The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-12-21
AN EARLY AlRSHIP
It Wouldn't Fly, Although 1t Got a
Trial by Moonlight.
BUT IT CAUSED A SURPRISE.
Ftory of Comedy That Was Enacted
In the Dead Watches ef the Night or
the nanks OF the Potomac IN the
Troublous Wartime Days OF 1868.

iroubiouS wartime pays OF 1905.
In the Smithsonian Institution at
Washington there hangs an ancient
mode. OF an neroplane. ii looks to the
casual observer like a small fac-simile
OF the Wright biplane.
But it is many years older than the
Wright flying machine. 1t is the
Stnngiellow airship. built in the early
sixties OF the hast century. and it once
cansed the arrest as Il spy and con
spirator of Professor Joseph Henry.
the eminent man OF science who was
the first secretary OF the Smit hsonian
institution
In the summer of 1862 Washington
was In state of the utmost agitation
and uneasness. The Confederate
armies moving northward were threat.
ening Washington itself, and southern
scouts had raided within sight OF the
dome of The capitol.
A strong nicket line was kept on
duty night and day, especially along
the banks OF the Potomac. In that
Part Of Washington there is Il wide
space OF park known rs the mai
There pickets constantly patrolled.
Keeping IN eye npon the distant Vir
ginia shore.
One moonlit midnight II picket pac
ing To and fro between the river anu
and the Smithsonian institution, which
stood in lonely part OF the mall. saw
solitary man emerge from the shad
ow of the elms that bordered the
grounds. He horc strange, birdllkc.
nondeScript thing that looked ike
nothing the sentinel had ever seen be
fore
Standing out in the open spaces. the
solitary man hung his strange arpii.
nnce into the air; ii fluttercd for few
feet and then sank 10 the ground
Again the man tossed IL into the ear
and watched il hnttor short distance.
while in the shadow OF the elmS the
picket looked on Acknowledgement
1t was no time TO give any one the
benefit Of u doubt. The picket sim
moned the captain Uf the guard. and q
squad OF soldiers suddenly descended
on the mysterious man
What is your name; What is this
thing. and what are you doug viii
~ ,Ncried the captain OF his prisoner
Il am Professor Henry. secretary ol
the Smithsonian institution yonder
said the prisoner Then he stopped
In that day Tor q man 10 admit thai
be was seriously experimenting with q
dying machine was conclusive evidence
of his insanity, and Professor Henry
who mad chosen the dead watches ni
| the night In which TO experiment viii
Strlngfelh,w' dying machine. hesitat
ed to tell his captors what he was
really doing
You're "A spy" declared the cap
tain, and this thing Is some Kind OF
machine with which you're signaling
to the Confedcrates.
81 nm not n spy" declared Professor
Henry Il am experimenting with !
Tying machine That is the truth
This explanation was greeted with ;
roar OF derisive laughter. The ide;
| that man OF Professor Henry's rcpn
tatiou would fool with II ilyiug mn
chine was ridiculous. Certain now thu
they had caught spy. they hustled
the professor on to the guardhouse.
Unfortunately for him. his studiora
| habits made him almost unknown h
Washington. not single man AZ tho
| suauihOuSc knew him ny sight. An
sn through The hing night he was com
| PEELED to remain In durancc
At ,layhreak the captain reported hi
capture to the colonel in command
That officer hmryins 10 the guard
house. vas a~ioni>hrd io lind that il'
| spy was his intimate friend rrofeSso
Henry l,ut his establishment w.a
| nothing compared 10 The cliavrin Of ih'
captain AMI his squad
i';ofr>Sol Henry. however. not OIL
readily forgavc them hu; lr1ised thri
| diligence md zeal ana admitted tbat h
had given the picket very reasonable
ground for suspicion. youths Com
panion.