Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1904-11-11
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL AIRSHIP
gibility. -CoIiapsing-Wing System
Pieascs Aeronauts.-An
Aerial Fleet.


St. Louis, Nov. S-The trial trip on
Thursday at the Worlds Fair by the
airship Meteor, invented and built by
T. G. Benbow, of Columbus, Mon
tana, with the collaboration of H. j.
Wells, Of the same place, demonstrate
ed the dirigibility of the machine.
Mr.. Benbow propelled it in various
directions and at different angles,
raising and lowering it in the air sew
eral times, and finally returning to
the place of starting.
The Benbow dirigible balloon is
constructed on entirely different prin-
ciples from the Baldwin, which has
made such a brilliantly successful
flight on the 25th. 1t is also much
larger, the cigar-shaped bag being
seventy-four feet long, and 215 feet in
diameter, with a capacity of II, 600
cubic feet, and carrying weight of
900 pounds Directly beneath the
central line of the gas.bag, and at
tached to its cords, is a horizontal
SPAR about two-thirds as long as it.
self, made OF steel with the exception
of short prolongation OF bamboo aft
to which the rudder-post is attached.
From this rod is suspended the car
proper, which Is framework of
ALUMINIUM sustained by steel rods and
70
further strengthened with braces of
plano-wlre. The car, which Is pro-
longed fore and aft into long beaks
similar to and parralled with the main
spar, Is divided into two compar:-
ments, the forward one containing a
ten-horSe power Hercules gasoline en-
gine, 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 running beneath the basket.
The engine Is kept cool by an ordin-
airy electlc-ian wheel attached i'm
medlateIy IN front OF 1t.
The Propelllng apparatus Is geared
to the engine by a broad leather belt,
consists 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 dia-
meter, and make eighty revolutions
minute. Each Is composed Of four
siX-foot blades or wings, made of
canvas stretched on bicycle tubing
with piano-wire braces. The wings
are colIapslble, and by an ingenious
mcdaniel devise are made TO close
up at each revolution, remaining open
Just long enough to seiXe and grasp
the air, and presenting minimm Of
resistance while returning to the point
OF greatest efficiency. This appIica-
ton to aerial navigation Of the prin-
cple governing the motions Of the
human hands IN swimming and the
change OF position of the vanes on the
feathers OF the birds during flight is
looked upon by Mr.. Baldwin and
other aeronautic experts at the Ex-
position as OF great and unquestion-
able value. The operation of the
wings may be modified, by means Of
a crank placed conveniently to the
hand OF the navigator, is such wise as
to make the vessel ascend or descend
IN the air ut will. While the verti-
cal direction Is thus controlled by
causing the opening and closing of
the wings to take place at different
points IN their revolution, the hori-
zontal direction Is governed by means
Of a cord attached to a rectangular
rudder, eight feet by five, made of
canvas stretched on bamboo frame.
| a three-pronged anchor is swung
over pulley at the bow, and is let
down by means of a hundred feet of
rope coiled at the side of the basket.
1t is considered a special merit in this
form of airship that is able to gradu-
ally rise or sink by means of the very
same power required for its propul-
| sion