The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-28
SAILS HIS AIRSHIP
BY A WIRELESS KEY
Inventor Gives Remarkable
Exhibition With Dirigible
Balloon.
CONTROLS CRAFT
BY DOT SIGNALS
Has Perfect Mastery Over Mech
anism Propelling Distant
Vessel.

NEW YORK. Jan. 2S.-One of the
most remarkable performances in aero
nautIcs OF the year, according to ex-
. perts, was that conducted by Mark o.
Anthony, an electrical engineer Of this
city, when he sent small dirigible ball
loon speeding through the air under
the control, not OF a man sitting in a
basket under il, but guided by fingers
working an instrume nt looking not uu-
like a wireless apparatus placed many
feet below.
Sitting at an electrician keyboard, such
IS is used in sending wireless messages
Mr.. Anthony licked on combinations Of
dots and dashess each causing the bal
loon to perform some particular move
meut. Distance had no effect upon the
control, an the response Of the me-
chanism which operated the propellers
was prompt and effective.
with this sm~u apparatus he said.
Ell could control the balloon at a dis
tsnce Of twelve or fifteen miles, and
with a more powerful apparatus the
control could be extended TO almost
any distance"
Exhibition Indoors.
The exhibition was given ia Leo stew
TITS le--ANtAA AAN-AGN Az AADlOACAAF a oLEUE--
Sure six or seven hundred feet in length
and with sufficient headroom to allow
g satisfactory test of the wireless \
dirigible."
Mr.. Stevens, as an experienced aero
naut and balloon manufacturer, has
had charge Of the construction OF the
balloon part OF the invention, and Mr..
Anthony has worked out the electrical
features. They are now so well salts
ned with the success of their rudiment-
raTy experiments that they are plan
ming TO build a large airship, which,
they believe viii satisfy the scientific
world that the use OF the gasolene mo-
tor for aerial craft is a thing Of the
past
The model now being used consists Of
an ordinary CIgar-shaped gas bag
twenty-five feet in length and inflated
with hydrogen gas. Beneath that is
suspended the common type OF frame
work used IN all dirig1bles, except that
All or the mechanism IS under control
Of wireless electricity, which directs
the compressed air engine that prOpels
the craft.
Second Propeller.
Besides the propeller and the rudder.
he has a second propeller directly be
meath The center OF the frame. which
operates vertically and lifts or lowers
the airship at the will Of the operator
He also has added d mechanical de
vice which, at the call Of a few dots
and dashes. releases clutch which
drops a small weight representing a
charge OF dynamite 10 be used in war
fare.
During the two hours trial the in
gentOr sat at his keyboard ia one end
of the building and caused the balloon
10 do everything that anyone asked.
When asked 10 give detailed descrip-
ton of his invention, he said IL would
be hard TO explain 10 any but those
familiar with electrical devices, and
added that there were some features OF
the invention he did not care 10 re-
veal.
Anthony's Explanation.
You NAV say" he said. that / use
an ordinary wireless sending apparatus
with the difference that cannot use .
ground connection. On the balloon the
antenuae. OF receiving wire, is placed
over the entire length Of the balloon,
and that is fitted with the cOhere and
decohere. so constructed that characters
come IN distinct dots and daSness the
same as over an ordinary Morse instru-
meur
These dots and dashes have an effect
on the mechanism through the medium
OF q selector, and the selectcr controls
the movements OF the mechanism at the
viii OF the operator This selectOr OPP
crates the electrically controlled valves
OF the compressed air engines, which
give the desired motion, forward or
backward, or cutting of the supply of
energy as the operator desires.
Economical Engine.
fThe engine is so constructed that the
amount OF air consumed, after passing
through the reducing valve, is small in
comparison with any motor now on the
market BY using compressed air mo-
tors ] do away with gas or other motors
now IN common use and get rid OF the
danger from heat and spark In the
model small batteries are used 70 oper-
sic the electric motors, whereas in the
larger machine compressed air tanks
VIII be used ia place OF batteries for
motive power. The secret Of the APP
paratus IS in the sending and receiving
or the HeTtziau wave"
Mr. Anthony has already taken out
patents on various features Of his device
fn this country and IN most OF the coun-
aries Of Europe.
'E am now prepared 10 demonstrate
as y have done here today" me said
that we have the correct principle, and
Ats application 20 practical use VIII come
= little later. That Us merely "a matter
OF mechanical detail