The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-06
AERODROHE BUILT
DURING CIVIL VAR
Actually Lifted Itself But
Wouldn't Stay Up.
MACHINE WAS NOT INFLATED
Was Found That Rotary Fans Brought
Downward Currents Of
Air.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. IA LeIteI
from WeIlman Serren tells about an
airship Mai. Gen. Benjamin +. Butler
commander of the Army of the James,
ordered 10 be built soon after the Tenth
Army Corps moved into Virginia.
All the commanders desired 70 know
what the enemy was dotnS, and MI
Serren SAYS that when the astronomer
General Mitchell, commanded at Port
Royal during the civil war, the matter
was discussed with his chief engineer
officer who brought forward the propo-
sftion to make a machine without in
fation. and exhibited tin model that
wound up with a string and handle and
spun like humming top and would ny
into the air 100 feet or more, vertically,
according TO the force eNerted upon
il and would carry a bullet or two II
the string was pulled hard enough.
Butler Impressed.
General Mitchell died, and. upon see
ing what the tin toy did, General But
Ter expressed the belief that machine
could be built TO navigate the air.
Drawings were made. the theory being
Ito initiate the little tin model and add
to its gliding planes. The drawings,
according to Mr. Serren, showed four
fans 10 lift, two above an engine, two
below. and two fans 10 propel and
steer, one in front and one behind; the
rear fan on a shaft that moved in
horizontal segment. so as 10 change the
direction of the push, and make the
rear fan not only propeller. but a rud-
der at the same time Across the ma
chine was TO be horizontal shaft on
which on either side of the machine
We're TO be gliding planes and autOma-
tic balancing balls These We're 10
slide in and out so as TO maintain an
equilibrium
To Be Cigar Shaped.
The body of the machine was to be
about hfty-twO feet long and shaped ike
a thicl, cigar. II was 10 contain fuel and
water and a high-pressurc boiler and en-
CINE. From the middle OF the body q
weight was to be hung SO arranged that
il might be lifted or lowered like the
legs of a bird
Private subscribers offered 20 pay for
the machine, and Mr. Serren says:
''The first thing done was 10 make a
ian eighteen inches in diameter, rotate
IL at different speeds. and see how much
II could lift. 1t was found that very con-
siderable weight could be lifted. and to
try what could be done on a large scale
a fan about thirty-two feet In diameter
was made. the blades of the thinnest
sheet iron that could be procured and
rotation By belt was provided.
Contrary 10 expectation, when the
fan was first rotated at great speed IN
q foundry that had high roof, the
weight that could be lifted was much
more than the wheel itself, some 600
pounds or more, and then within forty
seconds of time the wheel and the
weights would drop back TO where they
started from, Il mattered not how fast
the ran was driven.
Downward Current.
1T was found after a long investiga-
ton that the fan wheel of any size, when
rotated in one place, set up a down
ward current Of air that soon became
nearly OF quite as fast as the pitch Of
the fan. hence il would lift nothing
When, however, the fan was mounted at
the outer end Of a long boom. which re-
vOlved around a mast. so as 10 constant
y bring the fan into new air. its lifting
capacity never deserted il and bore a
certain ratio to the velocity. and data
were accumulated for proportiouing the
machine.
The questions involved seemed 10 be
the size OF the fan. the shape Of the
blade, the power required. the weight Of
the engine, boiler, fuel and water 70
develop the power. There were no dvna-
mos or storage batteries. LIQUID air en-
gines or sources Of powerful enerec.
using lightweight machines and the
only prime motor sufficiently reliable
was the steam engine. To get the
strongest and lightest was the problem
IL is true that caTbOnic acid had been
NQucfied some years before then, but no
one knew how 10 harness it.
Having determined the probable
force wanted, the question remained az
how 20 get and maintain pressure
enough upon the piston Of the engine.
A great many experiments were made,
but the ueedful force Of steam was NOT
reached before the coming Of Appornat-
tOE.'