Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-06
AERIAL NAVIGATION AGAIN
TRIAL OF MACHINE WHICH PROF.
LANGLEY INVENTED.
Purpose Expressed by Engineer Man
ley Last December May Be
Carried Out.

A great deal of interest has been aroused
not only in Washington but all over the
country by the announcement that c. M
Manley, the engineer who did the mechan-
lcai designing of THE Buzzard," the late
frol. Lansleys great airshp, is expecting
~ give the machine another trial. This an
houhcement has been made in print as
recent utterance of Mr.. Manleys, but as a
matter or fact, 1t is declared his purpose
mas been understood among scientific people
for several months
Al meeting of the American Academy
or Sciences last December there was q ma
per read by Alexander Graham Bell on his
work up in Nova Scotia with the tetrahe.
oral Kite 1t was general contribution tn
the subject of aerial locomotion as we'll
MI Manley was present at the Meeting
and in the discussion that followed DR.
BEL s paper he said 1t was the general be-
aef that the aerial experiments OF the
Smithsonian institution had been dropped
Inns, ne said, was not correct; that thew
mad been merely suspended and he honed
In the not very distant future to take ont
tn lie, Dig airship and give 1t another trial.
me announcement attracted no attention
at the time. but it finally coached a maya
zine, where Mr.. Manleys words We're
quoted ana thence to the newspapers where
~ was exploited as move to take the air.
SNIP Out and give 1t a fresh trial. AS a
matter of fact, the friends of Prof. Lang
icy, including Prof. Bell, who saw all of
the important trials of the small model
flers and the big machine say the big
aerodrome has never yet been really tried.
That is to say, 1t has never been turned
loose IN the air with a fair start
Met With DISTINCTIONS.
On both occasions when an attempt was
made to launch it some part of the ma
chinery caught on the launching ways. If is
declared, and the airship was unset before
1t ever got free and in the air On the last
occasion the obstruction consisted of two
little pieces of triangular iron that had
Deen overlooked in clearing the guides for
the release
Prof. Bell said in the paper referred to
that the question of aerial navigation had
advanced to point where it was an as
sured fact within five years and within a
decade would be as common as automobile
ing.
The situation with the big airship in the
Smithsonian Is rather complicated The
war Department has some rights in it,
having furnished the officers and had the
supervision of some of the expenditures
connected with it. The machine Is the
property of the Smithsonian Institution in
point of possession, and from the fact that
1t was made by Prof Langley. the former
secretary. The government, not being much
in touch with the subject of aerial naviga-
tioi, hdS iillic ldllu III the machine, II Is
stated. and 1t Is regarded a certainty
that there will not be another dollar ap-
propriated for experiments. The scientific
world, on the other hand, is almost wholly
convinced that the machine is all right
and if 1t were sporting proposition the
scientists probably would be willing to
make a wager of 3 to 3 that the ship would
fly the next trial.
Mr.. Manley's Interest.
Mr.. Manley, as stated, Is the engineer
who built the airship. When the subject of
lightweight engine was under discussion
Prof Langley went personally to the most
expert engine builders in this country and
in Europe and tried to get an engine built
on the general lines he had laid down.
None of them would undertake the con-
tract, and the result was that Mr.. Marley,
then a young man in Prof. Langley's en-
ploy, did the work himself, and produced
52-horse-power engine at considerably
less than five pounds weight per horse
power. Manley stipulated but one thing,
and that was he should have the honor of
navigating the machine on her first trial.
This was granted him, and now he wants
to take another try at 1t.
How long 1t will be before the trial is
actually made is question There Is no
money available, and Mr.. Manley himself
is in business in New York, and there is
no telling how soon he will be able to get
either the money or leisure for the expert
ment However, the machine Is still there,
and the principal thing lacking is some one
with the nerve and money to risk the initial