The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-06-05
HOW IT FEELS TO FLY.
Aeronaut Tells of His Trip With Mont
gomery Aeroplane,

AASASkA0h~s
John III. Maloney, the aeronaut who
has made the flights with the Mont
gomery aeroplane, is enthusiastic over
the success of the experiments, says a.
special dispatch from San Jose, Cal,
to the Chicago Record Herald. He de
clares that these tests have demon
strated that 1t Is possible for man to
fly and believes the problem Of aerial
navigation Is solved. During his recent
flight, which was the most important
and successful so far, Maloney remain
ed In the air for more than d quarter
Of an hour and on one trial covered
several miles with no other motive
power than his own hands and feet
Speaking of hts trip, Maloney said:
4 never felt anything like it before
in my life, You simply soar through
the air as il you were on the back Of a
bird. The sails are great wings twenty
four feet long, and the tail sticks out
about as far behind. The whole thing
only weighs thirty eight pounds, and
you have to do good deal of the guild
ing by twisting and balancing the body.
Il went up with a hot air balloon and
got 5000 feet above ground before
cut loose. For few minutes simply
poised In the AR and then flew around
in different directions. circling back
and forth, up and down. as easily as
an eagle could have done 1t. / was up
In the air eighteen minutes and never
had the least difficulty In guiding"
Dir. John Montgomery, the inventor
OF the machine, Is son Of Zachary
Montgomery, assistant attorney gener
al under President Cleveland, and
cousin to Bishop Montgomery, He Is a
native son, graduate of st. Ignatius
college and doctor Of sciences at San
ia Clara. The experiments Of actual
operation were conducted within two
weeks la the Santa Cruz mountains
and as a precaution against possible
failure were kept quiet until absolute
success was obtained. Father r. H.
Bell, the eminent physician of Santa
Clara college, assisted In the expert
ments, and number Of unimpeaehable
witnesses attest every detail Of the OPP
erations.
Professor Montgomery has devoted
all his energies to solving the problem
OF sustaining and controlling the flight.
leaving in allegiance that Of lifting the
machine to the proper height, for which
hot air balloon is used The Santa
Clara, as he has named the aeroplane,
resembles a huge bird or butterfly. The
frame IS of spruce timber very tough
and supple. and the wings Of fortified
canvas. There are eight OF these wings.
| and each il shaped like an isosceles tri-
angle cut across the point I'm each
wing there II an upward curve CON
strueted scientifically with the same
eoncavity that is to be found in the
wing of a bird. The operator sits on o
saddle, and the wings are worked part.
iy by the hands and partly by the feet
BY means Of stirrups and steel shafts.
| Steel wires preserve the shape Of the
wings, and the guiding is done from
the back
Soaring at rate of six miles an hour.
| the aeroplane can be stopped and turn
ed within a distance Of forty feet with
a turn of the hand by the operator.
contrary wind appears to make little
difference in the speed, as the machine
| progresses rapidly against a strong
breeze by series Of tacks. An inn
poftant point fully established is that
the machine was able at all times to
return TO the point Of departure and
light without any difficulty or force Of
1 impact.
/ As the Santa Clara exists at present
It can soar IN the air as long as the
/ strength Of the rider holds out, and,
though the nervous strain Is intense,
the physical exertion required Is not
/ great. Professor Montgomery contem-
| plates supplying q form Of motor which
will serve the double purpose Of raising
it In the air and regulating the wings
| In their flight. The time does not seem
far distant when be will have develop
ed the machine to the point of carrying
passengers.
DIR. Montgomery IS awaiting the ar
rival OF bis patents and after a short
rest will personally supervise the con
/ struction of several aeroplanes Of diff
/ ferent sizes to accommodate the
weights Of different operators.