Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-04
BUFFETED BY SEAS
AIRSHIP HOUSEBoAT IN SOUTH
EAST GALE.
Experts Have Their Hands Full to
Protect Their Craft From
the Waves.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

W1DEWAIEH, va, august fine en-
ergies of the Langley airship party were
directed this morning to meeting the con-
ditions Of the weather. A strong southeast
wind blew a heavy sea against the house.
| boat and the naphtha launch, though on
the leeward, was buffeted SO as to be in
| serious danger of injury. Private Allison
and a workman were sent out to make the
launch secure. The cables, which have re-
peatedly fouled the buoy, were also given
attention. This morning a new weather
gauge was placed on a pole from the super
structure. 1t showed the wind blowing in
the same direction throughout the fore
noon. Experiments with the anamometer
have been suspended.
Through the main door. being open a lit
the wider than usual when a press boat
passed, group of the government experts
was seen sitting quietly in corner. A
half dozen. nearly half of the entire party,
comprised the bunch. They were talking In
hstless inanimate manner and looked
around carelessly when the boats sail dark
ened the doorway. 1t was evident this
morning that the main business of the ex-
petition was dragging slowly on. The duty
of protecting the ark against the elements
had been assigned to the workmen not en-
gagged in the quiet corner chat so that lit
tie or nothing was being done about the
airship. A lot of plank was piled up on
deck, but what use it will be put to is not
known, unless it is to be made into scat
folding.
Will Be Launched in Face of Wind.
Prof. Langley's airship will be launched
against the wind and not In the direction
in which 1t is blowing has been sug-
gested. Experiments some years ago with
small aerodromes convinced the inventor
that the best prospects of a successful
flight lay in sending his machine against
the air currents. So many times hs this
been experimental with by Prof. Langley
that it is now well established rule In
his series of attempts in aerial navigation
From the first of his Investigations in aero.
dynamicS the professor encountered serious
difficulties from the wind currents in
solving the problems of launching his ma
chine. A moderate breeze was sufficient
to make an attempt abortive. But such
has been the valuable knowledge gained
in successive experiments that the machine
now confined in the houseboat is construct
ed to start in the face of wind and to
make Roadway at high velocity against 1t.
AS has been stated in The Star the preva-
lence Of strong wind will be contra
indication for test, but the scientists dc
not expect to wait for an absolute calm
They clearly recognize the fact, ascertained
in former attempts at launching and at
tested by the anamometer that nothing
more than a relative calm can ever be
pected. In varying degree the air has been
found to be practically always in motion
1t Is with these facts in view that Prof
Langley has had constructed his latest
models, as well as the principal machine
itself. The air conditions, therefore, in
which the launch will be attempted will
range between the HYPOTHETICAL extreme OF
an absolute calm on the one hand and a
high wind the other, with preference
for that state which most nearly ap-
proaches to calm.
Car Is Adjustable.
The direction from which the wind blows
will have little to do with the choice of
time for experiment except that 1t is
desired to start the ship either up or down
the river because Of the longer stretch of
water in both ways for the fight. By
means of the revolving table upon which
the superstructure is mounted the launch
Ing car can be turned toward any point of
the compass. Should mild breeze be blow
ing from the south about the time deter
mined upon for test the aerodrome will
be sent down the Potomac toward the King
George county hills on the Virginia shore,
eight miles distant. in straight line. The
river there curves abruptly to the east so
that the King George line appears to ex-
tend all the way across to Maryland The
reverse direction would of course be taken
with northerly wind currents and an even
greater distance could be traversed in a
straight line from the houseboat before
coming up against the Prince William
county shore Of Virginia 1t is thought
improbable that flight will be tried when
VI 10 10 pio"iiS eIlHeI directly from the
east or west. While the big machine is
built to be dirigible the inventor desires to
nave the first experiments made over
long straight course of water, and the river
here is not more than four miles wide, the
hcuseboat being in the middle
In pursuing the idea of propulsion direct
~ against the wind Prof. Langley depended
largely upon the intrtca te workings of the
air currents. The operations of these in
their relation to each other, he believed
might be utilized so as to supply a force
able to keep an inert body from falling in
the air; to cause it to rise and even to en-
able 1t to advance against the direction Of
the wind. This power, 1t seemed to him
was the probable cause Of the action of
the soaring bird