Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-12
.HERR|NGA|RSH|P HERE
Arrives in Two Suit Cases and
Trunk.
INVENTOR IS UNDECIDED
Not Ready to Say When Tests Will
Be Made.
DON'T LIKE FIT. MYER COURSE
Not Room Enough on Drill Grounds
for a Safe and Comfortable
Turn Around.
DON'T LIKE FIT. MYER COURSE

True to prediction. the Herring aero
plane arrived at Fort Mycr this morn
ing in a dress suit case. Well. there
was little more than that-in fact.
there were two dress suit cases and
mer's sample case. The propellers of
the machine were wrapped up in news
paper. comic supplements at that. 1t
was almost as much of a surprise to the
War Department as to any one when
they discovered that Mr.. Herring and
his machine were here. They arrived
simultaneously at Fort Myer about IL
am. and Mr. Herrings assistant-he
brought but one-sat on the trunk, ap-
parently to hold 1t down, while Mr. Her.
ring went. off to call on Orville Wright
in the post hospital. He did not see Mr..
Wright, as the doctors still keep their
patient as quiet as possible. owing to
the fact that visitors and excitement
are apt to send his temperature up.
Mr.. Herring deposited his machine in
the balloon house and came to town,
where he has an appointment this after
noon with Maj. SQuier. acting chief sig
nal officer. Mr.. Herring is still indefinite
as to when he will assemble his machine
and make any trial flights. He spoke Of
going back to New York tonight. though
he may remain in Washington until to-
| uOTIOWp Wneu tHc OluCldl OcllVcTy OI tue
machine Is due to be made.
Wants Trials Held Elsewhere.
1t is quite possible that the inventor
will try to secure a change of venue
from the War Department so as to hold
the trials Of the machine somewhere else
In speaking of the subject today he said
that while he did not wish to be under
stood as criticising the selection of the
drill ground at Fort Myer as a demon
strating point. he was still convinced that
1t was too small for the purpose. and
that accidents were liable to happen
there owing to the necessity for making
short turns.
Mr.. Herring wants to have his first
trials near the ground. and this is OF
course impossible on the drill grounds of
siderably higher than the tops Of the
buildings that surround the field. In
speaking of this feature he said what all
other practical aviators have testified to.
that air acts on any obstruction very
much like water flowing over the top of
a dam. :. The currents are Of course in
visible, but they exist none the less and
exert a. powerful influence on such an
unstable instrument as flying machine
passing over them. Higher in the air
the currents are steadier, although one
never gets entirely away from the wave
motion of the aerial sea.
With a new machine, which. like all
other pieces Of machinery, must be run
and tuned up before it Is in reliable work
ing order. Mr.. Herring does not want to
get too far away from the earth. If a
mechanical accident Is liable to occur in
the first stages Of the trials.
Unlike Any Other Machine.
The new machinee, while 1t has not yet
been assembled, promises to be a revela-
ton as compared with any other flying
machines that have ever been seen. The
propellers are only about four feet long,
and the blades. scarcely five inches wide
at the tips, but with considerable pitch
The engines will run at about LOO revolu-
tions. giving a peripheral speed to the
propeliors OF 19O miles an hour. The pro-
pellers can be sped up to about 1900 revo-
lutions. They are made Of laminated
wood. which. weight for weight: is
engines and Its fittings packs ipto a dress
suit case. and some of Mr.. Herrings
friends have suggested that they might
be used for watch charms when not work.
ing on the airship. The main planes are
only twenty feet long and three feet wide.
just half the dimensions of the Wright
aeroplane. The whole machine, exclusive
Of the operator. will only weigh about
$50 pounds.
Mr.. Herring is still Of the opinion that
the accident to Orville Wrights machine
was due indirectly to the small area of
ground over which he flew. He admits
was the striking of the propeller against
one of the guy wires, but he says that
this was undoubtedly due to the immense
gyroscOpic effect Of the rapidly moving
propellers In making q short turn, coupled
with the fact that the machine at the
moment of the accident had just passed
over the airship house and had run into
one of the invisible upward currents.
which tended to distort the machine and
helped to throw the wire into the path
OF the propeller. This accident. he holds,
would not have occurred had the machine
been on a straightaway course.
Air Pressure Caused Accident.
Mr.. Herring figured out the stress en-
gendered by twisting the revolving pro-
pellers around at sharp angle at about
500 pounds. and said that probably an
other 800 was added by the up pressure
of the air current into which the machine
had run. These two factors, he. said
We're enough to throw the whole mechan-
Ism out Of alignment, and produce Just
the accident that occurred.
The big balloon tent which housed the
Baldwin dirigible was brought back to
Fort Myer today from st. Joseph. No,
and will be re-erected near the airship
house and probably used for housing the
dirigible during the intervals Of practice
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST MEET.