The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-12-12
a CONF EORATE AERoNAUr
The ATTEMPT Made to Destroy Grants
Army by Means of an Air Shin.

Army by Means of an Air Shin.
A few days ago a pereon who had
been reading an account OF an experl-
ment trip OF Count I9ppelin's air shin
remarked that in Is few more wears
people will travel In air instead of on
he solid earth. Iron and steel rails
will lose their value because railroads
will go out Of uso. The new mode of
travel will be more pleasant, for there
Will be no dust and, by rising higher,
as necessity may require, the happy
traveller may keep cool.
Travelling in the air by means Of
balloons Is not OF very remote date.
The first successful experiments in
In1s llne were made in France about
1888, whom the balloon sailed across
the Seine and q part Of Paris, remain
ing In the air twenty-five minutes. A
oalloon was used for military observa.
ton at the battle Of Fleurus, fought in
1894.
"A great deal concerning aerostation
q be found In books and
out there is n experiment that seems
10 nave escaped the notice OF the Gu
rious, and OF which there is no record
% lar as the writer knows.
la the winter Of 1876 Gen. Robert
r.. Lee and his army were defending
petersburg, Virginia. The troops
were stretched out along the lines
perhaps at the rate of one to every one
hundred yards. Rstions were scarce
and clothing scant, and there were
many other discomforts, but the spirit
OF the veterans were superior to sll of
these depressing circumstances and
they were able to enjoy u good thing.
hcGowan's brigade held the works
not lar from Battery 10 Tor the Star
Fort) and near where the great dam
was quilt. One cold, raw day the bri.
gaze was called out, without arms, to
near a,speech from u scientific person
age who was introduced as "Profs
sank. The old soldiers crowded
around anu too their seats on the
cold ground, and he unfoldcd his scheme
for demoralizing and driving away
Grants army. he had just invented
an air ship.
In shape 1t was something like s
bird and for that reason he had called
1t Artis Avis" or THE Bird of Art,
which was the meaning Of the tw,
Latin words. The frame was made O
hoop iron and wire. 1t was covere
with white oak splits. 1t was to b,
run oy u l-horse power engine and on,
man to each bird would be sufficient
h engine waa to be in the body O
the bird and to furnish power for keep
ing the wings In motion. A small doc
at the shoulder was opened or closet
TO control the direction Of the Bird O
Art. a door under the throat wa
opened When 1t vas desirable to de
scend and a door on TOD OF the nee
when the operator wished To 90 higher
lhere was machinery by which tn
tall could be spread out or closed. /
the body OF the bird there was roor
Tor q number Of shells apd the opers
tor oy touching a spring with his foo
could drop them upon the enemy fror
a safe distance.
The Professor said that he ha
completed one bird and made a test c
Its speed, and how it would work. Ii
tied 1T to q Hot car, which was couple
TO a fast engine. 1t was attached I
i, the hat a with a long, strong rope
Inc word was given and the railroa
/ engine started off At great speed. Th
/, bird OF Art did the same and ha
no trouble in keeping up with the iro
horse without pulling on the rope.
The Professor concluded his re
marks by saying he needed q it'll
| more money to make birds enough I
) destroy Grants army, and asked tn
, old soldiers to contribute one dolls
, each to the cause. Many OF them di
AMI the Professor moved on and di,
, appeared.
| No doubt many Of the survivors hav
, forgotten this incident, but not lon
. ago the writer met John w. Butler,
commercial traveller, who belongs ed I
the l4tb 5. 9. ", In 1854, and asked hin
, Did you ever lear of the ARTS A Wis
He replied q certainly have hear
OF 1T, for | gave a dollar to it,"
ROBERT IL. HEMPHILL.
Abbeville, November %.