The Washington times., 1906-01-11
OOSE-SHAPI KITE
APPROYEBY BELL
Scientist DisSses Chicago
Mans FentiOH.
LIKE DIRIGIFE BALL 0 0 N
Windy City Apnaur's Plan Not So
Yisiory as Many
hOught.
LIKE DlRIGIFE BALL OF On

The account the wild goose shaped
balloon in wch Inventor Mahan, ac-
cording 10 Ccago dispatches, expects
10 sail TO tbWhite House on April g
is considere by several Washington
authorities n aerial navigation 10 he
indeed a "ld goose story" as far as
its feasibiIy is concerned.
Or. Alexider Graham Bell. of tetra-
hedraI kit fame. whose knowledge OF
the laws gravity and whose inventive
genius ar doubtless second to none in
the couny, discussed the wild goose
balloon Ioject last night with a report
er OF II Times.
II woJd not throw cold water on this
or any other similar project" ne de-
clared 18th emphasis. I have great sym
pathy With anyone starting out To in
vent smething new. y successful inven-
tor rs TO pass through three trying
stage The first is that of a crank BY
many he is thought crazy for having
the emerity 10 outline his project. SO
new are his ideas in the public eye.
Aftc the invention is completed he must
be prepared to have it at first consi l.
ere nothing but toy and after the
stge is reached. This is when the in
vOtion is found 10 have been known
fr ages.
As you perhaps know he continued,
every inyention consists of a eombina-
ion Of instrumentalities In themselves,
and taken separately, they are old. Il
whole that makes an invention an n
VentiOn.
e.. Goose Shaped Balloon Possibility.
This goose-shaped kite and the IDEAS
of the proposed inventor, as outlined in
the dispatches, contain nothing imprac-
ticable as far as l can see. The cost.
however. would likely be far in excess
Of the original estimate. of S2.500. 1
think its plan is very much on the order
OF the Santos Dumont diriEiolc balloon.
the chief difference being that the lat
ter is Cigar-shaped instead of being
like wild goose,
Il think DUmont's would be superior
that's all. 1t is very evident to me
that 10 drive two machines Of the same
weight twenty miles the specifically
heavy one Will require less power than
the specifically light machine. The
heavy machine is less retarded by the
air or take this fllustration-it re-
of lead through the air twenty miles
than a pound OF feathers
"DumOnts most Successful machine
was a heavy one, although he used the
smallest balloon. But he weighted il
down with ballast and steered upward
10y means Of a propeller. This afforded
him the advantage Of being able to
throw out ballast and save his gas.
Chicago Airship Heavier Than Air.
This soose-shaped balloon would be
heaYier than the air just as geese are
heavier. Any machine that is 10 make
it's way against the wind must be
heavier. If cubic metre OF air weighs
a ktlogram ] would say that cubic
metre of wild goose would weigh 500
kilograms.
This Chicago mans idea of providing
his machine with wings having air
valves to open and close on the same
principle as those of a wild goose, is
nothing new. The Patent Office has al
eady loads Of valvular arranged flying
machines OF course. the wild goose
allOOn. as described. might be ideal
ut IL must fly first.
Inflanmable Gas the Great Danger.
The great danger Of these balloons
the infiammable gas they contain. A
ark comes from the motor and all is
er For this reason the motor has
be put far away, bringing the center
gravity much below the center Of
)port. And as the center of gravity
8 farther from the center of surface
iendulumlke swinging performance
ats, much 10 the distaste of the
1naut.
The center of gravity wants To be a
&c below and in front Of the center
tIrface."
you think this Chicago inventors
goose machine viii sail on April
Instead OF the 23d?" DR.. Bell was
Id
ell" he said, laughing, Il don't
aipate that he viii get as good re- /
- as some flying machines now in /
usuch as those of the Wright Broth /
ervhom ! consider to have met so I
faith the greatest success as far as
ae navigation is concerned"