The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-25
EAWYER'S AIRSHIP PIOPS.
SCARS, PLUNGES AND DIVES LIKE
BOY'S UNMASTERED KITE.
With Man Aboard II Won't Soar. Even
with q Double Team OF AutOm obiles
YankinE the strins-Man Sore, How.
ever--The Inventor Not Discouraged

Win DOuDIo Team OF AutOm ODlleS
YankinE the string-Man Sore, How.
ever-The Inventor Not Dlscoura sed.
The airship Riverside isn't built for
speed It's designer and builder, Israel
Ludlow, a lawyer. who lives at $50 West
Seventy-eighth street, calls 1t an aerostat.
It did much to justify tho name yesterday,
on It's formal launching and introduction
to the perils OF the viewless air.
Mr.. Ludlow had the ship carried to the
wharf at Fig hty second street and the
North River, at 4:3o O'Clock yesterday after
noon. To most Of the 1000 spectators the
ship looked like two prairie schooner tops,
covered in with muslin sheeting and CON-
pected by framework OF bamboo, with q
swinging seat for an aeronaut In the Frame
work and divers aeroplane devices to steady
the boat. horizontal rudder in the bow
IA operated from the seat. There was no
motive power and Mr.. Ludlow explained that
the ship was designed as foater, to drift
on currents Of ARA sort OF sky house,
boat.
him in the launching. He fastened rope
100 yards long to the bow Of the Riverside,
took the rope in the auto and had the ship
held aoft by men on the wharf. As the
auto started he began to pay out the rope
and the faster the automobile went the
more the rope burned his hands. so he
dropped it.
The second attempt was no more sue
cessful but for the third the skipper
equipped himself with heavy gloves and
held tight. Upward scared the River
side. thirty feet above the wharf. Then
she took tack to port and listed
badly. Coming about like fash. or a
zigzagging kite, she took an equally sharp
tack and list to starboard. She seemed
Just on the point Of going about again
when she ran into the derrick scow Ryan
katunk and sank on pile Of crushed stone.
Mr. Ludlow was enthusiastic. All the
ship needed, he said. was a bit Of ballast
to hold her on an even keel. Some one
brought him bag Of sand and he fastened
1t to the aeronaut's seat Then he de-
cided to fasten his painter to the middle
OF the boat. on footed the automobile
on three successive trials. hut there was
nothing doing. The airship refused to
leave the dock.
" only had man inside to navigate
her while l start her. said Mr.. Ludlow,
not bit disooura ged she would be over
on the Palisades in fifteen minutes. 1t
needs a man inside to help start her and
move the rudder"
If that's all you need you've got it.
piped UP a voice from the crowd and there
advanced a frail young man who said he
was Philip Campbell, formerly OF Texas.
I've been a balloonist and parachute
jumper for three years" he continued.
1--we been up a mile and never had any
thing worse happen to me than three broken
ribs, broken collar bone and broken
nose You can't hurt me in this thing
Philip took the swinging seat and the
rope was attached to the automobile as be-
fore. Men held up the bow Of the airship
to assist in the start and on the automobile
the ground. but there wasn't enough buoy:
ancy to lift Philip and he found himself
where he had to run as fast Is the auto
or be dragged along the, cobblestones. 1t
r. get there %, ds aRd s sn ot ssed on
another trial. This time a gust of wind
lifted the craft quickly. Just as promptly
she careened violently to starboard and
landed Philip in big pile OF sand.
At this juncture an inspiration came to
the driver Of the automobile.
go and get another auto. he said to
Mr.. Ludlow. Put the airship on top OF
one, hold the painter in the other and start
both vehicles off together. The movement
Of the autos will surely give give, your s.s craft
from here.
men were holding the airship-it weighs
but fifty pounds-and Philip was in the
middle As was anticipated, current OF
it downward instead Of upward. Soon
the men we're entangled in the rigging or
the ship and Philip was struggling to dis
entangle himself from the maze of bamboo,
wire and cord.
in the second auto replied that they were
people who had recently been cured Of
q large amount Of damned foolishness.
But Philip was still game: He suggested
a change In the rigging Of the painter to
the airship and volunteered once more to
This time the automobile left out plenty
under full speed by the time it began pull
ing at the airship. and it was going at the
s Of @ neur the era
refused to leave the pavement. Philip |
would have liked to but couldn't. He was
unfortunate enough to lose his seat on the
swing and to become caught in the rigging |
In such a manner that with feet foremost
ing along the ground behind him. he was
dragged over oobblestones sharp and
rough. Philip reached for his hip pockets
with both hands, but withdrew them quickly.
He tried to wriggle out OF his predioamentt
and didn't seem happy. Two thousand
spectators made Riverside Drive reeound
with laughter. When the airship stopped
Philip having been dragged fully 100 feet.
found it expedient to sit on a sand pile
ase1psGitiously as possible and remain there
during II rest OF the proceedings.
III take a chance in any airship,' he
said providing it will fly. but no more
wipine pavements for mine.
Mr.. Ludlow made several more attempts |
to raise his craft, changing the rigging |
when the effort was unsuccessful. Finally |
he got good start with the automobile, |
was aided by a gust Of wind and the ship |
rose sixty feet in the aiy. Apparently It was
Oh for sail at last, but just Is the crowd
was cheering the skipper let loose the
painter and down she dropped again. all
In heap.
Then came the thirteenth and last at
tempt. The ship was ballasted this time
and rose better. Well up in the air, she
scared. but again refused to follow straight
line, dipping first to starboard and then 10
port Finally she capsized completely,
turned turtle and fell keel uppermost. on
top Of a shanty by the railroad track.
II IL ", |