Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-07-25
BRAZILIAN AERoNAuT AT LAST
SOLVES THE PROBLEM.
DOUBLES ON HIS COURSE
Trial Is Made in Paris and Balloon
Sails Completely Around the
EiffeI Tower and Then Back
to the Place of Starting-A Notable
Achievement.

AofiSdSloA WdS SOlNGu III TdrlS-du
epoch making achievement. Santos
Dumont, the Brazilian aeronaut, COM
peted for the prize of $4,000 offered
by Henry Deutsch of Paris for the
ballonistswho should succeed in pro-
pelling balloon from the Aero club
grounds atSt. Cloud, on the west bank
of the Seine, to the Eiffel tower, distant
five kilometers, and go around the
tower and return to the starting point
within half an hour He accomplished
the coruseain spite Of stiff northwest
wind, but failed to win the prize be-
cause the iIne~occupied was just nine
minutes beyond the half hour limit.
numont mounted, alighted, and re-
assembled time after time without ac-
cesories ard as easily and gracefully
as a great bird would take wing and
come to the earth. He flew high,
low, in straight lines, and in curves
with the wind against him, precisely
as he willed. He was master of the
air as truly as navigator of steam
ship is master of the waves. True.
his craft was by no means perfected
any more than the early steamboat
compares with the modern liners.
The problem of aerial navigation,
however, is solved. Of that no
possible doubt remains in the minds of
those who were awakened at early
dawn by strange sounds in the
heavens, and who saw the wonderful
evclut.ons of the strange thing which
scared above their roofs.
One or two minor defects which
were easily remedied in few hours
prevented the complete carrying out
of the tests, but it is safe to prophesy
that within a month, Dumonts inven-
ton will hold as complete dominion
over the air, except during storms, as
a ship does over the sea.
Some experts who watched the great
aerostat hold the opinion that the
ultimate development of aerial navi-
cation will be by airships, which fly
by self generated power, without the
aid of gas balloon. This is as it may
be but for the present there is no
doubt that flying machines will include
balloon of sufficient buoyancy to
practically balance the weight of the
apparatus and passengers. Such is
the case with Dumont's airship.
His immediate object has been to
win prize of $4,000 offered a year
ago by Deutsch, the Rouen petroleum
refner. The conditions required that
a start be made in the neighborhood OF
St. Cloud, that the Eiffel tower be
circled three times, and that the air
ship then return to its starting point
at an average speed of not less than
thirteen miles an hour.
A committee of the Aero club wit
messed the trial. Dumont reached the
Eiffel tower at Z o'clock. His balloon
was being propelled through the
atmosphere apparently with equal ease
and greater grace than steam yacht
ploughs the sea. The writer wit
messed the test from the tower. He
saw the cigar-shaped balloon come
into view through the distant trees,
the wind blowing from the north
and beam of the balloon as the
latters course was from east to west.
The balloon is constructed OF some
light colored material, and is ap-
parently $50 feet long and 40 feet wide
seat its greatest width. Below it hangs a
kind of openwork platform containing
a small petroleum motor. Behind this
and about midway between the plat
form and the balloon proper is a two
Hanged screw with small sail to
serve as a rudder. M. Santos Dumont
sat in the forward part of the car
handling the lines which control the
engine and the rudder.
The balloon glided along toward the
Eiffel tower it's coat rejecting the
beams of the early sun apparently
obeying the will of the steerer as will
ingly as yacht answers its helm II
the open sea. Nearing the tower OF
the south side the balloon maintained
its course until it was less than fit
yards away then it gracefully turne!
northward. It seemed to take an UP
ward course as it came into the eye o.
the wind. Dumont continued to turf
his machine until it pointed directly
westward. It seemed to be absolutely
unhampered by the wind, and soon dis
appeared over the Bots de Boulogne
The balloon passed the Eiffel tower al
an altitude of about 100 meters be
tween the first and second stages.
Dumont unfortunately failed to ful
fill the condition that he return to the
Pare de Aerostation, st. Cloud, IL
thirty minutes, making total dis
lance to the Eiffel tower and back d
eleven kilometers. His time was
thirty-nine minutes.
A friend of the aeronaut, gave th'
following details of the construction
of the airship: Its volume is D
cubic metres, length "a metres, and
height metres. Beneath the balloon
suspended by thin steel wires, hangs 9
cradle eighteen metres long, composed
of three slightly curved converging
pine poles. the ends of which are
bounded together with aluminium and
strengthened at intervals with wooder
brackets and PIANO wire. This con
g.. orIfndar mofnr of sixtaor