Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-10-06
FORTUNES SPENT
ON AERONAUTICS
WRIeHTs HAVE HAD The LARe-
EST AND MOST Salts
FACTORY RETURNS.
BUILDERS OF AERoPLANEs AND
DIRlGI5LEs IN VARIOUS
COUNTRIES.

lAoUb1SSs NASluS1 4O4lONeu as 4 DQSl-
ness or for amusement. It is not
known what has been spent by the
Wrights, the foremost American in
yentors, but it is estimated that it
is not far from 100000 And It may
be said that no other inventor has
had such re -urns for his investment
as have these Wright brothers. They
are practically the only Americans
who have been to any extent REIN
bursed. From the Weller syndicate
they received 100000, and $4,000 has
been paid ~ them by the French gov
eminent as an option on their ma.
chimes.
And they still have chance to get
contracts with the English and Ger
mai governments. Last year Wilbur
Wright picked up the $4,000 cash
prize that accompanied the Michelin
trophy in making a flight OF hours
Is minutes and SO seconds. They re
ceiyed from the government $4,000
for the flying machine delivered at
Washington.
The only other inventor in this
country to fly in a heayier-than-air
machine is Glenn II. Curtiss. who re-
Gently came into prominence by his
remarkable flights at Mincola. made
in his machine, the Golden Flier,
built for the Aeronautic Society. Mr..
Curtiss is one of the five men who
composed the Aerial Experiment As
sociation, at the head of which was
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell The late
Lieut.. Selfridge and two young Can
adams, f. ". Baldwin and !. A. D.
MeCurdy, were the other members.
Or. Bell had been experimenting
with tetrahedral kites, and it was az
the suggestion Of Mrs. Bell that an
association was formed. -Four ma
chines-the Red Wing, White Wing,
June Bug, and Silver Dart-were the
outcome OF The consolidation Of tai
.ent In the June Bug Glenn Il Cur
tiss won the Scientific American tro-
ply, and with the Silver Dart Nc
Curdy made some long fights in Can
ada. After one year the association
disbanded, and it was estimated that
$4,000 in cash. had been spent.
A. NJ. Herring, another inventor
whose interests have been united win
those of Mr. Curtiss, has spent years
and a good-sized for .une in his ef-
forts to perfect the aeroplane. Mr..
Herring built a machine for the gov
eminent for which he was to receive
$4,000 if it succeeded. Mr. Curtiss
has the distinction of being the first
inventor to sell and deliver an aero
plane in this countryside one pur-
chased by the Aeronautic Society.
The ideas of the two inventors are
amalagamated in this machine, al
though it was ordered fir, m Mr.. Cur.
tiss before the company was formed.
He also won the first cash prize of
$3.50 offered by Cortlandt Field Bish-
op.
It is said that Bleriot, who recent
ly startled the aerial world by his
daring flight across the English Chan
nell has spent approximately $2000 600
A few weeks ago he captured the
$500 prize in a cross-country flight
of fifty-six minutes, and he received
the $4,000 offered by the Daily Mail
for his channel feat Bleriot, who
has built thirteen machines, is only
thirty seven years old. He also re
ceived $4,000 of a special fund an
nually appropriated for scientific
SaBtos-Dumont, who has spent his
large personal income on expert
ments. captured the $4,000 for Giro
ling Eifel Tower He has used both
biplsne and monoDlane.
IN his experiments langley spent
$4,000 appropriated by the govern
meHt, besides much of his own mon.
ey Str Hiram Maxim is ssiG 10 hzre
expended something ljbe $50 000 of
his money earned on other inven
tions Iilientbal. Chasute. Ludlow,
ard Pitcher have put large SUMS in
gllders 30 h LilienthaI and Pitcher
lost their lives in making tests Of
their inventions. and Iudlow severe
" and permanently injured his back
ia fall with a glider Out Of the
vast experiments. only a small mum
Der have accomplished fight in pow
ardivon machines. Latham and Bile
riot have made SPLENDID records with
monoplanes, and the Wrights. Della
grange. Santos Dlmont, Cody Cur
riss. and Esnault -PeI-rie have sue
-essfully demonstrated he biplane.
Not less than $4,000 has been spent
8t Morris Park, where a number of
inventors have their workshops As
yet, no. one of these machines has
flown
Count Zeppelin is an Illustration Of
/. hat has been expended TO perfect
he airship. It is well known that he
lsed 100000 of his own moEey and
,15e,00O of tha- subscribed by the
5erms ubIic Then there are the
no Clement Bayards. the Paris, La
7atrie. the Vile de Nancy, La Re
1ubliaue. the Parseval. and others
hat represen- vast sums In This
country, Capt Baldwin. Carl z Ny
IFS. and Stroebel have been the chief
2uil5ers Of the l'ghter-than-a5r craft
7apt Baldwin had the dis melton o,
selling the government its first air
.hjp.-St LOUIS Post-Dispstch
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