Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-17
r. P. Keane, Prominent Business
Man of the City, Is Constructing
Machine Which he Says Will
Sail Like Bird.
HAS SPENT MANY YEARS
SAILING THROUGH AIR
WITH NOTED AVIAToRs
Is Now at Work Upon What He
Calls a "Conoid," Which He
Says Will Remedy Defects in
Flying Machines.

II. p. Keane. Of the Stave Electric COM
pany. 40 Fourth National Bank building,
Is constructing an aeroplane, along orig
inal lines, in which he hopes, within two
months. TO be flying above Atlanta's
housetops.
Mr.. Keane is a member OF the Aero
nautic Society of America, and has been
experimenting with heavier-than-air ma
chimes and dirigibles for the past ten
years. both in the United States and in
Europe. He has made numerous flights
with famous ayiators on the continent;
with them he has looked down upon the
Eiffel tower at Paris. and hopes some
day to see the Gambler building from a
similar angle.
Mr.. Keane's machine, though an aero
plane. is neither biplane, like the Wright
model, nor a nonoplane, Hike the Bleriot !;
its wings" IL they can be so termed.
are shaped like a cone. and Mr.. Keane.
coming a word to describe his inyen-
ton, has dubbed II the "conoid."
REANE'S IDEA ORIGINAL
The Albanian is thoroughly familiar
with the two other models above mem
toned and his efforts have been directed
toward the development of an idea which
he believes will do away with the insta-
bility which is the principal practical OBJ
lection to all machines which have hither-
to flown.
The thing these machines, lack, he de-
clares. is a constant center OF air pres
sure, and this advantage he believes he
has procured for his own model by a
scheme Of UNDERLYING gravity. In plain
words, his machine. IL IL fulfills his ex-
pectations. will always be in perfect bal
ance, and will not wobble in the strongest
adverse air currents.
He has one machine already half con-
structed, and is about to begin work on
another. One Of these he will send 10
New York, where his co-worker, Mr.. ]. ].
Batterman, who is member OF New
York's leading aero clubs. will conduct
experiments. and with the second he
hopes this fan TO make a series Of flights
in the neighborhood Of Atlanta
HAS NATIONAL REPUTATION
Mr.. Keane has spent most of his time
abroad since 1900 He assisted in the sue
cessful experiments with the Stanley
Spencer dirigible, and while in London
was also interested in the aeroplanc
which has lately been taken over by the
English government. He has studied the
Wright models at close range as we'll as
the machine in which Lawrence Har-
grave, the pioneer of the biplane system
made such remarkable attempts in New
South Wales, in 1883.
He has been conducting his own expert
ments at his testing ground in North Car
DINA and has already met with partial
success.
The drawings for the second machine
which he is about to construct in At
lanta, were made by Mark Fargusson,
one Of the most eminent naval archi-
tects In the world. Mr.. Farguson, it will
be remembered, is the man who designed
the ten torpedo boats that went to the
Russian navy during the recent war. and
is now engaged in the construction of
similar crafts TO be sent to the Philip
pines.