Oxford Democrat., 1912-06-11
STUDIED THE BIRDS
And Louis MouiIlard Pointed the
Way to the AeropIane.
THE FATHER OF AVIATION.

Pathetic Career Of the Man Who Orig.
mated the Theory Of the Conquest
Of the Air With Machines That Would
Initiate the Soaring Of vuIturss.
The French-themselve masters Of
the air-call Louis Mouillard the father
Of aviation, although he never flew.
Mouillard was thcOrist. 1t is admit
ted today that his theories were sound.
although he never put them into
achieving form. Mouillard wrote two
books, 1.-The Empire Of the Air" and
"Flight With Fixed Wings" Only the
first Of these works appeared during
his lifetime, and that had small cir
culation. But he pointed the way to
fy. and ten years after his death the
Wright brothers. following principles
he set down. proved that he had solv
ed the problem.
Mouillard explained that to seek to
fly by initiating the beating OF birds
wings was error; that. instead Of try
ing this impossible feat. man slioul'!
initiate those birds which soar with
steady wings and avail themselves %
air currents. II MOuillard had possess
ed money there is little doubt that b
would have demonstrated his theor!.
as it has been successfully proved
The life of this remarkable man seems.
on superficial view, to have been II
failure. But his cOmpatrlots, reco.
nizing his real worth, set up monu'
ment to his memory ut He!iopoli3.
Egypt He died in 1897. The sto;,!
of his life Is pathetic.
Mouillard was the sOG Of dyer OF
Lyons. From boyhOOd he was fas
cinated by the flight Of birds. l!r
managed to buy an eagle. which he
secreted in the family garret and
studied with an avid interest when
ever he could escape from his books
or work. He watched the birds
movements, measured its wings and
studied it with Infinite pains. And
when he had mastered the secret.
with the aid Of his admiring sisters. hc
built. nm aeroplane with cotton and
corset bones and determined himself to
fly.
Going to hill crowned with
church. with sheer cliff on one side.
the young inventor was about to trust
himself to his contrivance when the
beadle rushed at him. boxed his ears.
confiscated his machine and sent him
home in disgrace This was the only
attempt Mouillard ever made TO fly.
but his studies on the subject never
ceased.
He showed such aptitude ut drawing
that It was decided he should make his
living by this talent. He won Il scho.-
arship and, going to Puris, studied un-
der Ingres. Yet while he drew ana
painted his mind was always on flight.
He would climb the towers Of Notre
Dame. watch the startled birds take
fight and study their movements.
Mouillards father died, and his arts
tic career suddenly closed. lie went to
Algeria rs colonist and made Il fail
ure in that. but the birds again were
his teachers. He noted that the sea
birds rose. turned and few against the
wind without movement OF their
wings. He weighed the bodies Of the
strongest, calculated wing space ana
advanced in his theories toward the
truth.
Casting about for vocation. for he
was poor. Mouillard secured place to
teach drawing at the Polytechnic school
of Cairo. Here he had another oppor-
tunity. He would study the vu!tu:cs
of the desert, and almost daily he
sought them inland. He finally called
the vulture 1.-The master OF flight add
ing: I'm the perfection Of the result
and the simplicity Of the movement
their flight Is so splendid that 1t over
comes the watcher. Every time you
look Mt Il you are amazed that none
has tried to reproduce 1t. 1t Is So sim
pie, so exactly what We want. What
could we ask more than that stead!
fight and those immense circles which
carry the bird into the heavens? The!
are all our desires realized" BY de
prees he formulated his theories OF air
currents. He observed that birds rose
and hung motionless and moved with
out beating their wings. He ruminnted
on the air forces caused by the rising
of hot air from the desert and their ef-
feet on the fight Of the birds. He had
solved the mystery.
Stricken with illness, Moulllard couli
no longer teach drawing. He managed
to publish his Empire OF the AIT
knowing It's scientific value, and to
reach Paris. where his theories were
well received. The Society. For Aerial
Navigation made him member. but
no one was ready to advance him mon
~ for practical demonstration OF his
theories.
Discouraged. Mouillard returned to
Cairo, where he acted as cashier III Il
shop. his wife being employed In an
uther place. They together earned but
little. BY degrees he finished his work
On "Flight With Fixed Wings. just
before his death Chanute. the Ameri'
can. corresponded with Mouillard on
the subject OF aviation. 1t Is said that
from Chanute the knowledge gained
from Mouillard passed to the WrightS
l.ut ten years before they had con
rucre.l the air Mouillard died.-Les'
lies
In Serious Trouble.
"She's In frightfui dilemma
.CJow oor