Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-04-19

POI Eighth avenue, New York city, and
says he WIN contest for the big prize az
ct. Louis His machine he thinks Is
an Improvement on the Santos Dumgnt
machine He expects to make his hrst
trip through the air over the tops OF
New York's sky scrapers,
II had hoped to have Santos-D umont
one OF the first to see my machine
said Mr.. Stevens In conversation WIN
an Evening Telegram reporter rev
days ago. Then he explained briefly the
plan upon which his airship Is con-
structed. The framework Is made OF
steel pipe manufactured especially for
Il. The gasoline engine Is also put In
place in the frame. The entire weight
OF the framework will be only JOS
pounds. although Il is about So feet
long and Is feet high. The engine VIII
be seven and a half horsepower II
will be propelled by wings very much
the same as the Santos Dumont ma
chine, but, as Mr.. Stevens explained, ne
has been watching Dumonts work
closely and has taken advantage OF ev-
cry weak spot that was revealed In Du-
m0ats work.
In Stevens machine, TO begin
with, there Will be two gas envelopes
or balloons instead Of one, a smaller
ole being built within the large one
In this way he will prevent his main
balloon from becoming fabby and I'M
wleldly, when the gas escapes, by fore
ing air into the cylinder and by its
expansion force the remaining gas In
the big cylinder into smaller compass,
thereby keeping the main balloon full
and shapeiy
He also added TO a water ballast at
tachment constructed on a sliding
track so that he can move IL back and
forth at win and keep the equilibrium
Of the machine perfect But what he
considers his greatest improvement
over Dumont's machine II the add
ton OF the automatic wings attached
to the balloon. which viii fold up when
the balloon shoots upward and open as
Il desCends. acting on the parachute
principle and thereby preventing him
from coming down TO the earth too rap
Idly as has been the experience with
Dumont. The balloon viii be above the
steel frame the same az IN Dumonts
machine but the framework win be
much better supported and the machine
in every way win be under better con-
troll Of the navigator.
80 far as solving the question OF
commercial navigation OF the air Is
concerned" said he 81 am not bother
ing myself I am not going into that
realm yet, but ! say 10 you In all can
dor, and not with the enthusiasm Of
the theorlst. that ! luo that / have
solved the problem Of constructing a
machine that VIII carry one person
through the afr wherever he seeks to
go and against any ordinary current
All my ife / have been making trips
through the afr. I hare studied every
phase OF the problem of aerial naviga-
ton. and three years ago when / per-
fected my models and secured
my patents from the United
States government. had hoped
to have nothing said about Il,
II expect TO be the successful COM
petitor al ST. Louis, and ] hope 20 have
NJ. Santos-Dumont here 10 witness my
first trip. I am proud Of him. and
while / am frank 20 say that ! have
profted much by his victories. I have
gained vastly more by his defeats. He
has had a great doal more money than
have TO work with. but he Is entitled
20 a world OF credit for what he has
done No one who has not made a lie
study OF the great problem as ! have
done, can comprehend the discourage
ments one meets with But what he
has failed to do / know that ] shall
do.
Anyone who understands the prin-
ciples OF balloonlng can construct
machine that can be lifted into the air
and propelled II there Is no resistance.
but NJ. Santos Dumont has not been
able yet 20 control his machine against
any considerable resistance and 70 de-
scend in a satisfactory manner. and
these things I shall do. I shall not
attempt to travel at FIRST IN a hurrl-
cane. bui shall De able TO travel
against any ordinary current. | ex-
pect that the machine will need i'm
provements 1t Is beyond human skill
TO perfect this great work at one