The Washington times., 1901-07-28
WINGS FOR HUMAN BEINGS
The WondTful Invention of a
Washington Man.
Julius EngIehardt CInims to Have
Solved the Problem of Aerial Nnvi-
EatiOn-Years of study and Labor
Spent Upon the Unique Device.

AS the news comes from France of
the invention OF a practicable" air.
ship, another phase of possible aerial
navigation presents itself in this city
In the device of an unknown man who
has made the subject an engrossing
study for over forty years, and who
claims to have at last met with sue
cess
Julius Englehardt a native of Baden,
has lived in this city for over twenty
years without exciting any extraordi-
nary degree of public attention; in fact,
during that period he has lived alone
and practically unknown, since, SO far
as can be ascertained, he has absolute
ly no intimates. A bachelor, possessing
a sufficient amount of money to enable
him to exist without earning his bread
by the sweat of his brow, Mr.. Engle-
hardt has patiently toiled all these
years to bring his scheme to fruition,
AMI this result he believes, he has ac-
complished.
The trial of his machine has not yet
been made, and its inventor is very
reticent as to when, where, and in what
manner he intends making the final test
of its capability. From his expressed
confidence in his invention, however.
his friends are inclined TO believe tina.
he has already made private tests and
that these have been eminently salts
factory.
The machine itself is a complete now
city among all the attempts hitherto
made, or even. perhaps. conceived in
matters OF aerial navigation. Imagine
huge pair of wings. shaped much like
y those Of bat. or rather like the pic
torial representations of the wings of
Satanus but measuring at least twen-
ty feet from the points OF contact at
the shoulders to the extremities. These
wings are constructed of material
hitherto unknown, which is the discov-
cry of the inventor, and which is ex-
tremely light, the braces or ribs being
Of the same material, hardened and hol-
low, and capable, at the discretion of
the operator or wearer of the wings,
OF what very closely resembles mus
cular action. BY a very simple system
of levers these ribs can be worked by
q motion of the arms, which involves
little or no fatigue.
The material of the wings is made
in two layers, the space between
them being filed with a modified form
of oxygen much lighter than air. This
gives the wings an appearance OF thick
ness when ready for use singularly con-
trasting with the apparent frailty Of
the ribs. which are hidden from sight
by the pillowy surfaces.
The modus operandi of the remarka-
BILE device Is about as follows: Tae
wings, when inflated, are made to
exactly counterbalance the weight Of
the wearer-that is. they overcome the
force of gravity on the part of the in
dividual, who is thus suspended, like
Mohammed's coffin. between earth and
heaven. To rise. he manipulates the
levers controlling the ribs so as to beat
the air with the upper portion OF the
wings and Immediately he scars aloft
at greater or less velocity. according
to the quickness of his motion. Anoth-
er movement of the ribs sidewise causes
the wearer to advance in a forward
direction.
Although a steering device is con-
nected with the apparatus. the manip-