The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-12-20

AS Easily as the Sea is Navigated, Says Sir Hiram
Maxim, Will the Air Be Used, in Decade, For the
Purposes of Trade and Travel.


Dir hiram Maxim, In an interview
in the New York Herald, says that
within ten years at the outside men
will be navigating the air as surely
and safely as they do the land or the
sea, and Professor Huntington also
joins In his belief, both declaring that
the aeroplane Is the 'airship of the
future. A Herald correspondent in
terviewed some of the leading au-
thorities in England, and on all
hands he was practically told: "If it
be not now, II will come soon"
Sir Hiram Maxim said: 1--WE shall
not have any balloons in future; we
shall have flying machines. The fy-
ing machine is heavier than air, Just
as the birds are. There are no bal
looms in nature"
Continuing, the famous inventor
said: "In his recent lecture Colonel
Fullerton advised continuing expert
ments with balloons. / don't agree
with him. AS matter of fact, 1t has
only been on very rare occasions that
the balloon has returned to its start
ing point, and these results have only
been obtained In France.
Much experimenting has been
done in England, but we have not at
tained such satisfactory results. At
| present several of the best engineers
are engaged in studying aeronautics,
and perhaps the whole science of
aerial navigation may be solved any
day.
These men are being assisted In
their work by clever balloon makers.
but as l have already said, think
the balloon will soon be thing of
the past. So / always advise my
friends to give their attention to the
flying machine.
"A few years ago the automobile
was looked upon as a sort of mon
strosity; now it is practically neces-
sity, and ] really think that in ten
years, at the very outside, we will
be navigating the air as easily and as
surely as we are now navigating the
sea and even roads.
For balloon to lift It must have
specific gravity less than air To
attain this 1t must be exceedingly
fragile. Therefore 1t is useless for
all practical purposes. Again. it has
to be of comparatively enormous d.
mensions.
Thus, you see, in a balloon you
have combination of size and fragil-
ity, which must tell against its use
fulness. But with the advent of the
true flying machine these drawbacks
will disappear.
SO | have no hesitation whatever
In saying that before many more
years pass we shall do away complete
ly with the balloon. If we are ever
to fly it must be with a machine
heavier than air. Many men are
busily engaged in trying to invent a
machine which, like bird, will stay
In the air as long as they wish and
go wherever they desire to guide it.
Wright brothers are engaged in
making these machines in America
and NJ Santos-Dumont has spent a
large fortune and, | am pleased to
say, has met with a certain amount
of success in his experiments. The
German Emperor, too, is taking the
matter up, and he will have the lead
ing scientists in Germany at his dis
posal. Then Professor Langley and
myself have both worked hard trying
to solve the problem.
That solution is coming, whatever
people may think, and really believe
myself that within year from now
there will be great number of ma
chimes in the air. This is certain to
happen within two years at any rate.
I'VE cannot get away from the fact
that the real flying machine has now
made its appearance. M. Santos-Du-
mont has proved this In his recent
demonstrations. and these mark the
beginning OF totally new epoch in
the history of the world There are
sure to be some startling develop
ments within the next year. We are
only on the threshold at present, and
the immediate future is full of possi-
bilities.
Personally, think that the road
to success lies in the development of
powerful motors. This means care
full and expensive experiments, yet
feel sure that success will soon be
achieved. The flying machine will be
a sporting affair in the beginning.
just as the automobile was.
But in the same way it will be de-
veloped so that 1t can be used for
practically all commercial purposes.
Some persons may declare this the
dream of visionary. 1t is no such
thing. Flying machines have come.
They will be improved, and at no
very distant time, ten years at most,
we shall be travelling from place to
place In our flying machines just as
at the present day we go by train or
automobile"
| Professor A. X. Huntington, OF
Kings College. London, who was one
lof the two British competitors In the
international balloon race which end
ed in England, also thinks that the
immediate future holds great probs-
bilities in the development of aerial
navigation. Re said:
"The future is with aeroplanes
Personally have not done much with
them up to now. except having mod
els made. Probably what has retard-
ed progress up to now Is the expense
attaching to the experiments.
| "The Wright brothers have hean