The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-31
Aeroplane Constructed by
Scientist Who Spent 20
Years at Study.
AT Time of It's Trial, Five
Years Ago, 1t Failed and
the Pioneer Aeroplane
Constructor Became Dis
couraged and Disheart-
ened.
Nv Associates Press

Washington, July 3O.-There is the
echo OF semi-tragic chapter In bal
looming in the tests of aerial craft
to be begun at Fort Myer by the gov
eminent next week. The universal in
ter6St which these tests nave aroused
has resulted in the withdrawal OF the
veil of secrecy which has been MAIN
tanned by the officials of the Smith
sonian Institution in connection with
the aeropIane built by the late Pro
fesSOr Langley.
IF the Wright Brothers and \. NJ.
Harrington should not succeed in car
Tyfng out their contracts with the gov
eminent it is not at all unlikely that
We viii bring out the old Langley ma
chine for the purpose of conducting
experiments said General James Al
len, chief signal officer of the army,
today Dr. Cyrus Adler, acting secre-
taTy of the Smithsonian Institution.
which has the custody of the Langle,
aeTOplane, the "Buzzard." has a differ
ent opinion with regard to using the
machine for any further investiga-
tions.
1T is a relic and should be preserved
as such along with the other prOduc-
ed by Prof Langley, the pioneer Of
mechanical flight" he said It is said
the machine is joint property of the
army and the Smithsonian Institution.
Twenty Years of Study.
Twenty years or more ago PrOfes-
sor Langley, a leading scientist, began
experiments at Pittsburg in an effort
to master the problem of aerial navi-
CATION. This man. who was hOnoTed
by leading scientific bodies of France,
England and other countries, was
laughed at. He was criticised by the
newspapers at that time and scient-
lists themselves were skepticaI.
1t was William Thaw, the Pitts
burg millionaire and father of Harry
K Thaw, who made ii possible for
Professor Langley 10 carry out his eX-
periments; experiments which gave to
the world the knowledge upon which
the aerOnauts of the present day base
their meChanismS-
1t was Theodore Roosevelt then as
sistant secretary of the navy, who
in 1888 was responsible for the United
States government devoting $4,000
for the purpose of paying the expenses
of the experiments which were con-
Quoted by Prof. Langley on the Po-
tomac river near Washington. It may
devolve upon Theodore Roosevelt as
president of the nited States to make
possible for the further experiments
with the Langley aerOplane-
To-day five years after Professor
Langley launched his aeroplane MoreI
it is recognized that his machine en-
bodies principles not fully understood
by the machine building uerOnauts of
today.
The Langley aeroplane. the one
which was damaged on the launching
ways OF the Langley houseboat, has
been repaired and IS evidently in first
class condition.
Criticism Disheartened Him.
Professor Langley was so disheaTt.
ened by the criticism and comment
which followed his disappointing ex
peTiments that he never undertook
| further experiments with the Inflated
machine. II was locked up in the car
penteT shop back of the Smithsonian
| Institution. where ii has RENAME
| ever since It has been shown &c
! -rveral leading scientists and aero
nautical experimenteTs, but yester
/ day was the first time 1t was ever
viewed by newspaper men at close
range.
The airship will be placed on exhi
| ton as soon as room can b found
for it. Neither the frame, the wings
or the motor. which is considered to
! he unique in many ways, have been
patented. That further experiments
with the machine would be Of value
/ to the thousands who Te devOt1ng
their efforts to solving the problems
of aerial navigation is the belief oil
prominent scientists and an effoIt will
be made to have the machine use1
/! ny the signal corps of the army fol
experimental purposes