The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-04
Henry Laurens Call Developing
Machine at Girard.
The Air, the Water and the
Land All Alike.
GOOD ANY OLD PLACE.
An Immense Shipyard Where
the Vessels Being Built.
The Whole Town Has Stock and
Sure Of lis Success.

Girard. Kan, July 4.-This town
has an airship- From the president
of the largest bank to the pop corn
boy at the Novelty theater, every one
owns stock. And every one has con-
fdence in the structure that is slowly
assuming shape behind the high
boarded walls of the shipyard.
1t was about six months ago that
r. T. Richardson, the president of the
Girard Commercial club. heard of
man with an idea for a combination
airship. motor car and motor boat,
but without the financial wherewithal
to build the first model. The man
with the idea is Henry Laurens Call.
member of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science and
an inventor of several articles. At
that time he was in Monet, Mo-, on
a lecture tour. telling of the adj
vantages of his idea and endeavoring
to get money to build the first model.
Girard is the home of many Social
lists. Mr.. Richardson is one of them.
He held a consultation with other per-
sons in the town. The result was that
Call. who is a Socialist also. was sent
for.
"Come over here" Richardson
said. ''we1l find the money"
Call went. For a while the people
II Girard were skeptical. Call,
Richardson and Henry Vincent. one of
the men who had first taken an in
terest in the project made speeches
to show the practical side of the air
ship. Then, finally, the people of
Girard and Monet. Mo-. decided to in
vest enough money to begin the work
of building the first machine.
Slowly the pile of seamless steel
tubing, canvas and wood in the ship
yard began to shape itself as a dozen
men worked on it day after day. All
Girard became interested. The Aerial
Navigation Company of America was
formed and the excitement in Girard
became greater. Two weeks ago
meeting of the Commercial club of
Girard was called to consider the pro-
ject. The result was that everyone at
the meeting except three men bought
stock.
Mr. Cal?" a visitor to the yards
asked as the man at the gear wheel
paused for a moment from his figur-
ing.
YES, and you?"
at came to see the airship.' The
mans eyes frightened.
you?' he asked and without waiting
for an answer. he left the car and led
the way to another part of the shed.
It'll fly, it'll fly. it's got to n.y. Can
said, half to himself as he picked up a
bunch of pians.- Don't you believe
so?"
The visitor tried to say that he didn't
know much about airships, but the
words were unheeded.
why shouldn't 1t fy?" the inventor
asked hastily Compared to this the
machine of the Wright brothers, Prof.
Baldwin and the rest of them are play
things-toys, mere toys.
He turned to a crayon drawing OF
the machine used in recent tests by the
Wright brothers. Look here, he said.
lust like all the rest, they have sort
of a kite built on the monoplane ldea.
Not a movable plane there. ana the
operator has to ride on Level WIN the
plane in order to make the thing fly
Why, it's Just like riding bicycle
Only one can ride and it's all he can
do to keep his equilibrium. But with
my invention" (his face frightened
again. with my invention the car is
below the plane and on center oil
gravity that is kept correct by NOV
able planes operated from the car, while
from six to eight passengers do notn-
ing except ride.
on II ten years-more than that. I've
studied every feature and eliminated
everything 1 could find to interfere with
the possibility of flight. 1t must be
success" -
talked of the possibilities of his machine.
II his invention realizes his prediction the
flying machine business viii be revolutoil-
lied You see" Call began again as he
laid side his plans 1.-THE thing will be ut
home any Jiace. See those " heels under
meath and that machinery? That includes
everything that should go with an average
rotor ear. The whole iiyling machine
won't veigf more than 500 pounds, so
That II the operator Sh Juld become tlreC
of the air he can come down to earth and
run at a rate of 60 miles an hour.
And that isn't all. It's a motor boat,
TOO See those two engines over there!
And that propeller? They'll drive the
boat through water much faster than inc
motor boats.
The visitor had been looking at the steel
tubing which the workmen were rivetlns.
Rather heavy, ISM I IL! ne asked. Inc
invent Dr. smiled .
"a, lift that piece of shafting over there,
he said. as he pointed TO large winged
propeller The shafting appeared as II IL
would weigh 300 pounds. But when the
visitor touched the metal it swayed.
nation. weighs one pound to every three
feet But you can't break 1t. LOOKS heavy,
but IL isn't. All the tubing used on that
machine there won't weigh 200 pounds:
s'Airship. motor boat and motor car, he
said And all for the expense of an or
binary car And it's practical. l know ii
Is because I've studied 1t for years.
ssWhen / was Is years old had the fly
ing machine fever When l was an attor-
new the ideas of aeroplanes and steering
gears mixed themselves In my briefs and
NV Blackstone. Gradually, I've seen IL
develop And now. it's nearly done.
.'There's only one thing to wait for now
tho flight"
Henry Laurens Call. the inventor. is well
known as an attorney and a lecturer. He
ard came to Kansas when he was years
old. Mr.. Call lived near Topeka and Is :,
graduate of the University of Kansas. For
Several years he practiced law in Topeka