The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-08-28
GYROSCOPE FIELD
To Be AEROPLANE
MOntraville Wood. Who Haa
Perfected Ii. i'm Interest
ing Lecture.
TO STEADY AIRSHIP
Tells of His Flying Experien-
ees Flying with Gyro-
scope on AerOplane.
TO STEADY AIRSHIP

Very novel. instructive. and inter
esting was the lecture and demon
stration OF the gyroscope, given at the
ChautauQua yesterday evening by
Montraville Wood. an inventor who
has worked with Edison and has had
much success in the practical appli-
cation of the gyroscope.
The gyroscope" said Or. Wood.
was invented in 1852 and remained a
toy until 1871. when Bessimer. the
great scientist and inventor. having
made lot of money. used il in trying
TO reduce the rocking OF the boat on
which he crossed the Atlantic He
spent over a million dollars, but fail
ed in his attempt. In 1903 a German
warship had been cast of by the gov
eminent was given TO this cause and
the gyroscope was used with success.
reducing the rocking of the boat from
80 degrees TO 5 degrees. but when the
boat got into heavy seas, a large wave
struck il and broke il in two, the eX-
perimentors barely escaping with their
lives"
Flight On Mexican Border.
The great field for the gyroscope.
according TO this inventor. is in con-
nection with the aeroplane, where IL
will oppose the forces which tend to
tip the planes and keep the equili-
brium. even in "air-holes." Expert
ments with the gyroscope were made
at the government station along the
! Mexican border and Mr.. Wood told of
his experience in these flights in an
interesting manner. He also exhibited
a model aeroplane with a gyroscope
mounted in the center and showed
how the instrument worked. The fea-
ture of the gyroscope is that IL will
raise the side which has the most
weight. so that an aviator could walk
| out on one wing of his aeroplane and
it would rise to meet his weight.
Mr.. Wood has perfected a clock
which is operated by a tiny gyroscope
run by an electric motor, the machin-
cry being so small that two dry cells
of the ordinary type would run Ii for
| two years and yet SO powerful that il
would regulate all the clocks within a
radius of 500 miles by electric connec-
ton. This instrument will be manufac-
tured by the Elgin watch company.
which is building a special factory for
this purpose. Sci
| A Monorail Model. .-...
The demonstration which was the
most interesting to the general audi
ence was the monorail railroad model.
demonstrated by a simple truck mount
ed on a wire strung from the platform
to the back of the tent. The small
! gyroscope was set running and mount
ed on this wire and then Mr.. Wood,
by a push, sent IL out on the wire. up
which il would run for quite q dis
lance, then pause, remain still a mo-
ment and run back down the wire TO
the platform. When the gyroscope was
removed the truck fell from the wire.
but when it was again placed in the
truck, no amount of shaking the wire
would disturb the balance.
The large gyroscope. weighing twen-
ty six pounds, was then exhibited be
fore the audience and a committee OF
four men from the audience and Sun
shine" Hawks were brought to the
platform to test out the machine.
Uses Big Gyroseope.
This was the gyroscgpe used in the
aeroplane *The gyroscope
was started and set on edge. and the
men were provided with a stick and
invited to push it over. None could
accomplish this. and Mr.. Wood then
showed how il could be coaxed down
with little effort. When IL is lying flat
if an attempt is made to pick IL up
by raising one side. the other side
comes up twice as fast IL is a very
powerful instrument for its size. II Is
all contained in a circular case OF
brass. about two feet in diameter. and
about six inches thick. Mr.. Wood told
of the fun he had when he told q ne
gro porter to put the gyroscope on q
train for him, and what a struggle he
had with il.
The final exhibition of the evening
was the trip of a monorail car bearing
an American flag out over the audi
ence. In all of his work Mr.. Wood was
assisted by his daughter, who has
helped him with his experiments and
has made several aeroplane flights
In speaking of his work with Thorn
as Edison in his labratory Mr. Wood
said. My work with Edison taught
me one thing. that was, not TO go too
deeply into the theoretical side. but TO
apply my knowledge to practical uses
and never go back of a result to find
why a thing was so, If / did know IL
was so, but to go ahead with my in
vestigating into what was beyond the
result already obtained" Mr.. Wood
spoke very highly Of Edison, of the
thoroughness with which he did all
his work, and the great results that
|, came TO this man of little school edu-
cation and opportunities