The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-04
LANGLEY FIRST MAN ID INVENT
 REAL alnPLANE: ::
Made First Successful Fliqht In. Glider Driven by
 Steam Engine.

About IS Or 20 years ago, Dr. Lillientahl, of Germany, succeeded, by launching himself from a slight emi- hence and balancing the weight of his body on an improved pair of wings or planes, in sailing for quite distance through the air, and land ing safely says ElWood Haynes. He thus demonstrated that a heavier than air machine could be made to carry the weight of a mans body for a hundred feet Or more in a nearly horizontal direction, providing a cer- tain amount of velocity was first inn parted by running or Ieaping from an eminence of moderate height. It is to be regretted that he finally lost his life in making one of these flights.
 t'Dr. s. P. Langley, the eminent scientist of the Smithsonian Institute of Washington, D. C., demonstrated the possibility of flight by mathe- nautical calculations based upon cer- tain data obtained from experim ents. It only remained necessary to con struet a motor of sufficient power and lightness to make aerial navigation possible.
 Prof. Langley actually made steam-driven model which accom- plished a flight of considerable dis tance, and only came to earth when the water in the boiler became ex- haustad. Later he requested an ap- propr!ation from the government for a sufficient sum to enable him to make further experiments on a larger model. to be propelled by a gasoline motor. Congress refused to grant such an appropriation, and the idea of constru sting a machine of sufficient -i1 ridiculed by numerous newspapers, and Prof. Langley himself was so criticized so severely that he not only lost his zest, but suffered a nervous breakdown which resulted in his death.
 "Fortunately, Prof. Langley had written a book on the aeroplane, which came from the press not very long before his death, and fell into the hands of Wilbur and OPville Wright, of Dayton, Ohio, who were making experiments on an aeroplane Or flying ma chine.' Not only did they have Prof. Langley's book, but they communicated with him from time to time, and received much val uable information which, theI both testified, proved of much value in the final solution of the problem. For tunately for them and for the indus try, the gasoline engine had reached 8 pretty high stage of development, and the motors were constructed of sufficient power and Hghtness to en- able them to drive the planes through the air with enough speed to maintain not only the weight of the plane and motor, hut the weight of a man in addition.
 Tt is interesting to note that the types of aeroplanes known as NC-1. NC-s, NC-4, etc, when loaded, weighed about twice as much as the Rocket locomotive, one of Steven= sons most successful productions. These machines were not only able to traverse the earth, but were able to rise into the air to a distance of about a thousand feet within ten minutes after starting, and one of them, as we all know. successfully crossed the ocean a few weeks ago under it's own power.
 Tt is a praise-worthy fact that our government is now taking such a keen interest in aVia ton, and the work of the last congress along this line has done much to atone for the cold ness shown towards Prof. Langley and other early eyperimenters.
 q believe that the aeroplane will come into extensive use for travelling moderate distances at high speed. Its swift flight, together with it's ability to take a nearly straight course re- gardl ess of roads, will in the future render it highly efficient in carrying messages express and mail of high value and moderate weight from point to point"