The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10
HOLDS UP HELICOPTERE.
GOT TO NAVE 4 LICENSE TO BLOW
ITSELF UP BROADWAY.
A HeIlcOptere Is q Reverse Skewgee Wind.
min on Wheels-Can Amos Catch some
Kinds OF Dogs. Even n Its Rider Can't
Get Into the American Aero Team.

Kinds OF Dogs, Even n Its Rider Can't
Get Into the American Aero Team.
Preceded by a black and tan dog of un-
certain antecedents and followed by a
shouting mob Of small boys and by a no less
curious crowd of men and women dressed
for Sunday afternoon, DR.. Julian p. Thomas
ran his new wind wagon from Seventy
sixth street to Seventy-frst street on
Broadway yesterday afternoon until a cop
threatened to pinch him for running a motor
vehicle without a license.
DIR. Thomas calls his machine a helicop-
tere- OF winged screw. 1t is gray in color
and looks like an overgrown tricycle. with a
big fan on the forward end. This fan is
really a propeller or puller and is driven by
an 3 horsepower gasolene motor. The
operator sits on a bicycle saddle so that his
head misses the shafting above it by nearly
an inch.
DR.. Thomas says his helicoptere is an
experiment to determine the relation be-
tween horse power, fans. lifting power,
and a few other things. Ii is easier, he says.
10 work out these things on the ground than
in the air. When these various problems
are solved the idea is to put them in prac-
tice in connection with a gas bag or an
aeroplane.
Yesterdays experiment was set for 1
o'clock. From that hour until 4 o'clock
the doctor, with a corps Of assistants,
tinkered with the helicoptere or the top
floor Of the LocOmobile ~Company's build
ing at Seventy-siXth street and Broadway.
Among those present were Mrs. Thomas,
her little son, Odin, Mrs. Ernest La Rue
Jones, wife of the assistant secretary of the
Aero Club Of America, and n number Of
reporters.
At 4 o'clock machine and party descended
10 the street. There half an hour was spent
tightening bolts. Then DR.. Thomas took his
seat under the shafting, lifted his feet from
the ground and was towed To a point on
Broadway, facing downtown.
The small boys were driven out or reach
of the fan and the helicoptere popped way
with a true Mineola accent. IL moved down
Broadway fast enough 10 make the black
and tan dog hurry TO keep in front, and
many of the ladies were left at the post.
At Seventy-first street DR.. Thomas made a
turn, crossed hack. circling the new Verdi
statue, and started on his return. tn
vehicle showed signs Of skIdding and fol-
lowed "A rather devious path. This prompted
the doctor to throw of the clutch a moment.
But the clutch had frozen and it was
found necessary TO stop the engine
While wild Tumors of a breakdown
were ClTtllltIHlR dIllOIlk liz CAONh DlNNNlC
Policeman Dobbyn of the West SiXty-eighth
street station appeared.
Drive these people away from in front
of the fan. officer, said DR.. Thomas.
where's yer license?" said the police
man.
This is only an experiment" explained
the doctor.
whatever it is, tits a motor vehicle and
yer have to show me a license if we want
10 run IT,"
DR.. Thomas wanted to know if his regular
automobile license wouldn't do. He was
told it wouldn't if il called for the one car.
He then said he would take out q manufaC-
turer's license Immediately.
he heliCoptere was pushed back to
Sixty-siXth street. /"
aThe experiment was, on the whole,
successful said DR.. Thomas. Il had
! trouble in steering, partly because 1t is
my first attempt with this machine and
lpartly from defects in the steering gear.
Then, the only brake wa my feet, and the
snowy, frozen pavement gave them no
grip. | was afraid | would run into the
crowd and hurt somebody. The people
bothered me more than the machine dld'
| had TO stop the engine because the clutch
froze."
The doctor added that ne had got an
engine of twice the power OF the present
one and that this would be installed in the
helicoptere when ne had become used TO
running the new machine.
DR.. Thomas told the reporters that he
had attempted TO enter next years race
for the Gordon Bennett cup but that he
was having trouble with the cup committee
The committee" he said, holds it's
sessions in secret and without announce
ment. | learned through a friend that
the competitors were to be chosen and
went 70 the cp committee. They in
formed me that they had already selected
the American team, which was TO include
Mccoy, Stevens and Lieut.. Lahn. l
insisted that by the terms of the deed Of
gift an elimination trial must he held in
case Of more than three applying for en-
trance. They then told me that appliCa-
lions must be made in writing. sat down
right there and wrote an application. They
then informed me that 500 must accom-
pany it. | gave them certified check.
The next day the check was returned
with the statement that | would be notified
in due time who were selected This means,
| suppose, that | am 70 be frozen out"
DR.. Thomas said he would try TO force an
elimination race.