The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-13

and open as it descends acting on the
parachute principle and thereby prevent
ing MIN from coming down to the earth
too rapidly as has been the experience
with Dumont. The balloon will be above
the steel frame the same as in Dumont's
machine, but the frame work will be
much better supported and the machine
in every way will be under better con-
troll of the navigator.
so far as solving the question of COM
mercial navigation Of the air is con-
oerned,' said he 81 am not bothering
myself I am not going into that realm
yet, but / say to you in all candor, and
not with the enthusiasm of a theorist.
that l know that I have solved the
problem of constructing a machine that
Will carry one person through the air
wherever he seeks to go and against any
ordinary current.
'tAll my life I have been making trips
through the air. / have studied every
phase of the problem of aerial naviga-
ton, and three years ago, when 1 per-
fected my models and secured my
patents from the United States govern
ment, I had hoped to have nothing said
about it until I was able to demonstrate
what now l can only proclaim. By June,
at the latest, I hope to have the ma
chine in working order Most of the
metal work is now completed, and the
gas tank is being made at Long Branch.
Is Confident of Victory.
81 expect to be the successful COM
petitor at ST.. Louis, and l hope to have
M. Santos-Dum0nt here to witness nv
first trip. | am proud of him. and while
[ am frank to say that l have profited
much by his victories, l have gained
vastly more by his defeats. He has had
a great deal more money than l have
to work with, but he is entitled to a.
world of CrpOIt for what he bac
NO one Who has not made a life study
OF the great problem as I nave done can
comprehend the discourag ments one
meets with. But what he has failed to do
| know that / shall do.
Anyone who understands the prin-
ciples of ballooning can construct a ma
chine that can be lifted into the air and
propelled if there is no resistance but
NJ. Santos-Dumont has not been able vet
10 control his machine against any con-
siderable resistance and to descend in a
satisfactory manner and these things
| shall do. l shall not attempt to travel
at first in a hurricane but 7 shall be
able to travel against any ordinary cur
rent l expect that the machine will need
improvements. 1t is beyond human skill
to perfect this great work at one stroke
but / know that l have now surpassed
all that has been accomplished up to this
period
Van DOrstCn Patent Pending.
Alvin w. Van Dorston, of South Bend
Ind, a skilled mechanic and pattern
maker, has pattern pending for a fly
ing machine, with which he hopes to
carry off the worlds fair prize. DorstOns
flying ship is to be operated by gasoline.
The body of the vessel is 100 feet long
by 37foot beam in the widest place The
total weight of the machine will be l 800
pounds. The lifting surface is $500 feet
Included in this lifting surface are sc
lifting Wheels 4S on each side ''The
essential principles necessary to success
full aerial navigation are aeroplane force
buoyancy and lifting wheels" says DORIS
ton. IF 4 successful airship cannot be
produced by the use of these principles.
there will be but little use to attempt
aerial navigation along othsr lines"
Whitehead to Be in Contest
Inventor Gustave Whitehead, of
Bridgeport, Conn. is also working on
dic.gible airEhip, with the intention OF
meeting Santos-Dumont in the balloon
race at the worlds fair. Whitehead re-
Gently conducted a series o. trial tests
with his machine at Charles island, Mil
ford. He is elated over the success of
the trials. He asserts that he made
complete circuit in the air, covering an
area Of about a quarter of mile re-
turning to within fifty feet OF the start
ing point, when the machine descended
and dropped lightly to the sandy shore
''ThC fights were a complete success,
said Whitehead Il have a kerosene mo-
tor, which worked perfectly. I steered
the machine by running one propeller
faster than the other. and there was not