The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-04-26
SOLDIER INVENTOR DESERTS
MONOPLANE AND THE ARMY
AIRSH|P At FORT
AWAITS CREATOR
StrohbaCh Disappears When
$500 Motor Arrives for His
New AeropIane.

George StrOnbach, artificer at Fort
Douglas and inventor of a monOplane
that caused a sensation last winter, Is
deserter from E company, Fifteenth
United states infantry. He has been
missing about one month, and efforts to
locate him by government authorities
have completely failed.
1t is the belief of officers of the Fiji
teenth infantry that Strohbach was Sc
eretly engaged by a company of airship
promoters at about the time that Paul
han made his flight over the Fair
grounds, Officers at the fort had be-
come interested in the achievements of
Strohbach and afforded him every OPP
portunity of making d study of Paul
hans flying machines. He saw them
unpacked and put together and is said
thought-of improvements that made
Paulhans assistants prick UP their ears.
Since Paulhan's flying exhibition IN
Salt Lake, Private StrOhbach is said to
have acted restively. He had been fire.
quently in receipt of letters from New
York. These he guarded very carefully,
frequently taking trips to Salt Lake,
presumably to answer them in secrecy.
He continued to tinker with his mono
plane, however, and made very extern
sive improvements after Paulhan's visit.
Machine Down and Out.
Strohbach's flying machine now lies
back of the barracks of Z company at
Fort Douglas unattended. Several of
the officers and soldiers Who befriended
StFohbach while he was constructing IT
have made numerous attempts to make
the mOnoplane fly, but their efforts
have met with but slight success and
they have come to the conclusion that
Strohbach alone is familiar with its
management
When Strohbach had seen the motor
attachment on PauIhan's biplane he en-
Unused over new ideas for his own fly
ing machine. He started to design a
motor, but could hardly get results in
machine shops of Salt Lake. Then he
entered into extensive inquiries regard
ing the manufacture of flying machine
motors in other cities of the country.
He located a factory in St. Louis that
had engaged in the new industry of
making flying machine engines.
The sOldier-inVentor presented long
list of figures and plans to the ST.
Louis firm. He furnished them an
abundance of recommendations and
they went to work on the flying ma
chine motor 1t was to cost $500. The
motor was completed about two weeks
ago. 1t was Immediately shipped to
Fort Douglas, accompanied by a c. o.
d. bill Strohbach had then been miss
ing nearly three weeks. The motor
is still at Fort Douglas, but not de-
sirOUs of being held responsible for the
payment of the motor no one has been
bold enough to unpack it and attach 1t
to the flying machine.
Rather than permit anyone to attempt
to alter the mOnoplane or attach the
engine to the flying machine, OFFICERS
of the post are making vigorous at |
tempts to locate Strohbach.
Officers at Fort Douglas who have
seen Strohbach build the monoplane
inch by inch express utmost confidence
in the device and believe that II has
better qualities than any that have ever
been erected They are at the same
time convinced that only Strohbach
can make 1t the success that had been
anticipated.
The usual reward of $50 paid for the
appre hension Of a deserter will be paid
to any one who can furnish informa-
ton regarding the whereabouts of I
Strohbach.