The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-14
DUMONT IS IN DOUBT
Will 1t Pay Him to Import His
Airship?
DETAILS OF THE CONTEST
He Wants TO Know Them Ex-
actIy Before Acting.

New York, Jan. 13.-Although anxious
to compete for the prize of $4,000 offered
by the management of the St. Louis Uni
versal Exposition TO the aeronaut who
can steer an airship and finish first
among all competitors, at speed of not
less than twenty miles an hour, NJ. San
tos-Dumont was unable to learn today
whether it would pay him to bring his
''No. - to this country and compete for
the prize.
NJ. Santos had expected to meet Mr..
Willard A. Smith, chief of transportation
of the Worlds Fair. in this city today,
but early this morning Mr.. Smith, who is
in Chicago, wired NJ. Santoss attorney
saying that he was i'll in bed and would
not be able to get to New York for two
or three days.
Il cannot go to Chicago TO see Mr..
Smith," said NJ. Santos at the waldorf
tonight. Il made an engagement by
mail with him to meet me and my at
torney in New York and talk over the
details of the prizes offered by the
Worlds Fair.
UNFORTUNATELY. he is i'll in Chicago and
my attorney, in whose hands I have
placed the matter and whose advice
shall follow, finds it impossible to leave
New York at the present time.
II shall remain here until Mr.. Smith is
sufficiently recovered to make the trip.
Then, if we reach an agreement, 1 shall
go to St Louis and give orders for the
erection of a shed where my NO. z can
be housed. If the conditions do not suit
me. however, l shall return to Paris.
81 want to learn the exact particulars
Of the contest. If / compete for the
prize it will mean the outlay Of a consid-
cradle sum of money. The cost Of build
ing shed 10 house NO. z and to bring
theomachine and attendants here would
amount to at least 10000
M Santos said that mo. 7'' cost about
$50 600 to construct and that the $4,000
which 1t would cost him to take part in
the Worlds Fair contests would be as
Stunning too big risk unless the condi-
tions suited him.
IF l take part in the contests" the
young Brazilian went on. cit will be be-
cause / think | have the best airship.
OF course. $4,000 profit is not to be
scoffed at. and l get a great deal of pleas
ure Qua of the sport. But, above all, l
want to show Americans that ] have
solved the problem OF aerial navigation.
mo. = can go at a speed of thirty
miles an hour at least. i do not know
how much faster it will fly, but that is
the minimum. 1t may go forty miles an
hour, but do not make this claim. 1t
has never been aloft
''It has been built year and 7 have
tested 1t thoroughly in my shed at Passy.
near Paris, but l have never had it filled
with hydrogen.
In the testing have used illuminating
gas, because it costs less than half what
hydrogen would. To initiate the balloon
with hydrogen would cost 5000, while
gas costs less than 81 Loco
Much interest was displayed by NJ. San
tos in his possible American competitors.
When the achievement of the Wright
brothers of Dayaon Ohio. was related,
NJ Santos smiled and said
We'll it may be all very well, but we
will soon know who has the best ship.
If I did not think l could win the first
prize I would never come over
NJ. Santos was not at all enthusiastic
over the aeropIane of Prof. Langley.
prof. Langley once told me in Paris,
he said, that abe utmost future devel-
oprnent of the aeroplane would not make
II possible TO carry more than three or
four persons. / have already carried four
persons in No. TO-. and then it was in
flated only with gas. Hydrogen gives it
q double carrying capacity, and it is
possible to carry fourteen persons on the
ship now lying in my shed at Passy.
In his apartments in the Waldorf. NJ.
Santos has a small model of his NO.
r. which he will exhibit to Mr.. Smiah
when the latter comes to New York.