New-York tribune., 1901-11-10
THE .sMITHsONIANs WORK.
INTERESTING PAPERS N THE ANNUAL
neutrality-suspicious. LANGLEh
FLYING MACHINE.

Washington Nov. (Speciap--The iast am,oa. sooa a.
report of the Smithsonian Institution io'
one Of the most interesting ever issued ps NC
.,i,utto, but one reads with regret Mr.. llahsies
statement to the board Of regents 10 'he enc,
while the institution was never so wen - H
abroad or more honored than now, the eho' nou
increase Of endowments of most inslitu'io's %
learning In this country left it with lar iesS ~
relatively than IL once had. With the eNcep''oh W
the $4,000 from Mr.. Hodgkins lis iuhu = - acc
callv what It was fifty years ago he uteeu '
future independence and usefulness were coheei"eS
In its being able in some way 10 conffiahu ~
5d.d means as would leave the regents with rree
disposition OF a larger fund than at present anu
one absolutely under their own control Inc '
tsrv reported the gift Of piece OF oIoii+e "
great antiquity from the late Chinese hiilli'.i,
chang Yen Hoon whose friendship for the oni'ea
states and opposition TO the policy OF the Isuhs IL
Yamen ultimately cost him his head
Tho renort-a significant one. since 1t marks the
close of the century-contains not onis re'ie "
the prosress in various sciences in the nihe'eehn
century hut original articles and reprints OF those
already published subjects OF popular ana cur
rent interest To those who have followed ,he eN-
nerinents in aeronautics the papers on TINS suoJ'
will especially appeal The first paper of this series
is the address delivered by NJ. Jansen. president
of the International Aeronautic Congress, at lis
opening at Meudon in September lsoo' on Ia"
Progress Of Aeronautcs." The review is pIolounu
and exhaustive and in referring to machines sus-
NJ Jansen writes OF Mr.. Langleys aerodrome as
follows:
The most important results obtained in this di1ec-
1esnon6ent of the institute of France and secre-
tary Of the Smithsonian INSTITUTION al eaTcbes
Of this scientist upon the resistance Of aiT Mr:
sngsy has and has a sef during
ably longer time than any apparatus pre'iouSi'
constructed.
Following N Janssen's address are articles by
Lord Ravleish on Flight delivered before the
ROYAL Institute; The Langley Aerodrome, pre-
pared from for the Conversations OF liie
American Institute of Electrical Engineers. which
met in New-York last April. and a reprint OF MT
Ianeleys popular account OF his invention. pup
ushed in one of the ma gaines for May. 1886 Mr.
Langley's machine was called aerodrome siennS-
ing air runner by its inventor. to indicate the pr
ctple OF its action which in no way resembles that
OF balloon that floats. because 1t is lighter than
the air, while the aerodrome is hundreds OF times
heavier than the air. This weighty machine owes
its support to another principle-that is. to the
rapidity with which II runs through the air IKE
skater over thin ice. That this machine, hundreds
O. times heavier than the air. can fly has been
proved by Mr. Langley betond u peradventure. as
!rcongruous 1t may seem TO the layman. Ihe
most successful experiment took place in May 1880
at Chopawamsic. the Potomac River. beo"
Washington when the gigantic steel bird flew for
more than half mile at velocity OF from
twenty TO twenty-five miles hour.
The actual result of Mr.. Langley's work has not
been advertised, and is comparatively little known
says the article further. though these models are
believed to have done something absolutely new In
the history OF the world. They the product Of
a great many years of assiduOus labor. and repre-
sent the condition Of the experiments in Mr. Lang
leys hands up to the close of the year 1870 since
which time he has made public statement Of his
work, which is understood 20 be still going on IN
connection with experiments for the War Depart
ment in demonstrating the possible uses OF the
future aerodrome an engine OF war
The report contains several articles on China
which will be OF popular interest. A short paper
reprinted from The Scientific American Supple
uient echoes the feelings Of scientific men both IN
this country and Europe yhen It says: The scien-
tifc world has been shocked at the looting OF the
Peking Observatory by the French and German
troops" 1t should be remembered 20 the credit Of
the American commander that he protested vigor-
ousy. II unavailingly, against this outrage last
ing disgrace to those who participated in it Wu
Ting-fang's clever article, Mutual Helpfulness Be
tween China and the United States" has place,
and essay on Chinese Folklore and Some West
ern Analogies.'' by Frederick Wells Williams. viii
be read with interest. The most notable. however.
OF all the papers regarding China is an abridged
translation Of a journal written by Count D'Her-
rison interpreter to General Montauban. giving an
account the looting of the imperial palace dur
ing the TAPPING rebellion In 1850 In a preface to
this paper Mr.. Langley gives the following reasons
for the republishins Of this important document;
While China is occupying so much attention 1t
opportune to republish document or great
ethnological value both for its interesting descrp-
ton Of the great Summer Palace and the treasures
1t contained, its apparently fair account OF the
mental processes of the Chinese ruling classes and
their attitude toward foreigners, and the frank
statement of the observation-disclosures and barbar-
ism into which trained European soldiers may re-
lapse under temptation
The writer Of the volume from which the extracts
are made very young officer at the time OF
the events narrated. but extremely Intelligent, and
40 author since of several valuable works. The
narration is lightened by numerous anecdotes, thS
following one. Of especial interest, since IT is
charged that fortunes made In the last war
in China quickly and with as little trouble:
.-One OF Spies my orderly Mohammed. was
extremely attached to me, both through affection
and by interest
Are you the friend OF the general? he often
said to me. You put words in his mouth; you
must get me medal
When he returned from the Summer Palace he
brought a double handful of pearls
4" These for you he said to me simply
And thus IT happened that I, TO please the gen.
eral and the OF honor, had seized
nothing, while my spy, to give me pleasure and to
secure a medal. had plundered on my behalf; the
motive had inspired both of us to quite con-
trary acts.
Thanks my lad said to him. Keep all that
yourself: IL is probably worth great deal
What will you take for your pearlsF said one
Of my comrades who stood by.
Give a bottle OF brandy
agreed, and Mohammed gave him his pearls
A bottle of brandy In the camp at Yuen-Mng-
After the expedition to China was over the pearls
sold for IS, 900 francs"
POOR WATER SUPPLIES.
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