New-York tribune., 1905-08-18
AER0PIANE SMASHED UP.
ROSE WITH MN FIRST.
Israel LudlOsc Says His Theories
.4rc ProUed-UM Build .4nother.

Israel Ludlow's aeroplane No. was crushed
into splinters yesterday afternoon but it demon
strated its power TO rise in the air like a kite
when automobile pulling it. and Incl
dentaly revealed its dangerous capacity TO hyp-
notize and ensnare small boys feat its in
rentor never intended it to perform.
The trials were made in a long open stretch
of paved ground which extends along the
North River between nth and 10Th SITS.
A score Of boys assisted in conveying the big
kite from the vacant lot at Broadway and 18th
81 whore il was constructed and stored. The
arship built about on the lines of the
seroplanes which the boys fly in the streets
with The exception that it had a rudder 1t had
frame ot bamboo rods. with canvas sails. but
no motor. The seat for the manipulation was
2 net OF string. The aeronaut who assisted was
charles Hamilton. a young man from Texas
His father was killed and he was hurt IN a
balloon ascension at San Antonio, Tex, few
years ago. Hamilton weighs 119 pounds and
the airship weighed 100
The airship was placed al the southern ex-
tremity Of the open space. and a rope was at
rsched 70 its b-idle-a number of ropes attached
10 various parts Of the frame The opposite
enc Of the $50 foot rope was attached by means
Of q single howknot 10 the rear Of an S0-horse-
power automobile. the property Of Frank S.
Mcintyre.
The aeronaut took his place in the centre
Of the bottom Of the ship and two men tilted
upward its front side. Ludlow stood on the
hack Of the automobile and signalled with a
white cloth. The machine started ahead at
eight miles an hour and the aeroplane
3erked about twenty feet from the ground.
Then Ludlow loosed the rope and the airship
dropped back.
About this time a faint breeze that had been
blowing ceased. The two next attempts TO
raise the airship failed. Il stubbornly slid
along the ground. giving Hamilton trouble TO
keep his feet safe. fairly strong breeze
started up again from the south and the air
ship was moved 10 the north end Of the open
space. At the fourth trial Hamilton did not
mount it. The automobile was sent ahead
smarter gait than usual Possibly under
the influence OF the fresh breeze, the aeroplane
mounted 80 feet into the air before the rope
was loosed It then turned rudder down and
fell 10 the ground, puzzling the three hundred
or four hundred spectators as TO where it was
going 10 land. The fall smashed the rudder.
After the rudder had been cut partially away
Hamilton determined 10 try another ascent.
good breeze was still blowing. and the airship
carried him almost one hundred feet from the
ground He would probably have gone as high
as The rope would reach had not Ludlow cast
i loose. In this descent the machine retained
It's equilibrium, but it slowly settled earth
ward il swung first 10 the east and then 10 the
west. The people tunbled over one another in
their attempts 10 dodge the ship but its bewil-
dering actions seemed 10 hypnotic Edward
Gleason who is eleven years old and lives at
No 242 West 46th-st. AS the aeroplane finally
crashed 10 the earth upon its left side II missed
him narrowly, and he was shared in the ruins
and dragged a couple Of yards. None of the
spllnters struck him, however. Hamilton kept
himself out Of danger by a rope which he had
att7cled TO the frame The airship was a COM
plete wreck. but IL had proved that it was capa-
bic ~ rising in the air, even with man weigh
ins down on il. After the trials Ludlow who
seemed delighted with the results. said that he
would build new aeroplane on the same plan
next week. and that he would attempt TO propel
Il by means OF a motor-what sort Of motor
he could not say exactly.