The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-01

Thomas a. Edison DsncYce Ouat
ought 10 be ashamed Of itself because
the problem OF aerial navigation Of human
beings was not solved years ago. He also
makes the statement that. while santos
Dumont has done great thing In steering
airships about through the air, Il VII pc
long time before any contriyapee ior ~
navigation Is commercially possioie, pe
cause no inventor will be able . secure any
reward for his labor In this line or wore
under the present patent laws; 70 mas,
this great possibility practical ne ,nll ~ so y
| will BE necessary 10 establish sort Oh pro
| tectiye acatemy OF invention, which sal
| reward the successful Inventor Oh the com
| mercial airship. -
II was down In Florida recently aud
| one dav I watched a big Bird think II
! was a yulture-that 1oated about In the hll
a whole hour without MOVING It's wing
! pfrceptibly. When Sod made that Difd nc
gave It machine to fly with but IN, nc dia nry
| small brain with which 10 direct the move
ments OF the machine, but ne gave 10
man much larger brain in proportion 10
| that Of the bird"
comparison, but when he talked In TINS
way the other day to Santos Dumont tnere
was q world of meaning In the words. me
wizard Of the laboratory was mnch inter-
estnd in the Young man who had startled
Pnris and the world by steering an aifshp
over the city, not once, but several times
49,
"You are the only man who has done
such thing" exclaimed Mr.. Edison.
~ am sure you have never worked on the
problem OF aerial navigation replied San
tos. Dumont, "or you would have accom-
pIished years ago more than | have done
now.
The neronaut was not trying to he com
plmcntary. He has the highest admiration
r. III 1, 10 tnN
II don't know about that" said Edison
II did take II up several years ago ana
built a specially light motor TO he operate
by exploding gunpowder. experimental
n lot In lifting weights with II, hut woik-
cd with sma " model and did not attempt
ia ny gave 1t oil up because had a
number Of other things to do which were
faI more profitable.
the patent office only protected the IN,
vcntor sufficiently the problem Of aerial
navigation would have been solved thirty
years ago"
santos Dumont looked at Edison with
some surprise and turned to NJ Anne, his
companion, to remark that had the laws
been right the thing would have been done
before he was born. Mr.. Edison saw the
discontinue Of his guest and remarked:
But YOU are all right You are on the
right track You have made an airihiS
and you have stcercd Il and you have made
step toward the inal solution of the
balloon. Make 1t smaller nil the time.
Have YOU noticed, Mr., Edison" inquired
the aeronaut, that ! am making the bal
jocn smaller every time | build now air
Yes. and that's right replied Edison,
but make 1t smaller yet, You arc doing
well. but it will take long time u make
the thing commercially possible When
you get your balloon part smaller and yet
Smaller until It Is 50 small that you can not
sci II with a microscope then you will
Rave It. Then you win have solved tbs
problem.
Hero, in nutshell, is Mr.. Edisons solu.
tion of the problem of aerial navigation. He
believes firmly that It can he solved. But
lie believes Just as firmly that the solution
must he reached by means Of the tying
machine, and not by the airship
Only with the machine be says, can air
navigation ever he made either safe or
commercially profitable. This will be clear
10 the reader when 1t Is explained that in
~ Edison vocabulary tho term "air,hip''
applies TO contrivance that, being lighter
ll'hh the air. Heats in it as ship doats on
ne Walcf' me term 'hylng machine, =" on
ire other hand, refers MS he uses it to a
tunllNRAcc heavier than the air II is in
tended TO navigate.
o.. rest sd'n an apparatus would not
L"nt at az ne mower Of lotatior hoing
tHlMHHcd ny the high speed at which il
moves In EdlSon's nina, then. aeria, "A.
luton Is simply question Of sufficient mn
the the d pGW Of nnr@gTriy applied 10 overcome
i'H", and keep 1t In sufficient motInn to
Lo.u y IN position q certain number ~
''t ABOVE tho earth. lie constantly rcfcrs
s !. "a" ri. rSnI h OF a hlrd, which anyone may
cISe ana hr a will. '
I,lNEc inc case of the vulture" he soid
"E!U natural dying machine which ia
i,l5Sps ~ T a'i'S w hcaNN as the air 1t t3is-
L cgI, M II lev seconds Of leiSurely ,lght
L"S FucumhcrcA with ali sorts Of ,h"tI
~, ani iaotc Is scarcely a duttcr az its
Wings in the operation. Vi It's
'nN'r T. nuJhing there but n r,ncbf,o
n 80. .,rl . Sn"ii brain and it Is not very re-
III thn.f ha 'hinc. either WHY l. I. ~.
"a nun can not make dying machine az
'niticnt as The bird: ''"c az
ha'Hnt tnat m1n should nv: that IT, ,it 81
h hcn i'IehIcd such a thing man womb ny
n.r p'onl0ci With the necessary mn Mn
ny the 6rd ''q RI, 'H ln, as Is now possessed
s%SH t6at II was never intended th" "s won
sn%3nii have any lleht aside from ," H. MN
naIy II" pro nGGm ana ln Gtars which were or'g
n3t move about faster Win nm nc shol!d
HIM bS p ,,, no wheels were sunnIied =" VI
Someone asked Mr. Edison vbc,hor II.
''''"se battery would bc Of service Il,
sowing the problem Of aerial noriro,ta,, :"
on no, of course not, he rcn,,oa a..
would be too heavy We must 90. "a.
nshtest possible motive power rSus 'h
greatest factor of this problem ,s 70 "s 90 .He
very Hight motor which win he non. s,t
erly. "'Vulne prop
me best thing now in sight for +rt.
p"se rs gasoline or gunnowJo .Nts pur-
p nG that Will get mp power o motGr;
sha which at the same time w.t., qIisthy
soInsS S-iunont is on the right trast l., ~.
gets rid OF his gas bag i"''ner TILL nc |
=, aGu San not control a balloon IN = val,
~ Winu, In order TO make q no ~ ~, s1ls
ssry ~ OF me airship It will be mecca
sSy 10 make Its operation absolute,,n e .,,
ana us use safe. The nylng n,at, sure
n !. . 20 come, but 1t will tale so,an IS
'ur Late VIC are progressing now '''e
hnn vas suggested 10 Mr. Edison thot
LIPS ne might take up the nrohIor,n.'n MT Pc.
n'nnSet ana assist In the Hnnl soivtI again
% 10. 1 VIII not go into anytbing ,rh
iirh nor pc protected from the nirn5os" LILO
I'VE on the work OF inventors. a p,Iates VINO
oeleNe " would be possible 10 se,,-n 40 not
pnt on either flying machine or ~ q pat
test Of the courts ""ulu stnnd the |