The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-10-20
He Is Carrying on Experiments
With a Machine That Is De-
signed to Travel on Water
And Travel Quickly.
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT
AT CONGO PIGEON POST.
Old Villa of Emile lola Has Be-
come a Home for Weakly
Babies, Having Been Pre-
Sented to the State.
(By Raoul De Saint Renee

(By Raoul De Saint Renee
Paris, Oct. 19-Santos- Dumont is
now carrying on experiments with his
latest sensational invention, the n.y.
droplane It is the system of the tero-
plane applied to the water, and one
very enthusiastic person-not, be it
said, the inventor himself-has proph-
esied that If the hydroplane is found
to work the wonders expected of it,
the passage across the herring pond
twenty-four hours.
The hydroplane consists of a long
spindle eight yards long, and two
smaller ones of two yards each, which
are moved by a motor and carry the
boat-like or raft-like thing along the
water. The propulsion screw has three
arms; the gearing is situated at the
end of the spindle, and the seat of the
pilot is at present a cyclists saddle.
NJ. Santos-Dumonts preliminary tri-
ais were highly satisfactory to the
Brazilian, and the machine was found
to keep the water Well and ride with
perfect equilibrium.
He is now trying it loaded with
dead weights before venturing on 1t
himself-so far it has only moved
with the aid of tugs; then he will
place his 100 horsepower motor on it.
This motor is capable of achieving |
62h miles an hour, and Santos has a
bet on that in short time he will at |
tain 48 miles an hour on his hydro
plane.
News has been received here of the
very successful results of the expert
ments in the pigeon post in the French
Congo, which is found to be much |
more satisfactory as means of COM
munication than the telegraph which
is so frequently disturbed by natives
and elephants who knock down the
poles, or even than wireless telegra-
ply, since the humidity and electrici-
ty in the air in Africa also initiate
against the success of this.
Some hundred pigeons and all the
apparatus for erecting a pigeon loft
were taken out last year by Major
Reynand, member of the French Geo
graphical Society, who accompanied |
the mission of DR.. Martin to study the
sleeping sickness. The pigeon home
was set UP at Brazzaville, and the |
post is now working with excellent re-
suits over a radius from this spot of
375 miles.
Lieutenant Gremillet, who has set
up station some 125 miles from
Brazzavile, sends daily communities
tions by this means. and other mill
tary and colonial officials frequently
use the carrier pigeons. The birds are
rarely lost, unless they are taken too
far.
1t is now proposed to establish a
series of pigeon posts, each about 125
to 200 miles from each other, and it
is reckoned that by a system of relays
a dispatch by the pigeon could be sent
quite $50 miles in one day.
The old villa of Emile lola at Me-
dan, the old and pretty little village
few miles outside of Paris, is now
home for weakly babies, having been
presented to the. State to that effect
by the widow. Nine. lola.
The Charitable Organization Socie-
ty has taken 1t over, and its Inaugural
ton co-incided with the annual pill
grimage to the novelist's old home by
his friends and admirers.
lola. contrary to what might have
been expected, considering his great
popularity, did not leave large for
tune, and his widow found it impossi-
BILE to keep up the Medan villa as well
as her town house. So it was grace
full act of charity and devotion to the
memory of the great novelist to pre-
II, i F~yv Iaf Ian,
in his name.
Meanwhile the date of the transfer
ence of the novelist's ashes to the
Pantheon has not yet been fixed, and
the question seems to be hanging fire
somewhat. There are so many con-
trary opinions in Influential quarters
that it is not likely to be decided at
once.
The other day a proposal was
brought before the town council of a
small place near Paris by one Of it's
members to erect a statue of the nov
elist. Another member strenuously
opposed the suggestion, and to "un-
derline" his words. as the French say.
read a few passages from two or
ed for his purpose. of course. The
result was that the proposal regard
ing the monument was thrown out,
with only one vote for it.
Paris, like other capitals, now has
It's society Of lady balioonists, for the
fair sex here as in America have TAX.
en- up the aerial sport with enthus-
iasm. The president Of the new SO.
ciety is Nine. Surcouf, wife of an en-
inent engineer, and she and the secre-
tary, Mile. Cache, have inaugurated 1t
with an interesting voyage in the
clouds.
It was Madame's sixth ascent and
the third time she has acted as pilot
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