The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10
In In the Air.

Recently a high officer Of the army
was quoted IA saying that the Govern
ment had obtained a practicable air.
ship from which explosives might be
showered on the ships or camps of an
enemy with perfect security to its oper-
ators. SANTos-DUMoNT has steered his
ship through the air in the sight of all
Paris. The WRIGHT brothers have con-
Quoted experiments that have strength
ened the belief Of some that popular
aerial navigation soon will be an accom-
plished fact. Other experimenters have
done something, and the United States
through the Patent Office is officially
committed to the declaration that "a
practical flying machine is now ON
coded to be a possibility"
How neal is the world to what SANTOS
DUMoNT says will be -the poor mans
automobile? According to a pamphlet
recently issued by an Arizona corporation
the machine is perfected, and all that
is necessary is the assembling of capital
sufficient TO allow it's manufacture and
distribution. The Arizona corporation
tdllo lS hyCI dH vi bAADBbCl anu say ,
its inventor is CHARLES OLIVER JONES,
artist, lecturer and scientist" As a
guarantee of good faith Mr.. JONEs's
portrait is given; a man whose face is
lined by thought, whose hair is disar-
ranged, whose shirt sleeves are rolled
up, and whose pipe is out. The orthop-
ter, too, is pictured, a thing Of curved
wings, a basket body, sailing over the
| treetops of Arizona on n level with the
crests Of the cliffs, away from what
appears TO be a most threatening hurri-
cane in the background. The hurricane
apparently has no terrors for the opera
tor of Model B, two passengers and sup
plies, machine 2, known as The s. P.
Langley" Only n Of its occupants
is visible. His cOuntenance betrays no
concern for the pursuing storm. Why
should he worry? The o%rthOpter is a
wonderful machine. Its promoters adj
nit that:
1t can rise directly from the earth without nrst
acquiring a forward speed velocity, either vertI.
cally or At an angle. similar to the ascension Of a
bird.
" II VIII soar as 40 the hirdS IN the air, " de
sired by the aviator. after attaining the necessary
forward velocity.
1T can he so controlled by the aviator as to go
At any desired velocity within It's speed limit. or to
hover over any given point.
1T Is operated entirely by its own propelling
mechanism and Is provided with safety appliances
through which In case OF accident the lying ma
chine remains under control Of the aviator and
can descend slowly TO earth and make q gentle
landing.
1t develops a wonderful speed velocity n de
sired. the Model y being capable Of showing 100
miles an hour under ordinary conditions.
II Is equipped with power and driving mechan
ism which oycrcomes the rainy weather and ad
verse air currents, as the steamboat ovcrcomes
river currents and the locomotive air resistance.
" II can light In the water and float as a boat,
and n desired the propclling mechanism can be
operated to propel the machine on the water.
" 1t can be propelled on the surface OF the earth
by It's own mechanism. just as an automobile is
propelled along the highways.
" 10 descending It lands upon the earth as light
as a feather under control OF the aviator and
without sudden jar or Jolt to the occupants.
No extraordinary training or knowledge is
required TO become a proficient aviator, as any
person OF s~ufnclent intelligence and accomplish