The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-25
.HARDTOREMEMBER
Dreamer NAME
Mayor Recalls Lecturer Who
Planned Heavier-Than-Air
Planes.
WILL FLY WITH TOMBSTONE
Judge Richardson Enthusiastic
Over Prospect OF Awaiting
at State Fair.

since being notified of his selection
as a passenger to fly In the Wright
areoplane at the Virginia State FAR,
MAYOR Richardson has been recalling
from among his war experiences
speaker at camp headquarters who out
lined almost half century ago plans
for conuuering the air. me Mayoi
asks that any member OF ms com
mand vino remembers the speaker
will communicate with MIN, SO as "
refresh his memory OIL the ihsei'.oi VIZ
was before his time.
It will be for Aviator Ralph john
stone to determine on which day OIL
the fair. the Mayor will go up, as ne
viii have to be guided by wind ana
weather conditions. and pick that Day
which will insure the Mayors SAFETY.
tombstone himself goes up almost re-
rardless OF weather in anything less
than gale, having driven ms en-
,dnes at Atlantic City and other places
against the highest winds. John-
stones flying contract with the lail
Is ironbound. His pay Will be ooch
ed each day that he don't stay IN tne
air as much as ten minutes at time.
| AS a matter of fact he Is an eh.l usias
| about Joy riding in the clouds' anu
would rather go up than nov,
seeks Mime OF Lecturer.
MAYOR richardson asks publication
| ~ the Following in an effort 10 locate
| ary one who can aid his recollections
40 10 the wartime inventor VINO was
a speaker at his camp: 900
"Richmond, Va, September ~. lsiu.
I'm local notice of the aeroplane
flight of Mr.. tombstone at the 1a'r ="
The Times Dispatch Of the s4th ny.
slant 4 am quoted as haSlhs say
.There was also man In MS con,llla.,.'
then considered something OF u ;ul 's'.,
or. who used to talk about the campnto
of the possibility OF buiidlns parusn ~, :.
i 70 navigate the air. The MAYOR mas
hsen nonch Interested in watching ms
comnanion,s theories verified and mas
Lant Informed as to the recent progress
OF aviation
4 "My object In writing is not SO much
|, IN correct the harmless error as ~ 10
to elicit information on subject Wh'.h
has ALWAYS been of deep interest 70
me. From the latter part OF June, isoi,
TO April 2, 1865, the company TO "hicn
/ belonged (Parker's Battery was en-
! camped on the line of fortihcations pe-
tween the James and AppomattoN XIV
3 south Of the Hewlett House. Durihs
: these long months the soldiers built IN
the rear of the lines two large houses
) of logs. covered with slabs one "as
| used as an amusement hall and the
other as a place for religious worship
, lectures. etc. l remember that many
InotabIe sermons were preached In TINS
: church.
: speaks on s'rhe Artis Avis"
o-I T III
the spring of 1865. an old gentleman
q who was said to have been minister
: of the gospel. and whose name
q think was Brown. gave notice tina
he would deliver lecture In this
q. church. His subject was The Arts
: Avis The novelty of the subject at
! tracted quite large audience The
! old gentleman. who was Mississi ~
!, plan. read letter from Presiden
Davis testifying to his reputation FOL
integrity. but carefully avoiding an!
Endorsement of his theories. The lee
% ture was one of much interest to me
- The speaker propounded the theory
= and by many illustrations ATTEMPTED
to prove that 1t was possible to sus
al tain the flight OF a body heavier thai
IS air by the horizontal propulsion O
3 would generate a power greater thai
planes. He claimed that he had dis
B. covered a compound, the ingreu.ent
ne of which he did not disclose. whic
would gnerate a power greater tina
Is steam. and that he had invented ma
chine of such small compass and light
Mt ness as would make his Bird OF Ar
10 fly through the air. In this machir
T. he proposed to ascend over the enem
and. by dropping bombs in their linz
" and on their ships, to specially en-
I the war. But the war soon ende
and have heard no more of the le
turer.
is There arc som, surviving memoe
Is of my company who also rememb,
CO this lecture. and have seen allusiol
lis to 1t in some publications since Il
m war. but have been unable to fl
them.
81" II think president Davis makes
es brief mention OF 1t in his great wor
re Inc theory advanced by this lsctur
ey was. as we'll as I remember. identlc
nd with that advanced by Langley al
Others. and practically demonstrat
~. as feasible by the Wright brothers al
or other modern aviators.
NJ II would like to call the attenti,
ito of my former comrades to this sub1e,
an | and ask how many of them haard n