
He VIII Make the Preliminary
Test Tonight.
NOT LEAVE THE EARTH
No Bright Promise That Ma
chine Will Rise.
Route on Kansas Avenue Is
Mapped Out.
NOT LEAVETHE EARTH

H. B. Van Voorhis has invented a fly
ing machine and will give it a test to-
night about o'clock. The start will
be made from 928 Kansas avenue.
The trip will be from the starting
place north on Kansas avenue to Sixth
avenue, east on Sixth avenue to Quincy
street, south on Quincy to Tenth ave
nue., west on Tenth avenue to Kansas
avenue and north on Kansas avenue to
the starting place. The trial will not
be made unless the weather and other
conditions are favorable.
Mr.. Van VOOrhis has been working
for some time on his machine and is
certain it viii be a success. He will
not start from a barn loft and run the
chances of the fate that befell Darius
Green and his flying machine, but he
will start on the ground and remain on
terra firna all the time during the trip,
thus avoiding any sudden precipitation.
The machine is built on lines borrow
ed from the busy bee, the fish and
the handcar. The body Will much re-
SembIe the body of a fish like a smeIt
in shape and like a dolphin in flying
qualities. The steering device is mod
elled like the steering device of the fish
commonly called the tail. 1t has one
advantage over the fish, and that is
that it does not necessarily have to be
water proof and then another advant-
age is that the tail will have a hole in
it so the air can pass through without
having to go around, in case the ele-
mentS are IN a hurry. In this case the
air takes the place of water, as it Will
be understood that a machine could not
fly under water, but a dolphin can fly
a short distance, at least, out of water.
The particular characteristics OF the
bee, that are used on the air ship, are
the wings. Not borrowed from one bee
alone, but from four, for there will be
eight wings and one bee is allowed but
two, except in case of fire in the bee
tree, and then the bee has none. The
tail is also expected to furnish a GER
tain amount of propelling power when
necessary, and also to act like the tail
of kangaroo and keep the machine
from rearing up too far in front and
going over backward, when it strikes a
cloud.
The prOpelling pump like handles of
the handcar, have been borrowed. Not
literally, but in effect. They work the
wings the same as the side rod tendOns
in the bee do. Because the levers re-
senble handcar handles, it is not neces-
sary to have a section hand to run the
flying machine, for anyone who has the
proper amount OF faith and bouyancy
can do the act but it takes a large
amount of faith.
The inventor says that the idea of the
tail came to him in a dream like a flash.
He had probably been eating Goldfish
balls for supper, which accounted for
the dream. All people DESTROYS of see
ing the start and finish should be on
hand promptly at nine o'clock. At pres
ent the machine has only two wings and
a tail and because of the absence of
the other six wings, three wheels have
been borrowed to keep the tail from
dragging over the car tracks. The man
behind the levers walks inside the
frame work. 1t is not his pushing that
moves the machine, but the working
of the lever. The machine was built
and is now in a blacksmith shop, where
the finishing touches are being put on.
Amonio Benzilene Soap; try it