The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-07-08
in The
PAST CENTURIES
JIMMY WARD, WHO WILL FLY IN
FARGO AT STATE FAIR, HAS
MADE STUDY or GREAT AVA
TORS or THE PAST WHO TRIED
TO NAVIGATE THE AIR.

A
Jimmy Ward, who is to ny at the
North Dakota State Fair at Fargo on
July rs, "a. rs and 2e. has made a
careful study OF the history of avia-
ton and in a recent conversation gave
some interesting details OF the at
tempts of many famous men In the
past to conquer the air from the time
OF Nero in So "A. ID. up TO the present.
In speaking of them he said:
1.-THE first birdman of whom there is
any definite record was Simon Magus,
who, according to Antonius Blerlink,
flew high In the air over Rome during
the reign of Nero from "a to So "A. ID.
The account of the adventure is very
brief, bat nc more so than was this
pioneers career rs an aviator, for 1t
is recorded that his evil genius be-
came displeased with him when he
was aloft and suffered him to fall and
dash out his life.
THE fate of this first martyr of the
air seems to have discouraged expert
mentors for many centuries, for we
must turn owe 1000 years of history
before putting our fingers on the next
birdman to be definitely mentioned.
This was Elmerus, a thirteenth CEN
fury monk. Taking the flying squirrel
for his o he gave successful exhi-
billions from a tower, soaring at times
about twenty feet through space.
And in the same century the learn
ed philosopher, Roger Bacon, averred:
There is certainly a flying instrument;
not that / ever knew a man that had
it, but l am particularly acquainted
with the ingenius person who con-
trived 1t.
THE first birdman to fly a con-
siderable distance appears to have
been John Baptiste Dante, a fifteenth
century mathematician, who lived in
Perugia. He framed a pair of in
genius wings with which 1t is mar
rated he amused his fellow Perugians.
Zone of the most successful flights
was owe Lake Trasiemene, that body
of water with no outlet, on whose
northern shore Hannibal annihilated
the Romans. But the aerial career Of
Dante Of Perugia was cut short n
day when he fell on the top of st.
Mary's church and broke his thigh.
THAT the great Leonards de Vinci
Q452-1519l was a birdman as well as
a painter, sculptor, musician, architect,
engineer n mechanician, is stated
by some authorities. While making
the careful observation on which he
based his Treatise on the Flight of
Birds, he SO thoroughly fathomed the
secrets Of flying as to be able to build
a pair of mechanical wings, with
which, according to Cuperus' Excel
lence Of Man, he practiced flying sue
| cessfully.
Soon after came an artificial eagle,
which Johann Muller, bishop Of Balti-
son and a noted German mathematic-
ian and astronomer, built at Nurem-
berg during the generation just pre-
ceding Columbus discovery of Ameri-
ca. This aerodrome is reputed to have
flown out to meet the emperor, Charles
", and to have accompanied him back
to town.
I'm 1910 an aviation exhibition was
arranged for the amusement of James
LV., of Scotland, and his court. The
Toughland. After the court had all
the lofty battlements of Stirling castle
thoroughly padded, he donned an elab-
crate arrangement OF wings and feath-
ers. Then he leaped forth and fell
ingloriously onto a dunghill.
The performance of a Turkish aY-
iator was Witnessed at Constantinople
in the latter part of the sixteenth
century by the Flemish scholar and
6iplomatist Busbee (1522-92), who at
che time was the ambassador Of Ferdi-
nand /, at that capital.
THE seventeenth century was pro-
life of flying machines, a writer as
sures us. and one Of the enthusiasts
on the subject of man flight was John
Wilkins, lord bishop of Chester, AMI
first president Of the British Royal
society, who believed that a race Of
birdmen could be created by systemat-
ic training.
HE that would effect anything In
this way said this authority, must
be brought up to the constant practice
Of 1t from his youth, trying first only
to use his wings in running on the
ground IS an ostrich or a tame goose
will do, touching the earth with his
toes and so on by degrees to learn to
rise higher until he shall attain unto
skill and confidence.
"T have heard 1t from creditable
testimonies he adds, that one Of our
nations hath succeeded so far in this
experiment that he was able by this
help Of the wings in such a pace tc
step constantly (off the ground) ter
yards at a time
"And thus we have in two and q
half centuries. a soaring machine sucf
as lie used in recent years by Lilion.
thai, Herring and others"