The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-02
One Which Can Be Directed at Will in
Mid=air.
INVENTION of Brakeman, Who Has Made Several
Successful Short Trips in a Rudely Com
structed Machine.

M. John b. Barnett, a brakeman In the
mploy OF the Southern Pacific Railway
ompany. gentleman Of a very inventive
.aird. who has got.ca up several successful
mentions. hsyi-- .u.bed the channel Of
| is thoughts toward successful aerial nav-
alton, after much serious, careful study
nu thought much hard work and many
xperments, has at last invented ma
HING which he terms an aerial yacht,
rhleh he claims can be directed at will
y Die pilot, as 1t sails through the as
nd in which he feels confident he has
olved the problem of aerial navigation,
nd given to the world an airship which
an be put to general use. and which car
|ics no dead weight. Every pound OF
felght In the Barnett aerial yacht aids IN
be movement and control of the yacht,
rhile the air vessel Itself is the rudder.
Y which the direction or course of the
facht In mdair is controlled.
~
John b. Barnett was born at Mckinney,
'exas in 1870. He IS 4 grandson of Colo
el James A. Bourland, Mexican war
teteran, colonel in the Confederate army
nd one Of the earliest settlers. His father,
Frank A. Barnett, was a Confederate SOL
Ter and one Of the early settlers of Hunt
bounty, Texas When quite a child Mr..
pohh B. Barnetts parents moved fror'
mckinney TO Cooke county, and when John
?. was but 10 years Of age his parents
fgain moved, going this time to Fort
NORTH, where the elder Barnett di~S in
oS4 John B. Barnett was sent to school
t Granbury under Prof. Fritzer. While
ttending school he worked on Saturdays
printing Office and learned to r. a
Eompositor. He then returned to Fort
North, and in the office Of the Daily Mall
Eompleted his apprenticeship The intro
tnction OF the typesetting machines into
general use turned his thoughts of earning
livelihood into different channels and
drifted into railroadlng, In which he
now engaged MS passenger brakeman on
he Southern Pacific railroad.
Mr. Barnett Is Of an inventive turn Of
nlnd and quite a genius and since his boy
hood days have passed he has conceived a
humber OF inventions, but Ike the major
~ OF men, having little or no means, he
las been unable TO push them, and othe 5
pave benefited by carrying his ideas into
xesutlon. His first invention was a hotel
nnunciator. He next Invented the COM
Pfnation or telescope pipe stem. He then
made trip to England and at Southport.
England, he sold the invention Of the pine
Item TO Mr.. Wood, a large tobaccunlst.
Nnile he was In England the man who
lad made Mr.. Barnett's drawings for the
lotel annunclator, took ont 4 patent oD-it
MS own name. He has made q number
pf other inventions, but has never reaped
any financial benefit from them BECAUSE
II The lack OF funds to push them.
After returning from England Mr.. Barnett
beca1ne engaged to and married Miss Mat
tie Robinson of Seymour. Texas, g former
schoolmate and with whom he had for
years kept up the warmest friendship and
ore witty she determination to nj some
Future day make her his wife This union
bias been blessed by the appearances at the
Bafnett home of two children-a boy and
CIR -of whom the parents are justly very
proud.
IL was about three years ago when Mr..
Barnett conceived the idea Of inventlng m
serial yeacht or flying machine. His main
Idea was TO invent one which could be
readily controlled In midair With this
idea he conceived the plan Of train OF
examination OF a series Of balloons so form.
ed as to give the entire train the shape OF
huge cigar. Each of the balloons is an
entirely separate compartment from tn,
ofher and initiates or debates itself with
cut reference to any other portion or sec
ton. These balloons are also movable, S,
thai the entire set can be twisted or turne,
at the will OF the pilot
Mt. Barnett feels confident that he ha
solved the problem of aerial navigation
and the control of the airshlp Its move
inents and Its actions while trayelins
through space. On a small scale he ha
proved the truth of his claims having al
ready built small yacht In q rude name
In which, In the presence OF Mr.. II. II