The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11

few weeks by Count Won zeppelin's air
ship at Lake Constance, Switzerland
In a humble way II had been part or
the writer's business to note and explain
the value OF the efforts made In flying
machines by Herr Otto Iiiienthai, Of
Berlin; Hiram Maxim. OF London; Prof.
Q. p. Langley, Of Washington. ID. G.; oc-
tave Chanute. of Chicago. and other IN
yentors In other places
1t was in behalf OF Prof Andree and with
. view OF dissuading that gentleman from
the appalling hazard OF making polar
voyage In the utterly unscientihc Mont
golfer form OF balloon. that the struc-
ture (figure u herewith presented was
planned. made Of q rulntuple combina-
ton OF horizontal-lylug hydrogen-niled
cylinders, and the cut, as here given,
with full description, was published In
the Pittsburg. Pa, Dispatch, Sunday,
June n, 1897. The Ancres departure was
Just two weeks later. july rs. The IL
lustration Is from the original drawing
by Charles A. II. Benedict. OF Chicago. and
while more detail might be presented, II
n not the present purpose, as II was not
three years and ffve months ago, to deal
minutely with the minor mechanical fea-
lures, which are, however. fully elabor-
ated.
The Inflated Swedish polar explorer
could not be induced 10 change from his
own plans 10 more logical construction,
would neither duplicate nor triplicate his
balloon covering. but did. at length, give
to a large part OF the top a double. and
TO smaller part tripie-ply Of cover. and
thus equipped. undoubtedly reached that
other undiscovered country from whose
bourn no traveller returns
The salient feature OF figure 1 IL the
iog-iiks looking raft. and on ths scale
presented the tubes are seventy-fve feet
long and ten feet In diameter. In this
dimension two partitions are given to
each. making three compartments, fifteen
In all. with larger dimensions the COM
partments may he Increased. The two
outside cylinders are not 80 connected.
as are the others. with the understanding
platform. From these the hydrogen may
be entirely exhausted. and they may COL
lapse; tho centrals will still sustain the
mechanism. Reasons will be given later.
Preferably. these tubes have at least
double covers. the spaces between TO be
filled also with hydrogen N a precau-
tlonary measure looking TO greater SAT-
ETY. minimizing loss In leakage and rem
si1vinG the hydrogen in the interior less
susceptible TO sudden contraction or ex-
pansion from variable temperatures Ad-
ded to this, there may he light, over
NIL cover. also inflated: this to serve as
protection and reservoir 10 hold and
further utilize any escaping gas When
this feature 10 fully carried out. the struc-
ture Will present q wedge-pointed edge
all around. 10 meet unfAvorabls Wind re-
sistancs On the dimensions given the
rtricture covers a superficial area Of
nx0 equal S.B1 square feet. All In all,
this form secures the maximum OF safety
and the minimum OF hazard
A. a. rau,ss~ss "A 4 n,htr g.. - 49,
sen 10 lift one pound. this light pressure
distributed over such longitudinal space as
on this plan, the frequent catastrophe of
bursting IN the. higher. rarer atmosphere
h made entifsiy improbable and with the
separate compartments and several cover
ings. II by any accident one or several
compartments should be punctured. the
others. with the immense surface pre-
sented. would stiil insure comparative
safety.
The hfting capacity can be Indefinitely
increased simply by longitudinal extension
and. On this horizontal plan. a. against
the perpendicular form. there Is no added
local strain and no added frontage pres
ented 10 the wind. Whether the tubes
be nifty or 900 feet In length. the heading
remains the same.
Such an airship ~ Is now under con-
sideration would hold. with no likelihood
OF bursting. something in excess of 5000
feet OF hydrogen, with lifting capacity
Of 1850 pounds. As Prof. Langley secur-
cd a one and one-half horse power en-
wine for his "aerodrorne" that had .
weiGht Of less than six pounds, II Is
dcmonstrable that the laws OF mechanics
VIII admit Of the construction of six
horse power gasoline. or several other
kinds OF motors. not to exceed sixty
pounds In weight. With an engineer of
no pounds. the two factors reach an ar
grceate Of $40 pounds. Allowing 900 pounds
which fully covers tho weight OF the
cylindrical construction and $50 pounds
for the mechanism other than the engine
already considered. we have a total ~
iS@ pounds Deductinx this from the iift
OF 100 pounds. would stiIl leave a margin
OF i.oso pounds for freight or passengers
Allowing. however, for gasoline, then, say
the lit would be. clear OF all. 900 pounds
u will be understood that this structure
viii now iift OF tia own huoyant volltion
Independently OF any sctuating mechan-
ism IL Will now float IN She afr. Just as
vessel or a log on The water viii fioat.
and ms "the wind hloweth where Il
ifststh and thou nearest the sound thsre-
81. but canst net tell from whence ii
cotneth or whittier Il goeth" Just so
cAprtcicusly must an airShip drift thus
afmiessiy. unless by x0me means diFigl-
hti'ty IL secured.
We NAV now approach the mechanical
feature. and the writer Is aware that he
r. on new ground. and xround. too. tina,
some ~ the scientific brethren maintain
- entirely untsaahle but "she stone
,aat tho builders rejected became etc
Attention may onw he directed 70 hwurs
: hi the Illustrations. Here IL a wheel
WITH nothing new ia lis Constructions
wheel which VIII az oncc bs recognized az
having a eongenes IN the fansing-luili On
the oid-time barn roor aniy uow u II
proposed 60 use il sn an entirely new en-
yiFonmcnt Ard here 81 mas De men,ioB-
"a that the wheel the principle Of rosa-
stan-ls the vital agent IN the Geld *
mechanics. and net only n the aapiics-
ttaa that man makes q u. but ga a broad
"a way. whether Il bs AZ Mercury nearess
~ solar center. or a. Neptune en- the
Atreme outpost ~ eur solar system 81
even the sun himself with all the inter,
Nrning planetS-~one and al are circular
aaa are active uadcr the opeFatioa %
a law that iEnpsls them e rotate Ia a
toUad % eternal repctltssns, Thus Is
mai. animate the cerporslty 81 the uni
Nerse Let the wheel shown In ngure
80 rotate a. Indicated by the darts ard
a .