Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-04-26
Recent orm Does Considerable Damage
to His Aerodoms
PROPOSES TO INVITE FRIENDS TO RIDE
Anticipates, However, to Receive NumsrOu'
Cards of Regret,
lEBAUDYs MAKE SEVERAL SHORT TRIPS
CONFIDENT They VIII succeed In Meet.
ing Conditions Necessary 20
secure the Deutuch
Prize.

Copyright. 1903. by Press Publishing Coz
PARIS, April 25.-(New York World Ca
blegram - Special Telegram )-Santos- -Du-
mont has been paying close attention lately
to his great balloon tent, which covers al
most an acre of ground. So many accidents
happen in experimenting with new balloons
and new apparatus while starting to make
an ascent and even before getting fairly
out OF the shed that he is taking every pre-
caution to make HIS great tent secure with
steel guy ropes
Although the shed is ready to receive four
balloons he will give his immediate atten-
tion to the initiating of only two and their
fitting out win take at least q week. One
of these, No 6, Of the same type as the last
one in which Santos-Dumon made an
ascent In 1901, has $4,000 cubic feet ca
pacitY. The other, No. T. is of 1000 cubic
feet capacity. 1t Is forty-eight feet long
and eighty-two feet in diameter. The front
end is larger than the rear. 1t has a com
pensating 'balloonet," which is inflated
with air by means Of a fan controlled from
the three horsepower petroleum motor.
Motor and car are supported by a fine
framework 235 feet long. suspended seven
feet under the balloon. The propeller, ten
feet in diameter, makes zoo revolutions a
minute.
season Proves Handicap.
The seasons backwardness has retarded
not only Santos Dumont's experiments at
Neuilly, but also those Of Engineer Juillot,
who has charge of the Lebaudy brothers.
big balloon at Moisson.
Anybody except plucky "little Santos"
would be discouraged at the adverse weather
conditions of the last few weeks, making
ballooning practically impossible. The re-
| cent nf -ogu a
heavy wind did considerable damage to his
aerodrome, but with indomitable energy
Santos works away and expects to have re-
pairs made in a few days.
The Lebaudy brothers big airshlp, which
! Is kept at Moisson, 100 miles from Paris,
has had better luck. Juchmes and Juillot,
\ the pilot and inventor respectively have
made several short trips from the aero
drome end have~returned without accident.
These gentlemen are confident that they will
be able to fulfill the conditions OF the
Deutsch prize, which means sailing from
st. Cloud around the Eiffel tower and back.
But more experiments and better weather
must be awaited before the trip to Paris
and back can be undertaken.
Expects Many Regrets.
AS soon as the experiments get to the
stage of actual air trials the greatest in
| terest VIII center about the degree OF con-
troll Santos-Dumont will have over his new
airship built to carry fourteen passengers
about which the World has already pub
lished interviews. The aeronaut is much
less concerned about possible failure of this
his most ambitious undertaking, than he II
at the dubious prospect OF finding fourteen
persons willing to go up with him. This Il
the balloon with which he proposes to make
pleasure excursions, hoping to make the
balloon pay for itself by charging each pas.
senger at the rate of 10 cents a pound. &C.
cording to his weight.
santos-Dumont is a great fnvorite both a
the club and in society. Everyone is gla,
to meet him socially. TO dine with him, Il
play billiards with him, and all that, bu
the crucial test will come when he aend
his friends an invitation reading: Santos
Dumont presents his compliments, an,
would be pleased IL you can join him in
little ballooning party tomorrow"
VIII he be showed under with regrets
He expects to be. He says the fear of goin,
up In balloon is the greatest menace t,
the development Of the science.