New-York tribune., 1908-09-21
BUGS" WHO WOULD FLY
AERO CLUBS HUGE MAIL.
From ConUict to Minister They Pour
IN Their Solutions.

one nf the results OF the prominence attained ty-
the Wright brothers with their aeroplanes has
peen the vastly increased mail Of the Aero Club
n America The cluorooms in East 1od street Ia We
been deuged with ESSAYS. CAV and grave. and with
fnnumerable letters containing drawings and
r-svers for financial aid With a unanirlity that is
rathetio the writers say, IN my machine lies the
only solution Of the problem or words 10 that
erect.
A great number Of the letters are from scientific
-,en and various aeronautic societies. indicating
4hs+ the interest IN the art has been wonderfully
tolerated among thinking men. A prisoner in
+-e state peuiteutiary writes that can answer
-Ais riddle az the ages If permitted 20 free:
ministers who begin their appeal for money with
T7jbioal quotations, physicians who unblushngly
acknowledge that they have sighted medicine for
se-odvnanics: plain hobces from the Platte and
seekers after gold in Alaska have all written that
RE club need investigate no further-they have the
solution.
The secretary Of the Aero Club returned from the
South few DAYS ago and was Informed that the
nal had increased by leaps and bounds
..c-1e,5i5 he said. bearaing. New ideas will be
worked out and-who knows--a new genius may
be born any minute
Several have been born since you left the city
ss3d the assistant secretary The letter carrier
ssvs We should have our mail delivered by a Yep
-,elin gas bag Read them. and you viii wonder
Why their own buoyancy had not waited them
hitler He pointed a stack Of letters ready for
he file marked 'Theoriez.''
u
You may expect him any minute For myself.
think VIII take walk If you don't mind. Mr..
Hunt has called before-twenty times before
and
The door opened without waiting 10 be intro
duced the man seated himself, and. pulling Up the
right leg OF his trousers 10 the knee, said
! nan II airship, with six bellows and talk
ing horns, Is shooting vitrio!ic acid at See
these burns my leg2 He is going TO Kill me
unless can get you people 10 send up flying cav
airy and get him Jailed
The secretary looked confused The assistant
secretary had called back after the door was shut
that he would returnIater-
That nan has followed me with his eirship for
Ten years" continued Nj Hunt dhe said he was
! L Hunt and lived at No 325 West SSth street,
7 rsve been 10 Massachusetts, three times try
and catch him. and 10 Coney Island twice, and
once thought had him in Jersey City He
follows ne and shoots more vitriolic acid He VIII
get some II my eyes next That's what he is really
aiming At He goes thirty miles an hour He's
sol woman up there with him They come
down for more acid when they can't be seen with
the naked eye"
To the suggestion Of z man IN the clubroom
-hat perhaps the airsbip had run into a turbulent
az current and been destroyed, Mr. Hunt replied;
I know they're still alive. can't find them On
earth andr-a cunning gieam IN his eyes-'there
mas never been death certificate issued for them
When he left the room he said he would call to-
rorroz-
read the letters marked Theories"
7 an in prison here wrote with an
Aubu-r y Y date line I get out OF here,
but lack the little money necessary 10 put the
legal machinery II motion IN return for my free
1orn I an prepared 10 reveal perfect solution
q The problem Of aerial navigation as is possible
IN the present state of science Nineteen years ago
7 saved my life from shipwreck by means Of an
aeroplane-
II decline 10 describe the machine just now. OF
raIlz-o gE-ba doDS
--o-fze power Is the wind. Left 10 itself it rises
,-e-4fcalv: no hurricane that ever blew can bulge
Il one foot from the vertical plane Squalls cannot
s,sfza IL The wind reacts upon itself and pushes
-Le ea-oulane upward. water jet does an egg
shell
large enough 70 carry man, It requires about
&. worth Of materials The motor is so built that
II can carry The aeroplane three thousand miles on
one supply OF liquid fuel have q peculiar motor
which 1ses the heat Of the sun as fuel. Inc bsSt
nd orIr solution Of The fascinating problem is my
aeroplane-" .-
4 minister in Western Pennsylvania wrote 1ouT
thousand words saying. among other things;
and GOD created every winged fowl accord
So =, =-s l=,5 and he blessed them. saying. Let
me birds be multiplied The flying machine
kept suspended by a bag filed with gas, VIII never
De success for navigating the air. lot me 'L4oie
theory OF il Is contrary 10 the laws OF nature
which govern flying IF this had been the proper
en6 easiest and most economical way 10 ny lheh
every bird bug. bat and dragon would have been
supplied with a gas bag and pump. also ballast
bagz''
Then followed 4 long description of arranging
z huge feather 70 control and animate his air
shin Al the end OF which he wrote: a machine
Ike this must fy: il would be miracle If it did
not Is il would be necessary 10 suspend the laws
q nature 10 stop i. In fact. this is the safest
and rheapest means Of rapid transit You need
10 bridges but lie the witch. head your 1nachine
a. the crow flies and arise above all Obstacles
You stop not for mountain, hill hollow. river
lake. stream or mighty ocean until you alight On
-57 o< The skvsc-sper and take the elevator down
tc the Office. Now is the time Let's get busy
4 physician in Georgia. who says he is re
rno-elv located from competent mechanics who are
honest" writes: 7 tackled the problem OF flight
or January J. 49,. I have solved IL went out
y md contractor 10 build my machine Have
made four zeparate attempts with many diff
f=reut men. anc picked W bad egg each time.
and was sN-tndled oUt Of NY money II is great
trouble 70 get honest competent nnachtnists an
remotely located from supply. which increases
difficulty.
L have learned how 70 fy and TO steer. Every
landlubber cannot rig sailboat and navigate II
Tor czn every go-by- ground mount the air On q
kite and -r- II safely The key TO the problem is
-he steering device for the lack Of which Langley
few Ike bobrailed partridge until he went chug
,-.o the Potomac. and Ldheuthsl few 10 his death
From ALASKA came pencil sketch and scrawl
i c. Barnett wrote sUccinctly- 7 have Il People
1sve seen IL can give references. All am look
Ing FOR Is some wideswake club VII come ana
see you II you have any sand Inclcsed ma
stamped envelope
7 viii be compelled" raurrnured the secretary.
% postpone for & short time the reading or 1he
rest of these letters. There are apparently large
number OF fresh ideas here and as vas SAVING 4
norent ago-a genius may be born any moment
Ee nay. in fact. be smuggling here pointing 10