The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-04

shin. Now 7 continued aiming for
the target, and here was my whole
dependence, believing that tnese men
did have the information, the pity Is
that as between the wing and propei-
Ter movement, the professor Mid not
choose the latter and reject the neces-
sarily more limited wing action.
This had its intended effect. the right
chord had been struck
And that Is just what the professor
did," exclaimed the irrepressiDie one
OF the trio from whom some
We'll, according to Prof Bells re,
port. the apparatus had weight OF
81 pounds with one and one-half horse
power of force, generated prior TO the
start, and this sufficed for flight OF
only 3,oco feet. Has Prof. Langley
calculated where he would be with
machine with construction and materi-
al for continued power to carry an
average man say Ave miiesy
I'VE know nothing OF Prof. Lang
ley's calculations" said another OF the
attaches, but II IL conceded that the
test was thorough success and, you
will admit OF course. that II the ma
chine in a small way would lit ana
fly 5000 feet, the principle can De ex-
tended to cover the limit you suggest.
or even more. The Aerodrome was
= not intended for a practical flying ma
chine. but only to illustrate and DEM
onstrate the mechanical principles that
win make flying machine practical
reality. This we claim has been done"
To this the writer replied that he had
given some attention TO the fundamentals
that underlie mechanics and that there
had not been any recently new discovery
in this field. as 1t had long ago been
threshed over. as had Its complement
mathematics; that there could not be any
application of any new principle in the
case. only a new application Of Tong
recognized old principle and that, what
ever Prof. Langley might hope to achieve
in aerial navigation must be on princi-
pies long and well known and while he
may secrete his tangible mechanism. the
natural laws bearing on the case are be-
yond any mans power of conceallng
AS to an extension OF the principle"
as related to this recent test, II must
not be overlooked that nature herself
operates within certain limitations and
imposes restrictions. Thus. fly may
walk back downward on the ceiling,
but note that the law involved Is ut
terly inapplicable when you endeavor
to extend it 50 to embrace creature
weighing only a few ounces Drops of
water Will suspend from the under side
OF a horizontal pane Of glass. but Eek
tend the principle" so as to suspend
gallon. pint, gill or even one-fourth
sion win lead to. It may seem au-
dacious that 1 should presume to diff
fer from the eminent professors that
saw the flying machine test at Guam
without going into why's and where
fores. which must be within synthet-
ical and analytical reach. II is my con-
cluson that an attempt to convey a
load of only fifty pounds one mile on
the principle involved In the Aero
drome," must always result in failure.
shall so say In my forthcoming re-
port and VIII place my reliance for
vndicatlon on those who shall attempt
to extend this principle" to q practi-
~ cality.
That report. giving in detail what Is
here summarized. was published August 2,
1896. and not until a year following could
the writer secure an authentic photo
graph. which Is herewith reproduced from
a cut used by the writer at that time.
Before going into a description OF the
"Aerodrome. II is In order to say that
the United States war department, year
ago last winter. gave to Prof Langley
the sum OF $4,000 to construct his air
ship on a scale large enough to carry at
least one person and preferably two per-
sons, the ship to be used in making OBJ
servations In the interest of meteorology
Although the writer made repeated solicit
tation. he was unable to secure any draw
ing or any detail Of the then Forthcoming,
joyously anticipated flyer
Great scarehead announcements were
given out by the press that the machine
was about ready for successful flight, but
when the mountain had iabored. with the
war department in attendance as ac-
coucheur, IL brought forth not only much
less than the proverbial mouse, and not
even gnat. 1t was q dismal, blank. dead
failure and took even lower rank as sue,