The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-06
THE WORLDS FAIR
AERIAL FLEET.
The AirsIlip ''MeteOr" a Rival to the
california Arrow

ne AAEshAp meteor n RIVAL TO the
"CaIifOrnia Arrow"
st. Louis, Nov. 5.-The trial trip at
the Worlds Fair by the airship Meteor,
invented and built by T. C. Benbow,
of Columbus Montana, with the collab-
grafton of H. j. Wells, demonstrated
the dirigibility of the machine. Mr..
Benbow, propelled it in various direc-
tions and at different angles, raising
and lowering it in the air several times,
and finally returning to the place of
starting.
The Benbow dirigible balloon is con-
structed on entirely different principles
from the Baldwin, which had made
such a brilliantly successful flight on
the 25th. 1t is also much larger the
cigar-shaped bag being seventy-four
feet long, and twenty-one and a half
feet in diameter, with q capacity of
$4,000 cubic feet, and carrying a weight
of 900 pounds. Directly beneath the
central line of the gas-bag, and at
tached to it's cords, is a horizontal spar,
about two-thirds as long as itself,
made of steel with the exception of
a short prolongation of bamboo aft to
which the rudder-post is attached.
From this rod is suspended the car pro-
per, which is a framework of aluminium
sustained by steel rods and further
strengthened with braces of piano
wire.
The car, which is prolonged fore and
aft into long beaks similar to and
parallel, with the main spar, is di-
vided into two compartments, the for
ward one containing a ten-horse pow
er Hercules gasoline engine, and the
other the rectangular wicker basket
in which the aeronaut stands. The
gasoline tank is in front of the basket
and is connected with the carburator
and engine by means of pipes run
ming beneath the basket. The engine
is kept cool by an ordinary electric
fam wheel attached Immediately in
front of it.
The propelling apparatus is geared to
the engine by broad leather belt, con-
sists of two wheels, one on each side
of the car and at the exact center of
gravity of the whole apparatus. These
wheels are twelve feet in diameter, and
make eighty revolutions a minute.
Each is composed of four six-foot
blades or wings, made of canvas
stretched on bicycle tubing with plano
wire braces.
The wings are collapsible, and by an
ingenious mechanical devise are made
to close up at each revolution, remain
ing open just long enough to seize and
grasp the air, and presenting mini
mum of resistance while returning to
the point of greatest efficiency. This
application to aerial navigation of the
principle governing the motions of the
human hands in swimming, and the
change of position of the vanes on the
feathers of birds during flight, is look
ed upon by Mr.. Baldwin and other
aeronautic experts at the exposition as
Of great and unquestionable value.
The operation OF the wings may be
modified, by means of crank placed
conveniently to the hand Of the navi-
gator. is such wise as to make the
vessel ascend or descend in the air at
will. While the vertical direction Is
thus controlled by causing the opening
and closing of the wings to take place
at different points in their revolution,
the horizontal direction is governed by
means of a cord attached to rectangu-
lar rudder, eight feet by five, made OF
canvas stretched on bamboo frame
A three-pronged anchor Is swung
over a pulley at the bow, ana IS lei
down by means of hundred rect OF
rome coiled at the side of the basket.
1t is considered a special merit In this
form of airship that is able 70 grad
ually rise or sink by means OF the
very same power required for its pro-
pulsion.
The gas bag. as in the case of the
Baldwin balloons, is of Japanese SIX
vanished with linseed oil and provid-
ed with an automatic safety valve that
permits a little OF the gas to escape
whenever the pressure becomes peril
ously great.
The working out OF the plans FOR
this airship was begun twelve years
ago. while Mr.. Benbow was leading
the life of a rancher on the great
steppes OF the Rockies; but the actual
construction was not begun until May
/. 1908. II was finished in October
of the same year, and its efficiency was
proved by several short experimental
ascents before it was brought to ST.
Louis.
Flights will henoeforth be made fire.
uuently by both the Benbow and the
Baldwin airships. which have already
proven themselves capable Of navigat-
ing the highways OF the air, and two
other aerial craft. as different as pos
sible both from each other and from
either OF these. viii make their trial
ascents within two or three days.
These are the colossal French dirigiblc
balloon belonging 90 Hippolyte Fran
co.'s, and The very remarkable man
power dying machine OF A. l. Rey-
noida, to say nothing OF several man
lifting kites and aeroplancs.