The St. Louis Republic., 1903-01-02
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/ REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
! New York, Jan. 1.-Giant strides were
taken by man last year In his efforts to
/; fly through the air and to proceed under
the waters of the earth. Aerial naviSa-
ton was greatly advanced by the efforts
of a score of inventors abroad and at home,
chief of whom were NJ. Santos-Dumont and
the Lebaudy brothers, on the Continent. and
Mr.. Stanley Spencer In Great Britain.
| Back in January Sir Hiram Maxim said
he hoped to win a prize at the airshp con-
/ tests to be held at the st. Louis Worlds
Fair in 1904. In May The Republic pre-
dicted that the solution of the problem Of
practical aerial navigation was near at
hand. Almost every month since then
more or less successful trial Of some daring
spirit has been recorded.
n. Dumont's exploits at Monte Carlo, and
! his mishap. when his airship fell into the
bay while he was bravely navigating it. are
familiar. But u large share of praise must
be accorded to Mr.. Stanley Spencer. who,
on September %. sailed south and west over
the city OF London, both with and against
the wind, which was very light. and landed
safely after traversnS thirty miles and
being aloft more than two hours. NJ. Du-
mont's longest fight was about ten miles.
SPENCERS CRAFT
Mr. Spencer seemed able to maneuver his
craft handily as a seaman does a tor
peao boat Many excited spectators on Vic
/ toria bridge watched him sail across the
Thames to Chelsea. HIS airsh!p was not
handsome to the eye. being like a bottle
nosed whale, but 1t seemed more practica!
than any Of its contemporaneous rivals.
Seventy feet long and with 10000 cubic feet
Of hydrogen capacity and a thirty-horse-
power motor, driven by petroleum, 1t was
set in motion by pressing button from
A month later. on October q. Mr. Spencer
travelled twenty-five miles. He rose from
Black Pool, but finding northwest breeze
too strong, Travelled in a southeasterly di-
try.
On November IA Messrs. Pierre and Paul
a long time. had several trials of their air.
ship from their shed at Moisson. near Nam
ties. between noon and $3.50 o'clock Going
out they ascended to a fair height. forming
a circle in flight. and returned to the shed
without mishap, except some trivial damage
to the ru6der.
At times a speed of twenty-five miles an
hour was attained with four passengers on
board. This craft Is similar in design to
feet long. and with diameter of 81 feet
at the largest point. y four horsepower
motor propelled two screws. placed one on
either side Of the car.
About the same time. November II. the
Douglas; Isle of Wight, to Pumfriesshire,
seot4aHu. dtteHueu Wy tAe pAAttSu
Rsynard and watched by naval and mill
fary observers detailed for that purpose.
After NJ. Dumont's departure from this
country last summer E c. Boyca made an
ascension In the Duruont airship at Br;gh-
ton Beach. in October. and Mr. Leo Stevens
went aloft in his airship from Manhattan
Beach. At San Jose, Cal. Doctor l. Goeth, |
with four aeronauts. under the direction of
Captain Baldwin. who has made several !
ascents are working on an airship 80 by 20 |
feet. costing $ooI0. 1t Is to be tried next
month.
NOT ALL FAIR SAILING.
But not all has been fair sailing with |
these inncvators. Several lives were lost |
during the year. notably on April Il, when |
NJ. August Sewers and his machlnst. Sashet. |
were killed by the explosion of the fuel |
tank Of their vessel in Paris In October |
N. de Brsdsky and NJ NORM were killed in |
Paris by the falling Of their airship.
The $aOo0Qo in prizes offered by the man |
ayers of the ST. Louis Worlds Fair is ex-
pected to give great impetus to the minds |
enlisted in this field Of human endeavor
No less marked have been the improve
ments in submarine navigation. In August |
the British types performed poorly. but soon |
afterwards at Newport the American Hoi- |
land submarines so fulfilled the require |
ments laid down by the navy trial that two |
of them. the Adder and the Moccasdon were |
enthusiastically exploited In the newspapers
and the War Department officials. in re- /
part made public on November IS. distinctly |,
favored their use
In France, where more extensive and more |
varied maneuvers have been tried. similar l
gratifying results were attained. Even
wireless telegraph communication with .
submarine heat was ELECTED