Year: 1865




Is IT POSSIBLE FOR MAN TO Fly ?-Tbis question, us
it possible for man. by his ingenuity, to navigate the
air ?n has caused fair amount of invention, and pro-
duced many mechanical contriVances without yet at
tanning the desired end With the balloon it is posi-
bic to float upon an atmospheric current but tins IS
not navigation which implies the power to direct Hight
to any conceivable point Of the compass and stem the
currents of the atmosphere with as much facility as
the steamship does those of the This remarks
a PHILADELPHIA cotemporary, has been the ideal OF
poetic mechanism-the air being the only element
that man has been unable to master and make SUB
servicnt to his wishes and bis wants. The invention
of the magnetic telegraph has somewhat diminished
the interest with which this matter has been regarded
The flight of electricity the continent bearing
ropcSarps thousands of miles in few minutes, would
seem to supercede any necessity labUrVus
and infinitely less rapid flight through the air for any
practical purpose Of life Yet the necessities OF war
re-created the want for the power to ascend at WILL
remain stationary or change position over tract of
country in which two armies are operating, would
tend to reduce materially the difficulties of sege or
the danger ofan assault 1t with this object IN
view that flying machine was commenced by an in
ventor at Hoboken, n. j., for the u s. government
which is now said TO be nearly finished The machine
discards hydrogen and silk, inators of any kind,
and comes at once direct to the and high notion
as Of elevating weight in the air and direct
ing It's motion atterWard. Professor Mitchell, who
turned general in the war; had demonstrated with an
experimental fam revolving various rates Of speed
that it is possible for machine with propeller
to lift itself and carry weight apparently proportioned
to the velocity Of the screw motion At one rate 1t
would nearly lift ITSELF at another rate it would raise
twice its own weight another three times and on,
until the fact was ascertaned by comparison that
fan with blades of twenty feet diameter revolving at a
certain rate of speed woud raise six tons, and have
considerable power to spare. A cigar-shaped canoe
has been constructed of copper, with iron ribs. An
engine is placed in the CENTER with sufficient power to
work a screw fan with 20 feet blades There are touI
fans connected with the engine-one below, one
above the canoe, and one at each end The upper
and lower fans worked together to produce an as
cent; and the terminal fans made to revolve to-
gether or separately in the same direction, or in op
posite directions for the purpose Of propelling the
craft horizontally. The weight of the whole, fully
equipped and Manned is about six tons. This is thl
machine with which, Icarusle, the inventor proposes
to navigate the atmospheric region. Ills faith IN 1T
praccabilty win be demonstrated by his undertaking
to be the pilot himself. Should he succeed what new
delights it will open to human enjoyments Eaci
daring adventurer in search ct pleasure will mount hi
hippogrie and chase the eagle Butterflies would 10
be more sp0rtive on the air than the winged horse


Poets who disdan now to grub upOn'the earth, wout
mount their mechanical Pegasus and iahale poet


inspiration from the pure atmosphere of the upper re
gions Express agents postboys, with bags Of let
ters in hand would outstrp the locomotive, laborine
and putting on the land beneath them. But we paus
from the contemplation of the various uses to whic
the new machine may be devoted till after the ngen
tor has gone up and come down from his first trip.


The manner of his RISE and especially of his descep-
will have a great deal to do with the public udgme
of the utility of the machine.