Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-09-28

An account of the experiments in
mechanical flight Of S. p. Langley. just
published by the smithsonian institu-
ton.
The story of Samuel Pierpont Lang
ley's study and experiments in aero
nautics is one that appeals not only to
the engineer and others directly inter
ested IN the subject. but to the public
as Well. II Is a story not generally
KNOWN. since it stan is back in the year
1881. some time before many eriou
minded people considered aerial navi-
CATION practical fo. heavier than air
machines. and continues for nearly IL
years. During that time Mr.. Langley
, created and demonstrated many steps
now Invaluable to this modern and per-
manent science.
LII 1885 he became assistant secretary
of the Smithsonian institution, and in
the following Year. upon the death OF
Professor Baird. he sue. eeded him as
secretary OF the institution, where he
combined the administration of it's
various branches with his own investi-
cations and studies. until his death in
1906. In recognition OF his scientific re-
searches. Mr.. Langley was the recip-
lent of degrees and medals from the
foremost universities and scientific So
cleties In Europe amt America.
From his first studies with toy aero
planes propelled by rubber bands to
his final experiments with a man-car-
rying machine propelled by a ga solille
engine. the like OF which has hardly
been surpassed to the present day. the
story of his e~ndeavOrs, handicaps, fail
ures and successes. holds the attention
OF the reader with an interest not UNI
like y romantic narrative. The memoir
just published deals largely with ex-
periments and their ;esults. which are
now accepted as matter of course facts.
AT the time they We're made. however,
they We're the first steps of Il great
lei cropping iii tine dark. and he
we'll deserves the title given him as
the first birdman. Having secured a
grasp upon the elementary theories of
wind resistance, and matters pertain
ING to aviation. Mr.. Langley started in
to build q model Observation-Disclosures MAJ
chine. the first that had ever been
built, since the nearest approach at
that time to such a flying machine.
was an ingenious invention of tine
f~renchlnan, Penaud, who flew a pa
per toy. propelled by means of rub
Der bands. for 10 seconds.
Secretary Langley undertook to
puild a larger and more practical ma
theories upon which he had been work
ing blu because he sale 1T was i'm
possible to learn more about the prin-
ciples OF flight without studying flight
Itself. In 1892 he started building the
lrst OF his steam-driven models, but
IT was four years before successful,
flight was accomplished. The problem
vas difflcult and discouraging, espe-
cially for n who had only a casual
knowledge of steam engineering. There
was ample literature on the subject.
out there might as we'll have been
with steam engines rated light at 500
pounds to the horsepower. What Mr..
Langley needed was just about one
hundredth of that weight. Seeing no
other way he set about building an en-
CINE himself. although practical engi-
neers told him it was Impossible. and
ne eventually produced one Weighing
only 70 ounces, which with the whole
power plant. burner, boiler. and fuel
weighed seven pounds and produced
one n q quarter horsepower. Sue
cess at asst attended his efforts h,,+
only after a tremendous loss Of time
energy. Ten or 20 boilers and as
many blast-lamps We're made and dis
carded before he secured a combina-
ton that would keep up a pressure Of
~ 20 iSo pounds of steam for the time
desired. And in the meantime he had
built and thrown aside five
Deiore he succeeded in making n suf-
RECENTLY light and yet strong enough to
ny. Even after the completion Of the
whole machine he had to stop until
~ AaictHou oI launcnlng could be de-
vised. At last a launching apparatus
was constructed which held the ma
chine on an overhead track until ready
to fly. when. by means of springs T.
was shot out into the air over the
water. The experimental ground was
a SINAI creek off the Potomac river
near Whitewater, Va.
First Flight Of Model.
At the end Of four years incessa nj
labor. on May 6. 1896. the first Of these
models flew 1t was Il model of a tan
dem bipiane. with a wing spread Of
II FEET and a total weight Of 30 pounds
The first flight was Of a minute and !