Arizona republican., 1905-08-12
AN AlRshIP ENTERPRlsE
Some ArizOnians Have Expressed
 Their Faith in it.

Among the interpretations effected in this city yesterday was the Damon Air ship company. Local interest in the corporation attaches by reason of the fact that one ArizOnian and three form CT residents of the territory are among the incOrDorators. J. Ernest Walker of this city, w. A. Bondurant formerly of this county and J. C. Martin and X. P. Smith lately of Prescott. There are still a great many minimizing people who regard airship projects as chim- erical, but the government in recogni- tion of the possibility of aerial naviga- ton holds out a bonus of $10O.000 to the inventor of the first airship which can be made to fly seven miles and back again over the same course.
 The new ship is the invention of w. E. Damon of Inglewood, Cal, who has devoted several years to the working out of a campaign for the mastery of the air.
 Mir. Walker and his friends have gone into this enterprise, not eXcitedly in a speculative way. They have invested $100 apiece; if the ship is a success they will make thousands out of it; if not, they will be out $100 each. Those who have made a study of the Damon airship believe that in it are overcome IL.
 IL is built on the same general lines as other air ships constructed within recent years and is surmounted by gas bag in no way different from those of other air vessels. But it is differ ent from others in that it is construct- ed of aluminium by which are combined lightness, strength and elasticity. It has a propeller on each side. The propeller consists of a shaft in which is set series of wings or flanGes along it's whole length. In the double pro- pelIer as well as in the form of it, this ship differs from any other. The steering apparatus consists of a two Hanged wheel instead of the turbine shaped wheel which has been used by other inventors. By means of a lever the vessel may be made instantly to turn upward or dip. That is feat not possible for other ships.
 The turning arrangement is a very simple and natural one which it is. strange had not been adopted by other constr uctors of airships. MT. Damon got the idea from watching the turn ing of an ordinary row boat. He ob- served that when the oarsman desired to turn he simply stopped the opera ton of the oar on one side. So in turn ing the Damon aiTship one of the pro pelIers is disconnected by means of ratchet and the other propeller and the steering apparatus naturally turn the course of the ship backward.
 MT Damon is not an enthusiast bu- 9 hard headed thinking man with the greatest confidence in his invention, because he has by experiment satis- fled himself of the practicability of It.
 He has two models the larger one with which he is now making demon strations and a smaller one involving the same principles and which flies about the work room like a bird. A great many people. many of them s'li'1 cd mechanics have visited Inglewood to see the model. On going they were generally indifferent if not skeptcal but on returning they have to man expressed their confidence in the sue cess of the invention.
 It has been ascertained that the ship can be built at cost of S1,500 and the material for one has been ordered. In illustration of the lightness of the structure, 24O square feet of No 26 aluminium weighs only sixty-hve pounds. The engine which will operate the propeIleTs weighs 150 pounds; 1t was built at the direction of MT. Damon and is so arranged that the exhaust empties into the gas bag thus obviat- ing the necessity of specially refilling that receptacle.
 The working ship will be completed by October 15 when it is MT. Damon's intention to make flight to the Port land exposition. He estimates that an