The Glenwood post., 1904-08-06
hOl!1Rd'S Air Ship


prophecy John P Holland, inventor
of the submarine boat, makes in re-
lation to his latest invention-the i'm
proved aeroplane:
''In less than five wears man will
spread his wings and fly like bird.
Without any more exertion than is
required by the act of ordinary walk
ing he will make flights at the rate
of from 80 to 100 miles an hour. He
will fly to Chicago in day. He
will make short flight to Washing
ton to see his friends and will fly
back home in time for supper. all
without more trouble or energy than
would be expended in the same time
at walking: probably without as
much exertion.
He will take course with or
against the wind or at any angle he
wishes, at any height above the sur
face he may find convenient or desir
able. He will peat his wings
vigorously for few strokes, Just as a
bird does, and then, settling in
fixed course, will ride the air without
any more effort than does the swallow
that SKINS and dips. He will use no
ulrships or other device to attain
huoyancy, but will simply mount to
the height sought by the same means
as do creatures endowed by nature
with feathers
Mr.. Holland says the problem of
navigating at will the depths of the
sea is far more difficult one than is
offered by that of making the atmos-
phere thoroughfare for humans. He
declares the standpoint of the airship
man is the serious mistake made by
those who are searching for the solu
ton of aerial navigation. Buoyancy
is first sought as requisite to over
come the lightness of the element dis
| placed compared with the weight of
the human body. The father of the
submarine boat went to the fishes for
his guides in that important and mar
velOus invention. Fishes have known
more than man about submarine nav
igation ever since man and fish occu
pied the same world. just so be has
turned to the birds for points ON
aerial sailing, and finds the same
thing is true. The bird displaces far
less than its weight of air, yet il
goes up, down, around, across and
anywhere it likes, and all without
"A balloon filled with gas lighter than
air. Except for few beats of the
wings during the ascent or Just be
fore alighting on descent, the wings
are nearly impassive, acting simply
as aeroplanes to change the direction
of height or fight.
This flying machine, or what
ever you want to call it ., said the
inventor will consist of four wi Is.
Those with which the first trials soon
will be conducted will be in two sizes
one pair seven and the other 10 feet
long. This will give spread of
from 10 to 20 feet from tip to tip.
They will be applied directly to the
person in such a manner that appro-
pirate muscles will manipulate them
without more exertion than is neces
sary for ordinary walking. In fact,
the operation will be far less exhaust
ing than walking. for the violent part
of it will he only during starting or
ascending and while the person is de-
scending
At first starts vii be made from
an elevation, in order to gain IA height
free from membranes at whic.. to
begin to soar. There is nothing to
prevent rising from IA level however,
and ultimately it will be possible for
a man to take wings with II few rapid
beats of the apparatus and get to "A
height where he will sail on the air
like bind.
How do | know? Watch the
birds if you want to find ont how to
fly; don listen tn the scientists who
tell You man can get into the air
without bagful of gas.
Did you ever realize that bird :
feather is the finest piece Of con-truc
tlon in nature Or that it is the
strongest bit of mechanism for its
weight that can he found? A bird 5
wing is the most accurately adjusted
screw propeller that is known being
perfect in pitch and thrust. You see
the bird sails along through the air
without so much as the rutiie Of a
feather, sometimes for miles. He
beats his piuions rapidly few times,
then ceases the motion and skim
right eff on his course.
There nothing occult about this
flight of the bird. Like nearly every
thing else it's merely demonstra
ton of mechanical principles The
bird is heavier than the air, yet floats