Year: 1863




the most extraordinary invention of the age,
if not the most so of any the world ever saw
at least the greatest stride in invention
ever made by single individual In Octo-
Der last DR.. Solomon Andrews Of Perth Am
boy, n j., commenced the construction of a
war erostat, for reconnoitering purposes, on
his own personal responsibility, not being
able, after submitting his plans to the War
Department, to make the honorable Secreta-
ry of War "see the utility of a machine
which would 60 over into Secesh and recon
noiter the force and position of the enemy
His plans showed that the machine could
not do otherwise than go ahead in any direc-
tion in which the bow was pointed, and that,
too, with any amount ofpower or force which
might be desired, and which greenbacks
would readily procure


The power required and the propelling
apparatus added but little weight to the
erostat whether of large or small dimen-
sions consequently it did not increase the
dimensions Of the erostat beyond that of
balloons of ordinary construction, much less
in size than many that are now made. The
machine made by Mr.. Andrews would carry
up three men in addition to all the fixtures
and paraphernalia for its forward movement
1t contained twenty-six thousand cubic feet
of hydrogen gas 1t carried him, weighing
172 pounds, and 256 pounds of ballast
Its form was that Of three cigars pointed at
both ends, secured together at their longi-
tudinal equators, covered by a net, and sup
porting by one hundred and twenty cords a
car sixteen feet under its center. The car
was twelve feet long, made Of basket work
and was sixteen inches wide at the bottom
The erostat, or cylindroids, were made of
vanished linen, like ordinary balloons.


On Friday, the 4th inst, he made his last
experiment and demonstrated to an admir-
ing crowd the possibility of going against
the wind, and of guiding her in any and
every direction with small rudder having
only seventeen square feet of surface He
made no long fight in one straight line, lest
his nlOduS operandi should be divulged but
by most ingenious plan demonstrated her
capabilities beyond all possibility of doubt,
whilst he prevented public knowledge of
his method of propeling After few
short flights, to satisfy himself and few
friends that all was right, and that she would
do all that he had contemplated, he set her
off in a spiral course upward, she going at a
rate of not less than one hundred and twenty
miles per hour, and describing circles in the
air of more than one and a half miles in cir
cumference,


She made twenty revolutions before she
entered the upper strata of clouds and was
lost to view. She passed through the first
strata of dense white clouds, about two miles
high, scattering them as she entered, in all
directions. In her upward fight could be
distinctly seen her rapid movement in a con-
trary direction to the moving clouds, and as
she came before the wind passing by them
with great celebrity. As she was distinctly
seen thus to move, both below and above the
clouds on the clear blue sky at five o'clock
P. M, with the sun shining clear upon her,
there could be no mistake or optical delusion
to the beholder


As to her prOpeling power and motive ap
paratus, it behooves us not now to speak. 1t
might be considered contraband of war, or
affording aid and comfort TO the enemy, for
with such machine in the hands of jeff
Davis the armies around Washington would
be powerless to preserve the capital We
think DIR. Andrews deserves more praise for
the patriotic ingenuity with which he has
preserved bis secret, and yet tried his grand
experiment in the open air before the public,
than even that manifested in the conception
and construction Of his machine.


TAXATION WITHoUT REPRESENTATION


The Albany Argus has the following ~
Mrs Dr. Lydia Sayer Hasbrouck, who lives
in Waikiki, won't pay taxes because she
can't vote Last month she was notified by
the Highway Overseer of the town to APP
pear on a certain day. with shovel in hand,
to work out her highway tax. She appeared
on the appointed day with her fire shovel,
and went to work, but only for FIVE days,
when her tax was for ten and half She
was thereupon arrested upon complaint of
the Overseer He complains that he gave
Lydia Sayer Hasbrouck, who resides in said
district, and is assessed to work ten and
half days on the highways therein, notice to
appear on the 9th day of September, with
good shovel, on the road near the house of
A. g. Townley, to do such work, and that
the said L. Sayer Hasbrouck did so appear,
with a small fire shovel whereupon the said
deponent furnished the said Hasbrouck with
a good shovel, and directed her to assist in
filling the wagons that were on the ground,
but that the said Hasbrouck did not work
faithfully, remaining idle a considerable por-
tion of the time each load was filling, stand
ing leaning on her shovel, talking and call
ing the attention of other workmen from
their work, at other times sitting during the
whole time Of filing the wagon, sometimes
with one hand tossing pebbles into the wag-
on, and at others reading paper"


THE NAMING OF CHILDREN The Jews
named their children the eighth day after
their nativity; the Romans gave names to
their female children on the eighth day, and
to the males on the ninth, on which day
they sOlemnized feast. The Greeks gave
the name on the tenth day, and an enter
tainment was given by the parents to their
friends, and sacrifices made to the gods. The
name given was usually indicative of some
particular circumstances attending the birth,
some quality Of body or mind or was ex-
pressive Of the good wishes or fond hopes of
the parents,