The Democratic advocate., 1908-08-07
ALLABOARD THE AIRSHIP
NAVIGATION OF AIR SOLVED BY FRENCH
AERONAUT In new YORK.
AeropIane Flies Rapidly Twelve Feet
From the Ground.

New York, July 31.-Rising from the
ground like a giant bird and darting
through the air at eXpress-train speed,
Henry Farman's aeroplane, the inter-
esting heavier-than -air flying machine
he brought here from France to dem
onstrate his ability to fly, made his
initial flight in this country late this
Ievening at Brighton Beach.
1t rode through the air as grace
fully as a swallow and responded to
the slightest touch Of it's driver.
At no time did the aeroplane rise
more than 20 feet above the ground,
and it scared this way and that, riding
easily and making no noise except
for the slight whirring sound of the
propellers.
The instant the trim-looking ma
chine landed cheers rent the air
cheers far more enthusiastic and. vo-
ciferous than those of racetrack
crowd. Farman was surrounded and
literally hugged by the jubilant aeron-
auts Members of the Aero Club of
America, under whose auspices Far
man will conduct his public flights
at Brighton, wanted to carry the sue
cessful inventor off the field on their
shoulders.
After he alighted, the operator of
motion picture machine signaled him
to go on and Farman started the motor
again, rising from the ground and go
ing forward for so yards or more. Hts
speed was about 35 miles an hour
against 6 to 10 mile wind.
The tremendous power of the motor
seemed most to interest the crowd.
1t is of 55-horsepower and the propel-
| lers create so furious current that
pieces of wood weighing several
pounds were swept into the air in it's
wake. Eight strong men have to ex-
ert all their strength to hold it after
the propellers are started and until
the operator gives the signal to let
go. The machine with the operator
weighs 1850 pounds, but this great
weight glides up into the air as if the
machine were so much tissue paper.
Newspaper men and photographers
crowded around the aeroplane to get
pictures of the machine as it was
about to make it's first flight in Ameri-
ca, and it was at this moment that
Farman decided to make test of the
motor before flying. He instructed
his French mechanics to hold fast to
, the aeroplane while he turned on the
, power Instantly the propeller began
, to reVOlVe at the rate Oh I,fUO IeVOlu-
tions a minute, and breeze equal to
r small cyclone was created. The
, photographers were knocked fiat and
: plastered to the ground until the pow
er was turned off. Several willow
trees were bent double. Farman
laughingly said he guessed the ma
chinery was working all right.
!, He will give Is exhibitions at the
: track, and it is probable that he will
!, appear in other parts of the country
as many aeronautic clubs are trying
.. to induce him to visit other cities.
!. In the above exhibitions Farman
made no attempt to turn his machine
using a straight course. On Tuesday
= however, he demonstrated that this
,, could easily be done. The birdlike
, machine answered the helm readily
, and gracefully, turning in semicircle
+ and flying back to the starting point
He also raced a 50-horse power
:, automobile, and left the motor cal
away in the rear. In distance OF
:, 800 yards, the auto was left 800 yards
I behind.
= The machine did not in anv of thes,
+ flights rise more than ~ feet in tn,
, air.