Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-02-16
M'MANUS |NYENTS FLYING MACHINE Army Officer Who Marries Pine Bluffian, Getting
 Reputation.
TEXAS TOWN IS CRAZY
About Air Trayeling''-Famou "Fly. ing Machinists" to Exhibit Their
 Cars Ther.

The following account of the inven- tion of a flying machine by Captain A. F. w. McManus, U. s. A, who is a son-in-law of Mrs Amelia Vaughn, of this city, will be read with interest by his many friends here. Captain Vaughn was married to Miss Annie Holland in this city several years ago and is stationed at San Antonio, Tex. According to the following special, Captain McManus hopes to accomplish much with his new invention. The San Antonio message says:
 This city is literally aviation-mad. Though most of it's citizens have sur veyed mother earth in the past from no higher an elevation than is afford ed by the COW puncher's saddle, they have taken an interest in the man. made things that fly that amounts to practically a craze. Not few have built aeroplanes-things that came to grief a few feet above terra firma: and those that have not have urged the daring ones on with encourage ment bordering on recklessness.
 San Antonians had their first taste of aerial venture and honor, when one of their citizens, Doctor Fielding, carried off trophy for long distance sailing in a balloon three years ago. Shortly after that the aeroplane made it's general appearance, and within a short time everybody of venture some turn of mind was building kites.
 Prentice Newman was one of the first to enter the field. Like all of them, he had something new to offer, but failed to do so. During a trial trip he had it lowed by a powerful au- tomobile After ascending to a height of about 100 feet, the rope harnessing the flyer to the automobile broke, and the equilibrium aeroplane dashed to the ground, losing most of its identity and giving the operator and inventor severe shaking up. Other kites built by the same man served merely to demonstrate his pugnacity- the equilibrium feature refusing to materialize.
 The next inventor and aviator in the field was J. w. Oman He entered the market with a contrivance that would have delighted the heart of Judge Verne. His was not a matter of sticks and canvas and high-tension piano wires. The apparatus was to be built of steel and aluminium, and obviously answering Navy and War Department specifications, it could rise from ground or water without the initial plunge forward of the or dinary variety of aeroplane. Helli- copters were to lift the thing bodily off the ground, carry it into the realms above and hold it there until the momentum of the whole would be great enough to permit it to glide on the planes.
 Funds Were Subscribed. t
 The Oman enterprise went as far as the formation of company and the subscription of funds. Orders wer" placed with manufacturers of the ma terial needed; powerful motors were inspected, and so far the Oman airship is still thing of the future. Accord ing to all indie cations, the motor pow erful and light enough to make the Oman airship-for airship it was possible has not been found.
 A. Herff, Jr., was the next to try his hand at aviation. He, too, was prompted in this by a desire to make the aeroplane safe thing, something that would not detract from the value of a Reinsurance policy What is more, he succeeded in doing this to some extent. His kite, having wings somewhat curved, and other appurt- chances, positively refused to come down sideways. Laws of gravity. however, sent it on a forward down. ard course that proved disastrous, for the reason that plane and earth met too soon. For all that, MT. Herffs machine gave great promise.
 Retired Captain Interested.
 Among the latest inventors is Cap tain A. w. F. McManus, U. S. A., re- tired It may be said that he has made real progress toward the settling of the equilibrium problem. Using the principle of gravity he has shown his machine to be decided improvement upon others. The weight carried is suspended from the plane frame by nivots. and arrangement insuring pel- feet load distribution at all times. and under all conditions. The arrange ment is extremely simple and effective and leaves to the operator only the