New-York tribune., 1910-11-24
OCTAVE CHANUTE DEAD
"Father of the AeropIane" Ex.
pres in Chicago.
A WELL KNOWN ENGINEER
Considered Eccentric When He
Began Experiments with Pro
totype Of Modern Flier

Chlceso' NOV Octave CF7snute known
as the father Of the aeronEane- died A.
! his home in Chicago today afra~ sr iIIr.s.
Of several weeks
( Though widely known as an eneineer of
many accomplishments, Nj. Char1te was
more generally recalled as the originator
+ OF hea aVler-than-air craft When. several
! years ago he began experiments with
"hoTlIcntaI kites" as the were ironically
referred 10. he was considered eccentric
octave Chanute contributed much to the
science Of modern aeronaatics Back il,
S'4 long before the possitiIirv Of human
ElsHt IN heavier-than-air n1a.,i7ine was
CONSIDERED more Jlan 9 clir1,cricaI dream.
- began actual experiments. As 4 result
oI TINS work no produced his book Prog
ress IN FLYING Machines" The --incinlas
therein enunciated were taken up later BY
PROFESSOR Langley and those vho. imme-
dlateiy following him brought the flying
machine 20 its present status. He e,neri-
mented with the ljpla~e principle long be-
fore the Wright brothers achieved their
success, though TO them he freely gave
credit fcT making il d practical Aier-
Commenting recently on the Wrights'
suits for alleged patent iujrinEementz. Mr.
Clanute said:
The fundamental principle underlying
the warping Of the tips for the purposes Of
balance was understood even before the
suggestion contained in D EstaTro's pam
Phlet fifty years ago. IN modern tines the
warping tips were actually used in fight
by Pierre Mouilliard. a French engineer
He lew with glider containing the fexi-
ole tips near Cairo. Egy u. in 1880 The
Idea is protected in patent granted him
by the United States government in 1901
The Wrights. I am told. are making
their strongest attack upon the point that
they warn ti.e tips in connection win the
turning Of their rudder. Even this is Gov
cred by a patent granted to an American
in 1901
There is TO question that the funda-
mental principle underlying was we'll
known before the Wrights incorporated it
in their machine
These statements Of the aged inventor
failed to draw forth any comment from
the WTights. Experts hold however, that
Chanute's work in no way detracts from
the credit due the Wrights for perfecting
the practical application OF the principles
in question.
Mr.. Chanute was born in Paris, France
in 1852 His fatheT. who was st that time
a professor Of history IN the Royal College
at Paris. moved 70 this country SIX years
later 10 become vice-pTesidant OF jefferson
College, Louisiana. and in consequence
the son grew Up in this country. He was
educated chiefly in New York CITY in pri-
ys1e schools and under tutors and in 1s4s
began his career as civil engineer as an
assistant chairman IN the building of the
Hudson River Railroad
The westward advance o. railroad build
ing called him TO Illinois in 1855. He was
for time with what is now the Chicago
& Alton. then went to the present Toledo
Peoria & Western, where he became chief
engineer for the first time II. went 70
Kansas in 1Ss7 and built the first bridge
across the Missouri River This feat uou
him fame He vas successivelv CHEZ en-
stneer Of several rev roads in Kansas and
Nebraska. He built the Union Stockvards
In Chicago and Kansas City and the South
ern Kansas Railroad. becoming s1lperin
te7dent Of that line
Then in 1873 he became chief engineer of
the Erie Railroad and remained With II
during ten years ot reconstruction Dur
ng this period he also led in an irvAs+j
cation OF the needs Of the CITY of New
York for rapid transit. and a. chairman
of committee Of the American Society
II Civil Engineers brought about in 1915 the
speedy building Of the elevated roads.
In lss3 he returned West and ore,et7 an
office - consulting engineer stIpervisir7r-
the construction of many big iron railroad
bridges He also became Interested in the
chemical treatment of timber to resist de-
~. and was made president Of the Chi
ago Tie Preserving Company. with works
n Chicago and Mount Vernon III. with
which he was connected I'll his death
He vas an honorary mem Der Of the In /
stitUtioa Of Civil Engineers Of Great (
Britain and Of the Canadian Society Of
-ivil Engineers, ard an active member OF
he American Society of civil Engineers /
# which he was yice-president from 1850 I
o 1881 ard president from 1891 to 1892. and /
II the Western Society Of Engineers, Of |
which he was president III 1901. He was a
fellow Of the A A A s. and a member of .
he Century Association Of New York. Be !
sides his work on flying machines he was .
ne author Of numerous papers and articles ,
N engineering zuhiecs
He married in Peoria, Ill, IN 1857 Miss .
Anna r. James. They had four children, |
-hree daughters and q son