Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-27
TO TAKE FLIGHT SOON
Wind Was Too Strong for
Aerodrome Today.
ALL WORKING HARD
PROF. LANGLEY REACHED WIDE
WATER THIS MORNING.
Great Crowds Gather There and
Everything Indicates an
Early Sailing.
| ALL WORKING HARD

Special From a STAFF Correspondent.
Underwater, Va, August N.-Profes-
sor Samuel p. Langley reached his airship
houseboat IN the Potomac on here this
morning. He was brought on the tug
Yerkes. The inventor avoided interviews.
keeping out of view to outsiders as much
as possible.
He spent quiet hour or so in hammock
Immediately under the superstructure. It
is known that he came down from WASH
ington in the hope Of witnessing an ex-
pertinent.
Whether he will stay here until one does
occur cannot be ascertained. He is expected
to be here tomorrow. At o'clock this at
ternoon the weather was looking more ia
vorable for a launching.
Strenuous Preparations.
The airship party made strenuous prep
arations this forenoon for a launching Of
the big man-carrying aerodrome. A calm.
clear day had been expected. but the ardor
Of the experts was somewhat dampened by
the misty weather hanging over the river
and strong breeze which blew intermit
tently from the northeast.
Notwithstanding these conditions prepa-
ratiOns were pushed throughout the morn
ing. In the early afternoon indications were
that subsistence of the wind early enough
would be followed by an attempted flight.
The scientists came to the houseboat at
tender Key, which has been doing service
all this time. was preceded by large sea-
going tug. the William H. Yerkes, jr. of
Washington. Both were decorated with a
profuSion of flags and pennants.
Gay With Bunting.
From every available point a mast pole
carried either the stars and stripes or some
other gay colors. And when the lark" was
reached the number Of men unloaded was
surprising.
Not before since the houseboat came down
the river has it contained such crowd.
Several of the new recruits were photog-
raphers Their number and the instruments
they carried preclude the possibility OF the
airship getting away without being shot
with cameras
Every stage Of the flight will be accurate
ly recorded on films There were other
classes Of experts and assistants, but for
the time being the most of them all were
without employment They sat around.
swarmed over the superstructure and
swung in the hammocks. The equipment of
these had to be increased to serve the
visitors.
Manley Was Busy.
did his regular force. The chief assistant
was here, there and everywhere. Nor were
the tugs idle.
The Key visited Liverpool Point, going
thence to the Virginia shore, where several
stakes were driven In the beach by engf-
neers some weeks ago. More stakes were
driven. The condition of those already
there seemed satisfactory, and the party,
after a careful inspection. returned to the
ark
The chronographic readings of the ane-
mometer showed a wind too strong for test.
Unless this dininishes this afternoon 1t Is
safe to say that there will be no launching
today. The scientists claim that the ma
chine can fly In an ordinary wind. but they
want nearly a calm for the first expert
ment.
Nothing Corresponding to Anchor.
Prof. Langley's airship. resembling ma
rine vessel in so many ways, Is dissimilar
in that 1T Is not equipped with anything
corresponding to the anchor.
In other words i. has no device for hold
ing it stationary in the air. The reason for
this is that such thing as aerial anchor
age Is recognized to be, at least for the
present. unattainabie
If the Langley flying machine maintains
itself for a certain time in uninterrupted
horizontal flight at rapid velocity and then
comes down gradually to the surface Of
the water 1t will have attained the highest
success Of which 1t Is capable as at present
constituted.
Schedule Includes No Stop-Overs.
The provisional schedule for the first trips
include no stopovers. None can be made,
for one II attempted would Immediately
end the flight.
With the reduction Of the speed OF hori-
zontal advance would come also the reduc-
ton Of the sustaining power and the vessel
would rapidly settle to the surface Of the
water
This Is true in the very nature of the
principles upon which Prof. Langley de-
ponds for mechanical flight through the air.
The sustaining power, he has ascertained,
increases regularly as the velocity in
creases. and the converse Is true
Constantly in Some Motion.
Having Initiated In the construction OF his
machine the condor, the buzzard and other
soaring birds, the inventor has not at
tempted to go further than the behavior
Of these creatures in flight leads These
birds while in the air. Prof. Langley has
observed. are constantly in some motion.
But even II any flying creatures are able
to pOise themselves in an absolutely sta
tonary position in the air. there Is no ply
known. which gives any promise of per-
hitting q flying machine to stop still in its
aerial flight without Immediately beginning
to settle to the surface.
Would Drop to River.
Before speed could be gotten up again the
machine would have dropped from any
ordinary altitude to the river. In q word.
the faster that Prof Marley. should he be
the aeronaut. speeds through the empyrean
the easier his machine will 60 and the less
will be the liability of it's supporting power
becoming deficient
In yet another conspicuous respect Is the
flying machine different from the marine
vessel. 1t cannot start of from any place
simply by getting up steam.
There must be an apparatus for giving
the initial momentum from the outside, just
as an eagle in beginning to fly has to gs..
a preliminary start by running ahead on
the ground. Prof Langleys machine gets
this in the launching carriage.
n q