Evening star., 1900-06-30
NEW FLYING MACHIkf
It's Inventor Thinks he Has Solved
a D mcult Problem.
SURE HE WILL Be ABLE TO FLY
Has Already Succeeded in Making
a NavigabIe Balloon.
WHAT HE EXPECTS TO DO
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

French capital by the inventor of a flying
machine that viii fly. The money has been
put in bank by the Aero Club that sporty
branch of the great Automobile Club de
France. The advertising Is the publicity
awaiting successful aerial trip performed
in the presence of the Paris exhibition
throng.
Henry Deutsch. one of the most enthu-
siastic members of the Aero Club, has put
up this 100000 francs prize. The contest is
interna tional 1t is open alike to navigable
balloons and flying machines (machines
heavier than the air). The committee of the
Aero Club is to be the sovereign judge Of
the contest. If the prize is not awarded in
1900 between June and Is and September
IL and 30. it may be tried for at the cor
responding periods of 1901, 1902. 1903. 1904
and 1908. when. if no one shall have vet
earned it. the sum is to return to the pock-
lows: The navigable balloon or flying ma
chine is to rise from the Pare dAerosta-
tion de rAero Club at Saint Cloud, aEi
without touching ground and by Its own
curve around the Eiffe tower. returning to
the point of departure. This trip, which
is about eleven kilometers. must be accom-
p!ished in half an hour Should 'X' ac-
ccmplish the trip in fifteen minutes and
''Y" accomplish it in twenty minutes. 'X'
would receive 57.142 francs and ''Y' only
42.s51 francs.
The Probable Winner.
1 have just spent several hours with the
man who, in the opinion of the members OF
the Aero Club in general, runs the best
chance Of carrying off the prize. He is
South American. Santos-Dumont. son and
heir of the Dumont known for his coffee
plantations in Brazil. Young Santos-Du-
ment--he is not thirty years o.d yet-might
paint Paris every shade of red from pale
rose to royal purple, for he travels in live
iy company and has the wherewithal. In
stead he spends la boriOus days and no in
considerable part of his income in perfect
ing his navigable balloon. the first one that
has ever made successful trips according to
a prearranged program. Last summer he
accomplished this trip around the Eiffel
tower III his machine it then stood-de-
scribed by me fully in these columns at the
time. He has now a new one, twice as
large. three times powerful and with 50
many changes and improvements that it Is
practically new type of nav!gable balloon.
1t is one thing to invent machine, re-
marked Santos-Dumont, as We scudded
electric automobile, "and another thing TO
learn how to run it. Do you remember
your first efforts with the bicycle? Well,
the inventors of the bicycle took long
time to bring it to perfection. 1t was
perfect machine when it first came into
your hands. Yet you could not ride ii,
could you? You fell, many times, didn't
you? 1t is exactly the same with naviga-
machine is invented. experimental with and
perfected the inventor himself must learn
how 70 operate it, and his failure to do trick
riding on II from the start is no more an
argument against it than your beginners
ciumsiness was an argument against the
bicycle"
The New Balloon.
All this time the smart little American
electric automobile was hustling us through
the Paris streets, past the exposition
grounds. past the temporary saloon in the
Place de Breteuil. and into the working
mems faubourg of Vaugrard. Here, up a
lorg, narrow lane, we stopped opposite
series of big sheds 1t was the balloon
makers stablishment-there are half
dozen such in Paris. The big, new, cigar
shaped balloon itself was hanging like
haif-iuried sail. from a lot of rope tackle
attached to The ceiling. The basket of
the new machine-which is no basket at all
as Will be seen-reposed on two bicycle
wheels. To get a clear view of the basket
and its mechanism We We're forced to lower
the empty balloon to the ground. The
heavy construction was rolled into place on
It's TWO bicycle wheels. And then Santos
Dumont explained to me the device with
which he expects to win the l0O,o 900 prize of
the Aero Club.
You remember my old balloon?" he be-
gan. 1t. too was ciSar-shaped with a
"Ickerwork basket hanging from it in the
center. This basket contained a three-horse
power automobile motor the other ma
chnery and Instruments and myself the
navigator. Projecting from it at the back
was a propeller operating on the air as
steamships propeller on the water AL
though larger ard stronger and having Ger
tain important modifica tions, this new ma
chine is built on the same principles. You
viii notice it has actual basket no
Wickerwork construction
Strn.ldIes n StraddIe.
DO you mean to say that you sit un-
protected in the open air, straddlng that
bicycle saddle?" 1 inquired
Exactly" replied Santos. II sacrificed
the wickerwork because of its weight AL
though made entirely of Aluminium and
silk, the thing is heavy enough as it is.
You cannot have strength without weight
and if your weight is too great your lifting
and propelling power becomes insufficient
The capacity of this new cisar-shaped bal
Don of mine is $50 cubic meters, or IL, 800
cubic feet. l shall be much pleased if it
readily navigates the weight 1 have i'm
posed on it. The propeller weighs 26 kilos,
the engine alone weighs 60 kios, the frame
ard 1 hope to carry 100 kilos of water bal
last, making total of $50 kilos G26
pounds. This is the first time water bal
last has been used in a balloon. Ordinary
air, the water might freeze. and tightening
the craft with an ice pick would be too
slow. NJ navigable ballon. on the con-
trary, is designed for horizontal movement
at no great height, SO that / think water
ballast is indicated. There is only spigot
to turn"
Santos-Dumcnt sat on his bicycle saddle
in the midst of the long. rigid framework
that. suspended about three yards below
the cigar-shaped balloon. is to hold it
straight and prevent it from doubling up
as we'll as furnish it the motive power for
horizontal movement He has dsmanted
ordinary bicycle, discarding the wheels
which. however. will come into use in trans
porting the framework on land. The pedals
he has retained.
Under Perfect Control.
'I am pleased with this bicycle idea," he
said. 81 am accustomed to the bicycle sad
die, and l feel just as safe on it in the
midst of this good. strong framework as l
would feel in the usual wickerwork basket
With the pedals l start the motor just
like motor tricyc.e. After starting my
feet are free. l also work with my feet
the shifting of the guide rope which, hang
ing down from the front. tits the cigar
shaped balloon up or down as it Is drawn
in toward the center or let out to drag its
weight from the front. i shall make great
use of tho guide rope for steering. Also
with the medals | can shift the nnSifion Of