Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-11-10

until 1 was at my wits end to know
when the Knockout blow would be landed
l got out Of the whirlpool all right, but 1t
was not pleasant work while 1t lasted"
With conditions such as these 1t Is evil
dent that navigation OF the air is a more
difficult problem the more that is known
about It. Even when there are no such
worthless as that around the Flatiron build
ing to be negotiated, the air is full Of
treachery. Mr.. Knabenshue speaks of
'ripples'' such as may be seen on the sea,
and anyone who watches the fight Of
birds will notice how they do not retain
the same plane Of flight for a minute at
a time They adjust themselves, no
doubt, instinctively, to every breath and
the successful aeronaut must do the
same. But he has not the instinct and
has a very much less handy and larger
flying machine to manoeuvre, and 1t
seems almost impossible that he should
ever attain to anything like the same skill
and certainty as the natural inhabitants
of the air.
A toy then, an interesting experiment
that none but a skilled athlete with iron
nerve may try, the furthest development
in aerial navigation remains, but 1t is still
true that Mr.. Knabenshue has accom-
plished a great deal, even II he has not
done everything. AS he says himself, II
have proved it Is possible to go from place
to place in balloon and return against
very favorable conditions"
Exactly how high n wind he can over
come has not yet been established, but he
is inclined to think he could sail leeway
in the teeth Of a current Is miles strong.
When he made his ascent last Wednes-
day in New York the official register
said the breeze was blowing at the rate
of six miles an hour, but he believes in
the altitude he attained 1t was hitting up
good Is mile gait. His present motor
should take him along at is miles in dead
calm and he should therefore make five
miles against q ten-mile breeze and so
on. The question of how fast 1t might
be possible with another machine to move
Is not a question of aeronautics. but OF
| mechanics. II a motor OF sufficiently light
weight can be turned out to drive him at
so or 100 miles an hour, there is nothing
| in the air itself to make that speed i'm
possible. Once the difficulty OF adding
to the power OF a machine without a like
increase in its weight is overcome, the
utility OF the airship is brought much
nearer. But as things are, under favor
| able conditions, Mr.. Knabenshue did make
two trips over New York and return in
safety to his starting point
His Two Flights.
On Sunday of last week he made
his first ascent from the open space
at Sixty second street and Eighth avenue,
and at an average altitude of 1000 feet,
circled the Times building and returned
to Central Park, having covered distance
Of about two miles. on Wednesday last
| he started from the same place at 2.10,
was over Columbus circle at 2.11, at Times
| square at 2.14, Madison square at 2.20.
| When he was above the junction of Madi-
son avenue and Twenty third street, he
| threw his helm hard over and leaned out
| on no ut W. Sn a n
a complete semicircle around the Flatiron
| building till he was right above the IL"
| station at Eighteenth street and Third
| avenue. This turn was completed in five
| minutes. and he then made for home, but
| the wind was dead against him and he
had to tack, getting as far east as First
| Avenue and descending once more in
Central Park at 2.45. In his second trip
he had covered five miles in 35 minutes
and had gone up as high as 5000 feet, an
altitude which was in fact somewhat
dangerous for his balloon. With two
Journeys such as these to his credit there
can be no doubt that he may Justly claim
TO have solved partially the problem OF
| fight, and he IL himself the first to point
out tho difficulties inherent in the matter,
which seems likely to prohibit forever the
realization OF the dreams Of a world OF
flying machines.
But though he sees all these obstacles
Mr.. Knabenshue is very certain that he
is at work in the only direction open tc
progress He disclaims the right to pose
as an expert, but he frankly admits his
dIstrust Of the aeroplane idea Aero
planes" he says. ARE quite unmanageablC
in a wind, cannot turn and Will only rise
when they have some eXtraneous power
pulling at them. If you fasten one to ar
automobile or an engine 1t will rise, bu
it can never do so by its own power Oh
by any tapping of wings 1t tends al
the time to descend, and the best record
that has yet been made with one is eigh
feet forward to one foot drop.
Suppose one OF them had been caugh
in the whirlpool my balloon had to fac
over the Flatiron building; 1t would hav
overturned and nothing could have helpe,
1t. / have experimental with them my
self and have quite satisfied my own mir'
that no advance will ever be made wit
them.
"Of course I do not claim my machin
is yet Of any practical use or is very like
: ly TO be. 1t might indeed be used In wal
not to drop explosives for that is forbid
den by international law, but for scout
ing purposes especially at night. But
intend to go on working at the dirigibl
balloon. Most aeronauts refuse to ODE
the laws of nature and fail inevitably
but / have been as successful as
have by complying with the con
ditions under which we live. / do nc
, anticipate any further great advance, bu
! / may have the good fortune to hit upo
some combination that will carry US
, step or two forward.