Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-13

Archytas. a student under Pythagoras,
made wooden pigeon that could ny
b. means of air Enclosed within which
on the motion, being somewhat rare
fed. Kept it up aloft, and. with some
wheels contrived in the cOncavity
thereof. did set il forward" 1t is true
also that few people know that the
conical paper cover of sugar loaf
which one of the Montgolfiers had
thrown in the chimney and which re-
manned suspended by the hot air and
Fsmoke gave/him the first idea of a bal
loon.
History makes scant reference to the
failures of the next 1000 years, or until
the time of Father Bartholomew l-au-
rent a Portuguese uriest in Brazil.
who was so convinced that he had the
real thing in commercial and mill
|tary possibility that he applied to the
King of Portugal for a patent of pro-
lection for his invention. This was POI
years ago, and his petition was pub
lished in the Evening Post of Vienna,
No. s. December 20. 1909, as follows:
"A copy of an address made to his
Portuguese Majesty in the Portuguese
tongue.
Father Bartholomew Laurent says
that he has found out an invention by
the help of which one may more speed
lily travel through the air than any
other way, either by sea or land so,
that one may go POO miles in "a hours;
send orders and conclusions of councils
to Generals in manner as soon as
they are determined in private cabinets
which will be of much more advantage
to your Majesty. as your dominions lie
far remote from one another and which
for want OF councils cannot be main
tanned or augmented in revenues and
extent.
Merchants may have their merchan-
disc and send letters more convenient
| ly Places bAs.eged may be supplied
with necessaries and succors. More
over, we may transport out of such
places what we please and the enemy
cannot hinder il.
THE Portuguese have discovered un-
known countries bordering upon the
extremity of the globe, and it will con-
tribute to their greater glory to be the
authors OF so admirable a machine
which so many nations have in vain
attempted
have happened for want of maps; but
by this invention the earth will be
| more exactly measured than ever, be-
sides many other advantages worthy
| of your Majesty's encouragement.
But to prevent tie many disorders
| that may be occasioned by the useful
| ness of this machine care is to be TAX
en- that the use and full power over the
same shall he committed to one person
only. to whom your Maiecty will give
strict command that whoever shall pre-
| sumo to transgress the orders herein
mentioned shall be severely punished
May it please your Majesty to grant
your humble petitioner the privilege
that no person shall presume to use or
make this ship without the express Ii
cense of the petitioner and his heirs,
J under the penalty of loss and forfeiture
of all his lands and goods. so that one
| half of the same may belong to the pc
| titioner and the other to the inform
ter? And this to be executed through
out all your dOminiOns upon the trans
greGsOrs. without exception or distinc-
ton of persons who likewise may be
declared liable TO an arbitrary punish
meEt"
There is no record OF Father Lamont
having made good with his 80 ad-
| mirable a machine
Tie following story gained credence
over $50 years ago and was printed at
| Amsterdam in the Storia del Ammo in
| 1851. whose editor claimed that the
Italian manuscript was in the Munich.
pal Library at Rergamo. Evidently the
writer's Imagination and conception
were on the right track. but his execu-
| ton must have proved faulty. The
story as printed was as follows:
London. October IS, 1851.
"My Dear Friend: There is at pres
ent pere. having arrived a few days
ago from the East Indies. and lately
| from Lisbon. man of most surprising
talents that was ever seen in the world.
He says that he is an Italian religious,
a native of Civita Vecchia, Andrea
Grimaldo bv name, and of middling
stature BY order of the father pro-
vinclal of the Propaganda Eide he
spent about 20 years travelling in the
most remote countries of the East,
where. after having carried out the
duties of his ministry. he devoted him
self for the space of IA years, at much
labor ana expense, 20 the perfect con-
struction of the most marvellous and
Istupendous machine that has ever been
produced by mechanical and ma.he-
matical arts. This is "A box of a most
curious work and fashioning, which.
by the aid of some watch springs. rises
i'll the air and travels with such light
ness and speed that it acts in it's
flight after the manner of bird. The
wings from tip to tip have a me asure-
ment Of feet. The body is composed
of pieces of cork cunninglv united to-
gether and connected by a thread of
metal, and covered with parchment
and feathers. The wings are made of
catgut and whalebone. and are also
covered with the said parchment and
feathers. Each wing is folded in three
joints as usual
I'm the body of the machine are con-
tanned 80 wheels of singular work.
manship, with two globes of brass and
little chains, which alternately wind a
connterpoise, and by the aid Of six
vessels Of brass full Of a certain uuan-
tity of quicksilver. which runs in chan
nels with divisions in them. But the
machine is held by the assistance of
the artist in due equilibrium By
|