The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-02-05

failure to achieve great height by the flyers were
satisfied that they had seen the machines and had
learned something about their mechanism. The
failure to fly rather confirms the opinion expressed
in these columns that aviation in the mouD+oi.
countries was quite a different proposition to Avir
at the sea level NJ. Paulhan is reported by +to
local press as saying that he needed a craft Of
lighter weight and greater power to reach the lpna
air. Until such a machine is made it is not likely
that aviation in high attitudes will be very popr
Aviation, however, is new; the machines har.
been able to fly only year or two and it would h.
very pessimistic prophet who suggested that the
difficulties encountered in Salt Lake will NOT h.
overcome. The machines. like every other machine
which increased mans ability to move from a.gc.
to place faster than horse could take him. have
to be developed and perfected. While the pcrfa.--
ing process is going on it is pertinent to speculate
on the new art, as compared with motoring ard
yachting, the risks involved, the needed improve
ments to place air travel on a commercial basi.
The Wright brothers, who are generally credited
with being the inventors of the aeropane. thin,
that an aeroplane transcontinental line betveo,
New York and San Francisco is practicable. with
fast aeroplanes making the trip by daily stare.
of 800 miles, and stopping at regular gasoline sim
ply stations. Other aviators contend that it is far
cry between the ability Of the machines to max,
short flights and entering them into the commerce
of the world
No one knows just what course the aeropIans
will take in its developments; perhaps some new
principle in mechanics Will be developed which will
make commercial aviation possibility; perbans +,
will take years of development along present lines
to bring about that safety which Will remove the
art from sport to a commercial basis. Fear is
expressed that when the machines are ready IL, on.
ter into the worlds commerce. there will be an on
tire lack of skilled pilots for the machines. That
fear, however, seems to be unfounded. In the old
days we had the stage coach drivers, an occupaton
which probably required as great skill as the ruid
ing of an aeroplane. Then when the locomotive
came plenty of engineers were found; the bicvcIa
developed It's votaries, and the automobile claims
an abundant supply of competent chaufeurs
though In truth perhaps not more than five Der cent
of these know much about the mechanism of their
machines.
The principle of the aeropane may be taken IN
by some inventor in connection with the railroad
business. Perhaps the monorail railroad and the
aeroplane may be joined to make great step for
ward in locOmotion. Rapid transit naturally de-
velops friction, of which the friction of the
ground IS the greatest the friction of the mecban
ism and the air furnishing great obstacles to he
overcome. Perhaps the principle of the aeronIans
will be applied to railroads to lift the weight to be
carried by the locomotive while the locomotive de-
velops its speed from a solid foundation on the
earth
But no matter what form future locomotion NAV
take one thing can be depended upon-the people
of the earth going to travel faster at the end Of
the twentieth century than they are now at its be-
ginning. And they will not only travel faster b,t
the prime element of safety, so lightly esteemed IN
this day, will also be given such consideration %
Will make travel safer than staying at home,