Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-14

a few months, and by next spring at the
latest 1 shall probably either have sue
ceeded In proving my theory or disprov-
ing 1t, to my own cost"
Mr.. A. M. Herring. who as been expert
menting for a dozen years with gliding
machines and aeroplanes said that Mr..
Santos-DumontS feat was chiefly or I'M
portance as having been the first public
demonstration of the practicabilty OF ny
ing with a machine without the aid Of a
gas bag.
'Tt is furthest from my thoughts to ap-
pear to disparage M. Santos-Dumont' s per-
formance" he said, land he deserves ex-
IRENE credit for what he accomplished, but
the fact remains that the Wright brothers
in this country have far exceeded his feat,
although not in public tests do not
blame the public for being suspicious of
claims which are made without proof, how
ever, and the fact that thousands of per-
sons saw with their own eyes the flight or
NJ Santos-Dumont entities him to all the
praise which has been accorded to him.
"It appears from pictures of his machine
that he has copied closely after the plan
of the Wright brothers Of Dayton. but he
has retained several features such as the
partitions in his planes. which have been
discarded in this country as useless.
shall be very much surprised If we do not
hear very soon of achievements by him far
surprising that Of yesterday.
Question Of Balance.
with the experience of additional flights
he ought to gain confidence and a greater
facility in guiding his airship. He is pro-
ceeding on the same general principles as
almost all aeroplane inventors nowadays.
and his ship Is probably the type of what
will finally become the standard airship
when the automobile and even steam and
electric lines are displaced for all except
freight hauling and short-distance runs.
"All who are working on the problem
nowadays" added Mr.. Herring who him
self has an airship almost finished with
which he expects to win success next
spring. "are agreed that the problem is not
one of power combined with lightness, but
Of equilibrium.
'It Is not a question of making a ma
chine which will sail In still air. but Of per-
fecting the airship SO that 1t will be able to
maintain itself in a strong wind. The air
ship must be able to maintain itself when
the air is disturbed, otherwise it cannot be
called practical.
M Santos Dumont regulated himself in
light air all right, but the machine of the
future must be largely automatic In adj
justing itself to the air currents IL 1t is to
be at all safe. By many accidents it has
been determined that the mind of man is
not quick enough to act In these sudden
emergencies"
Since the death of Pref Langley the ex-
periments of the aeroplane in this country
have been chiefly in the hands Of the
Wright brothers of Dayton, Ohio, about
whose success remarkable. but unauthenti-
Gated, reports have appeared; of Alexander
Graham Bell, who has carried on his work
In Nova Scotia: of Mr.. Herring and Israel
Ludlow. 1t was the belief Of men interested
in aeronautics who were seen yesterday,
however, that Santos-Dumonts exploits
will inspire hundreds of inventors in all
parts of the country to perfect air ships Of
their own.