New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-13
SANTOS-DUMONT AND HIS PLANS.

Americans take much the same interest In
Santos Dumont as in the man who loops the
loon, on a bicycle at the circus or goes over
NIAGARA Falls in a barrel The feats which the
brazilian aeronaut has performed in Paris and
AT Monte Carlo within the last few months were
more novel perhaps, but they derived their
chief fascination from their perilous character
and the combination Of skill and luck winch
averted fatal termination. 1t is useless 10
deny that a great many people admire the nerve
of any one who. like Blondin, takes his lie In
his hand and escapes unframed
Still this statement does not altogether cover
the case of the recently arrived visitor TO these
shores from the French capital. santos-Dumont
is an inventor as we'll as performer. He did
not originate the general type of airship which
he uses, but he has improved It. He thus
gets better results than others. Conspicuous
among the merits of his machines are the
power and lightness of the engines in proportion
IN the size and weight of the whole craft
These insure higher speeds and horizontal prog
ress for longer time than any one else has
Tins far attained Santos Dumont has afforded
the best demonstration which the world has yet
witnessed of the practcability Of aerial naViga-
ton for short distances and periods, provided
that the weather be favorable.
When the practical value OF such revolution
is considered, though, it is not comparable with
that of Marconi's contributions to civilization
Thousands are (or soon will be- benefited by the
intercourse between ships at sea which are
invisible TO each other and by the reduction Of
the cost of transatlantic telegraphy. These are
advantages that may be enjoyed daily, too. But
even when the flying machine is perfected as IL
doubtless will be some day, it will be OF service
TO very few and only on exceptional and rare
occasions Its sphere of usefulness VIII De
limited TO military reconnaissance ana atlach'
to geographical exploration in otherwise mac
cessihle regions and to other unusual work
which NAV be performed without regard 10
exnense. The airship is far too dangerous, too
,lntrustworthy and too costly for ordinary trans
nortafion. The enthusiasm and courtesy which
nronnt Santos Dumont's illusions to New
York's future prominence as an airport will
excuse their absurdity but nobody takes that
SORT of talk seriously 1t is not unlikely that
first class balloon may drift across the Atlantic
in the great upper current of air from America
IN Furone within the next few years, but the
world will wait long time before it sees self
nronelled airship like that Of Santos-Dumont
cross the ocean in the opposite direction Yet
sensational as either achievement would be, it
would do no earthly good
IT NAV be said without disparagement that
the Brazilian aeronauts mission TO this country
is commercial and speculative, and not philan-
thropic He hopes TO win a handsome money
prize at the St Louis exhibition next year. and
he visits the United States at the present time
chiefly to make preliminary arrangements for
taking part in the contests there. If, however.
sufficient pecuniary inducements are offered he
will give New-York chance TO see one of his
airships in operation before the close of the
coming summer. After filling two or three en-
gagefnents in London in June or July he will be
at liberty to revisit America for that purpose.
With that possibility in view he has already
brought over part OF the machinery OF NO 4
1t would be unsafe to forecast the probability
of this opportunity being improved. One can
not avoid noticing. though, that the metropolis
does not stand on the same ground as St Louis
does Experience shows that enterprise like
the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition is doomed to
financial failure unless some striking feature
like the Ferris Wheel the Midway or an
aeronautic contest is introduced. ST Louis
shows commendable shrewdness, therefore, In
inviting Santos Dumont and his professional
kinsmen to entertain her citizens and visitors