Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-24
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star

Flying machines we're alphabetically
In the air 50 years ago, though without
immediate or early
Model for demonstrations. In
FIyiuo Machine The Star of No.
vember 10, 1890, is
an account taken from the Seattle Post
Intelligencer of a device of this nature,
then in course of development:
I'm an upstairs room in the Western
House at Ballard has been developed
within the past eight months what in
the opinion of men of sound Judgment
will prove, if practical, the invention of
the age. Mr.. William Allan, real estate
broker, has nearly completed the model
of an aerial ship, or flying machine. 1t
consists of two oval or cigar shaped
bodies with tapering ends, the smaller
suspended within the larger. Around
the larger an immense thread OF stiff
canvas, or some other strong but light
material, winds spirally from end to end.
Within the smaller body is situated the
propelling power, which by means of
a set of pulleyS. bands, wheels. ETC., re-
wolves the interior oval body. and as it
moves it causes the larger machine on
the exterior to move with correspond
ingly greater velocity.
THE theory which William Allan has
held and reasoned upon for the past
20 years is this: A screw by revo-
luton forces itself through wood, so
Mr.. Allan concluded if he could invent
a machine with threads large enough
to revolve in the atmosphere it would
travel through space with great rapidity
on the same principle.
IF Mr.. Allan be not deluded inventor
one may travel in this machine in any
direction, with almost any speed desired
and with perfect safety, by means of a
steering apparatus and a speed regu-
lator which are attached and under the
control of the aeronaut within the bowels
of the invention.
Mr.. Allan has also constructed
huge unicycle, or, as some paradoxically
call it, one-wheel bicycle. 1t is
II feet in circumference and has a
tire l foot wide The cyclist stands
in the center and by moving his feet
up and down on pedals turns small
wheel, which revolves the larger one at
the same time. AS every revolution of
the smaller wheel turns the larger it
will readily be seen the cyclist goes
a distance of II feet every revolution.
Recently in conversation with a re-
porter, the Ballard inventor said: There
may be some skeptical people who deem
my inventions impracticable, but the
public thought Fulton was crazy when
he was building the Claremont. and
when Columbus was trying to convince
the monarchs of Europe that another
world existed even the children signifi-
cantly pointed with fingers to their
foreheads when he passed by. But there
was no screw loose in Columbus head.
Neither was there in Fulton's'."
The Star of November "A, 1890, makes
the following editorial comment con-
corning the proposed erection in Holland
of a statue concentrating the sailing
of the Pilgrims to America:
Erecting the 'statoo' is so much of
an American institution outside of New
York, that there is no surprise excited
at the movement started in Boston to
put up a monument at Delfthaven, Hol-
land, to commemorate the sailing of the
Pilgrims in 1920. The Dutch govern
ment has consented to accept the statue
as a gift. 1t will show at great dis
lance, like Bartholomew statue of
Liberty. The New England societies
throughout the country have seconded
the prime mover, the Congregational
Club of Boston, and the Holland Society
of New York are also cooperating on
invitations.
1.-THE event of the landing of the
Pilgrims, one Of the greatest in modern
annals, has never been so fitly COM
memorated perhaps as in the beautiful
and stately grafton of Daniel Webster
delivered at Plymouth on the occurrence
Of It's 2o0th anniversary. The Pilgrims
had this verbal monument to their
memory, and are now to have statue"
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