Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-21
HIS LATEST A|RSH|P
What Santos Dumont EX-
poets to Accomplish.
HAS MUCH AT STAKE
PLANNING FOR THE GREAT CON-
TEST AT ST. LOUIS.
Putting the Last Touches on Racing
No. 7''-Question of Wind
and Speed.
.ial Correspondence Of The Evening Star

| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
PARIS, May 10, 1904.
Santos Dumont is making speed trials OF
his Racing No. Z" airshp. He is putting
the last touches to 1t for the aerial con-
| test at st. Louis. He will sail for New
York the second week in June, taxing
with him the airship, three mechanicians
and two balloon artisans.
1.-THE die is cast" says Santos, and 1
have a great deal at stake
"How?" 1 asked. 1 him in his air
ship station, in its own handsome grounds
in the swell Paris suburb of Neullly-SI
James. Are you going to have so many
dangerous competitors?'
1T is not that which bothers me-. ne
answered "The more airships there are
entered for the competition at st. Louis
the better 1 shall be pleased. There Will
be emulation, excitement; and tie pest
airship will win. And the more starters
there are the less will be my responsible
ty But suppose l am the only starter!
/ must win. | must win against the mimi
mum speed limit which is stiff one for
airships."
Suppose you don't?"
Il shall lose a lot" said Santos.
you won't get the prize" L said, hest
tatngly.
Worse than that" he answered. Sup
pose l fail to win the prize by breaking
the airship as / did when / fell to the
roofs of the Trocadero Hotels in Paris or
into the Bay Of Monaco? Have you any
idea of what this racing No. Z cost? L
will not tell you; but it is a lot more than
any possible automobile. 1 will lose that,
the expenses of myself and my five eX-
pert men whom 1 am taking to st. Louis
and my prestige.
"Um-m NM" l said.
reDeated Santos. IT shall lose In
reputation if being the only starter,
cannot get round the aerial track three
separate times at the necessary speed.
The cause of aerial navigation will suf-
fer. On the other hand, If there sew
eral starters and one of them takes the
prize from me it will be all right. There
will be race. Airshps will boom. And
that is what I want above all. Let the
best man win"
"You said the best airship a minute
ago., / remarked.
Man and Airship.
TT is delicate question" replied the
hardy young Brazilian. IAN airship is
more novel than an automobile; yet even
an automobile requires learning. There
are at this moment thousands of first
class, perfectly practical automobiles 'en
panne' on the highway with little break
downs, tire punctures, grippings, &c 1t
is the most prudent and experienced auto
driver who avoids these annoyances-
yes, the best man. But put good man
on 'tacko,' what you might call bum
auto, no matter how fine it's upholstery
may be-
He will have grief" 1 said
sure. Now, imagine him to be up in
the air with his 'tacko,' instead of safe on
the highway! You see? He will be in
double danger of having grief"
yet the only way to get experience is
to begin going up?" said
Before going up in my first airship,
seven years ago, said Santos. Il had
made at least thirty ascensions, alone in
spherical balloons.
While saying these things the Young
airship navigator was monkeying with
his motor. starting and stopping II and
consulting with four of his workmen n
would be a big, heavy-looking motor on
any auto, with It's four cylinders and IT'S
water cooler. 1t is a sixty-horsepower
clement, made particularly light for its
force. THE breech (culasse) is in aIumi
mum. too, observed Santos
His Latest Idea.
1 was astonished to see this motor firmly
fixed. as If for good, in a very small keel
just big enough for it. with no propeller
at the end, no rudder and no place for San
tos 1 asked what 1t might mean and so
learned his latest idea. 1t Is revolutionary,
Il m going to try 1t this way" he said
1T may fail, but don't think it will In
airshtps everything is new; and the only
"hy 10 " uy everything without prejudice
But where will you stand? Where is
your basket? There is no place for you in
that tiny keel"
Santos pointed to the ceiling of the i'm
mense shed. There, at least twenty feet
above our heads this keel with motor was
resting on the ground 1 saw the long. mar
row keel of his No T." The fan-like
wings of its screw propeller projected from
one end. The rudder-which is immense
was standing against the wall
You see the two keels are attached to
each other by, these piano wires?' he said
The little keel hung below the center of the
long one.
attached to the cigar-sha ped balloon by
| other piano wires?' 1 said, as the idea
broke on me.
Sure" said Santos This little keel Won
may call the motor keel. 1t hangs far be-
low the keel of the screw propeller and rud-
The motor will hang by itself away below
men'
II suppose you are trying to avoid all
possible danger from ire?" ventured
Absence Of Pitching.
'tThere may be more than that in it, he
/ answered. "A question of high mechanics
is involved. 1t may be that this heavy mo-
tor hanging way below, throws the center
of gravity of the whole system down that
much; and l am In hopes that great sta
bility will result. You understand? Alb
sence of pitching. And can't you see how
ii will change the position Of the screw pro-
peller with respect to the center of gravity
of the system? High up is the balloon. Away
down is the motor. hanging In its little keel
Between them Is the keel of the rudder and
propeller"
but won't you waste a lot of power in
ira usfuission?" / asked. From the motor