The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-01

cot.cenl his movements from view, ana
any ora who visits tho ground at thn
hour Of the trial can see tho remarkable
attempt at aerial flight.
HOW DISCOVERY MADE.
During certain scientific mechanical
improvements III one Of tho large fac
tories hero Mr.. wilkins had occasion 10
use d large amount Of asbestos sheeting,
ara in order to get the proper mens,,ro-
tnents spredd II over tho floor likc y
CARPET. Walking over IT. he discovered
that lie had feeling Of llghtheadedncss
ana more dinculty than Usual In keeping
upright. When he stumbled and fell lie
struck tho floor With uncommon little
force. e
E This circumstance not particularly
noted at tho time, REQUIRED continually
+ TO Mr.. Nvlkirs's mind fcr several days.
and would not DO put aside. Tlle cxpe-
rience was unnccotintnblc. Finally nc
again spread tho asbestos ahccting anu
ttnndc the wonderful discovery that he
could jump two feet higher from the
nsbestos than from tho bare floor. II
then dnwncl on him like an electric
shock that he had made grand dis-
covcry, and no vert almost wilu Win
nxcite.ncnt IIc had possibly learned III
Il moment what scientists have dreamed
Of for ages in vnln--how to overcome.
partially, ut least, the attraction OF crawl
tntion--as he says, "the initlhtory step II
Then followed tho umbrella expert
ncnts--ali umbrella, because first at
hand and easiest to cover with the asbes-
tos sheetlng. The umbrella, SO covered.
could be hurled into the air nearly twice
as high as one not 80 covered.
Tho first experiments were failures,
because, II the umbrella TUNED side.
ways, SO that the handle came In Inc
with the Garth quick tumble fol-
lowed. Then came the shot as bni.h,. TO
hold the handle upright, but still the
efforts were disappointing until Mr.. VIII
kins rccollccted that the four inches or
little wooden rod, steel tipped, projecting
from the umbrella, WAS exposed. Inns
no covered also with tbs ASBESTOS clotli.
end, to his satisfaction, discovered tl1f.t
the umbrella would 80 ten feet higher
with tho same force before returning
softly to earth
EXAMINATION LEssENED.
1t has long been known to the sflen-
tific world that the attraction Of grnvisa-
ton has less force wher directed through
hydrogen gas than through a. solid on
air filled body, and this fact, ADDED to
tho new discovery made by Mr.. wilkins,
is what he depends on for developing
his idea.
Mr. Viking s main difficulty Is to com
hne an asbestos object with n gas filled
body, because any part Of the machine
not closely covered with the nnnulling
asbestos becomes in direct Influence with
tho current known 10 Tho world as tho
attraction OF grnvltatlon, and his aims
arc set at naught: not a bolt; not n screw
head must show.
AS every one kno"I It takes a very
dense fabric to ,onDne hydrogen gas.
and Mr.. wilkins :caires to use the lift
Ing force OF the gas to the extent of the
weight OF the machine and no more. He
will thus be able TO employ negative
substance against the attraction of the
earth, and at the same time. admit OF
his propelling into the air by his indl-
yidual strength the comparatively heavy
body In which he will be encased when
he scars above the ground.
Unfortunat ely, asbestos cloth is not a
dense material, and 1t would be hard to
weave 1t close enough to hold gas, and
thus 1t is easy enough TO appreciate the
inventors difficulty.
LAW OF GRAVITATION.
Mr. wilkins has overcome this how
ever, to some extent by mechanical
continuance to propel the wcighty ma
chine away from the earth and he has
faith enough In his discovery to believe