Evening journal., 1913-05-08
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
HOWPeter Cooper SPrOpheCy
Has Come to Pass
By Holland

One October afternoon in 1878 l
spent an hour or two with Peter
Cooper at his home in New York CITY,
He was at that time So years Of age.
While his years caused him to be
somewhat bowed at the shoulders and
made it necessary for him to walk
with rather cautious step. his mind
seemed I'd be as active as that of a
young man, and l observed that in
much that he said he maintained that
characteristic OF youth which is the
tendency to look constantly into the
future AMI to pay no heed to the past.
Mr.. Cooper narrated to me the man
ner in which he built what was be-
lieved to be the first locomotive en-
CINE constructed and put into actual
use in thl United States. This was
none. he said, about the time
George stephenson built the famous
locomotive named the Rocket. which
was the fist to haul train over an
iron n-trackrailroad,
II haveseen in my long life many
wonderful things" said Mr.. Cooper.
II have cen an engine constructed
capable O hauling several coaches at
a speod I twenty-five miles an hour
operatedby steam and / have some
part in te marvellous changes which
have bee caused by the invention ol
the stem railroad locomotive
reinded Mr.. Cooper that his
name wuld always be associated ira
ditionay with that of Cyrus w
Field. arshall o. Roberts and fe"
other Americans in the conception
the funcing and the construction o.
the Ilantic cable. Mr.. cooper
SCENE pleased that | should have
recalli that circumstance.
He laid that from the time Pro
lfessoi Morse, with whom he had IN
ltimaf personal acquaintance, ha'
inveied his apparatus for convey
ing ttelligible symbols instantly anc
for long distance through wire
conictor he, Cooper, never doubted
the feasibility of plan to connec
lFupe and America by cable so con
strited as to convey intelligible sig
nal on the. instant from one sid'
of ie Atlantic to another.
tut the wonders which have
ceain to be surpassed by and by
/ ten tell my family that wnile
canot expect to live long enough tC
Sc il. nevertheless some OF them,
ri sure. will live to see the air con
o1red by machines as the ocean ha'
han conquered by the Atlantic cable
For / am absolutely convinced
tht he time is coming when the All
,ahve US will be intelligently anC
s,rceisfully navigated by some ap
nsratts as is the ocean. We are GER
tain sme day TO have navigabl'
air mahine. . !,
.I hive very often thought this. i
a heav body like a wild goose or al
eagle r the condor can fly or per
fectly balance itself in the air abov'
MS. Notwithstanding the fact that 1t i
heaviel than air, there is no reasoi
whv pparatus which initiates tn
skeleto structure of a bird and tn
.meansoy which it poises OF propel
itself trough the air cannot be In
vented.n
asAd Mr.. Cooper why this ha'
not alrady been done.
"Simly because the engine or tn
machinry which furnishes power D.
which a air machine may be drivel
and na,gated is yet 10 be invented
he repbd. Some man Of scienc
will ditover by and by a very ligh
and We very effective tool. Whel
that dcovery has been made som
other iventor will know how to ap
ply thii new tool to a light and ye
very lrong engine. have some
times fought that possibly the sola
engine lpon which Mr.. Ericsson ma
SO lon worked would furnish tn
means by which energy could b
stored o sufficient quantities TO drlV
and nalgate an air machine.
"I vnture to make the prophec
that iut as soon as a fuel which J
light Il body and which does not re
ouire large receptacle, and whic
contaib potential energy is discoN
cred a air flying and navigating ma
chine will be invented, and after
has ben thoroughly developed II WI
becom a highly commercial agent
Patt Cooper said this to me twent
,efore the invention Of the II
ternalcombustion engine with gasC
line aa fuel had been perfected.
Copyrht, 1918, by E. ]. Edward
All rights reserved0
Toprrow Mr.. Edwards will te
s'Hov Peter Cooper Provided fC