8
LOS ANGELES IS A CENTER
OF AERONAUTICAL WORLD
:
Inventors Constantly at Work Constructing Flying
Machines— Airship' Will Bace AVith Auto
on the Morning of July 4
•" For many months past, Los Angeles
tin* been the headquarters for Investi
gation of aertat -navigation. At n«
tlmo within the past six months have
there been fewer than three airships
In the course of construction ana sev
eral, times that number has been ex-
Roy Knabenshue. who has made
morn money from his flights than any
other man in America, started his ca
reer as an aeronaut In Los Anpies
under the direction of Capt. Baldwin,
who can truly- be termed the dean of
American airship builders. Baldwins
"Arrow" was among the first airships
to be built In Los Angeles, and It was
also one of the most successful. Roy
Knabenshue was the aeronaut of the
"Arrow* on all of lta flights, and under
his direction the machine was more
successful than anything that has been
built by either Capt. Baldwin or
Knabenshue.
V The first principle to be applied was
that of direct application of power by
a gasoline engine to a screw propellor
which furnished the motive power.
The machine was steered by a rudder
made of canvas, which was fixed to the
rear of- the gas bag. It was of the
simplest construction possible and
more, was done with it than has been
accomplished with the more complicat
ed machines which have followed.
Frame Too Heavy
'■■> Soon after Baldwin's experiments,
Wright made his "Condor." It was a
large machine with a heavier engine,
but no new principles were embodied
In It. The gas bag was found to be
too small to contain enough gas to lift
i the engine and frame, with the
operator, and the Idea of an ascension
•with it was abandoned.
' George Hoxey had the next machine
to be constructed in Los Angeles. . The
bag was made for him by Alva Rey
nolds and the gas was manufactured
toy I the I French gas maker, who was
brought out by Knabenshue.
0 The gas maker promised to manufac
ture enough hydrogen to fill the bag
In three hours, and In order to do so
he neglected to dry the gas enough
and accordingly the bag would not lift
the frame from the ground. On that
occasion a race was to take place be
tween the "Man Angel," Invented by
Alva Reynolds, and Hoxey's machine.
When it was learned that the gas bag
of Hoxey's machine would not lift the
frame and the operator, the engine was
taken oft and a simple balloon ascen
sion was made. At that time Reynold's
little "Man Angel" was shown to be
controllable and dirigible, and it was
Riven the race as no attempt to con
trol or navigate Hoxey's machine was
possible. •■
All Make Same Mistake
1 Trombly made the next attempt to
solve the problem. He had several
new Ideas In regard to steering and
propulsion embodied in his machine,
but in his case also the gas bag 1 proved
too small to lift the frame, engine and
operator, and the attempt was
Xlven up.
■ The problem of providing sufficient
lifting power by means of an ample gas
bag has proved the rock upon which
most of the aeronautic hopes of In
ventors have been dashed. In several
instances ideas were applied to the
engine, steering apparatus and other
details of construction, which seemed
.to be most valuable, but in almost all
of the instances the gas bag was found
>by actual test to be too small to con
tain enough gas to lift the frame and
engine.
V The basis of calculation as to the lift*
Ing power of as pure hydrogen as can
;be manufactured by the means of sul
phuric gas and iron filings is sixty
pounds of lift to the 1000 feet of gas.
It has been found that in order to
guarantee that he machine would rise
from the ground that several thousand
extra feet of gas had to be provided.
Engine Is Defective
;'• George Tomlinson, who was backed
iln his aeronautical experiments b;- Mil
lionaire Knox, the gelatine manufac
turer, built an airship whach was called
the Gelatine. The engine was one of
' the lightest ever built for an airship,
and it worked admirably when It was
tried out on several occasions. Before
Tomlinson had an opportunity for test-
Ing the behavior of his craft In the air,
however, Knox recalled him to the
east, and he left his bag and frame in
the aerodrome at Chutes park.
p Roy Knabenshue came to Los Angeles
a few weeks after Tomlinson was re
called and he made several flights. His
longest flight was to South Pasadena.
He was not satisfied with the result of
his experiments and he went back east
after having lest considerable money
and time.
The engine, made at an expense of
more than $600, was found to be unsat
isfactory. It was a - six-cylinedr gas
engine and developed a speed of more
than 6000 revolutions a minute. The
frame on which the engine was placed
was not stable enough to keep' the
engine from vibrating with the tre
mendous speed, and after running a
few minutes the engine became over
heated and could not proceed. r
The steering gear in his latter In
vention was also unsatisfactory as the
rudder became detached several times
on each flight. The propellors were
placed one on each side and the power
thus disposed of was found insufficient
to properly propel the machine.
Again Lacks Buoyancy
■ Patrick Culllnan, electrician of the
Laughlin building, next came to the
front with an airship, with two gas
bags which hung beside each other.
His contention was that the force of
the aeroplane gained by the use of two
bags more than offset any disadvan
tage that the extra weight of the sec
ond bag might make. As It was first
desgned, the "American Eagle," for
thus was it named, weighed more than
700 pounds, including the weight of the
bags. The engine was a four cylinder
gasoline one and It ran splendidly both
•when It was being tested and when it
was placed on the frame of the airship.
Mr. Culllnan had a new process for
making hydrogen gas, which was found
to be too slow after several months'
trial.
'.The combined gas capacity of the two
gan bags was not far from 25,000 cubic
feet, and If they had been Inflated with
pure hydrogen their lifting power
would have been not far from 1000
pounds. But Mr. Culllnan decided to
reduce the weight of his frame and to
use only two propellors, instead of four
sis he originally Intended. This brought
the weight of the frame and engine
down to about 400 pounds. He also
decided to try city gas to lift the frame
Instead of pure hydrogen.
Man Angel Is the Best
A trial was made about two weeks
ago, but it was found that the city gas
was quite Incapabla of lifting the frame
work without tbe aeronaut, and all the
eas did do was to lift the bags. It was
reported that Mr. Culllnan later decided
to eliminate all the mechanical fpnturr*
from hln machine and to operate It with
human power as the Man Angel is.
Many altogether new ideas were em
bodied In the original design of the
"American Eagle" and much Interest
was manifested as to what the machine
would do In the air.
The only airship tip to the present
time that has done all lta Inventor
claims for It Is the Man Angel of Alva
Reynolds. The Man Angel is the
smallest machine that has ever made
an tJcenßion, and George Prlsble. the
operator of the wings of the machine,
has demonstrated many times . In the
various flights that the Man Angel
BIG WHITE STEAMER OWNED BY CAPT. H. D. RYUS WHICH WILL CONTEST WITH AIRSHIP IN RACE TO POMONA ON A WAGER OF $1000 A SIDE
has made that the little air craft can
be guilded and controlled.
According to Mr. Reynolds, the air
ship has never been made that can
make headway against the wind, and
he does not claim that his machine
can perform that feat, but in calm
weather, he asserts, and his assertions
are borne out by the performances of
his ship, that the Man Angel can be
perfectly controlled and direction can
be taken and held. More nights have
been made by the little machine now
housed at the Chutes aerodrome than
any other single ship in America.
New Ship Is Invented
The latest airship to be built in Los
Angeles is that which is nearing com
pletion at Fiesta park. Dr. H. E.
Heath and J. B. Martin are the invent
ors and owners of this machine. The
bag has been inflated for about three
weeks awaiting the completion of the
engine. About 12,000 cubic feet of gas
will be necessary to lift the frame
work and engine, and considerably
more than that amount will be in the
bag when the first trial flight will be
made early this week.
According to Mr. Martin, inventor of
the machine, the combined weight of
the engine and framework will be less
than 130 pounds. The bag weighs
about 100 pounds, and the netting
about eighteen more. George Francis,
who was to have been the operator of
Mr. Cullinan's "American Eagle" if it
had made a flight, will be the aeronaut
of the newest airship in Los Angeles.
A rudder fastened to the end of the
gas bag will aid in steering, although
the propellers are arranged so that in
case of an accident to the rudder the
ship can be steered by means of them.
The engine is four-horsepower, and
by means of a patent shaft that power
is increased to about seven horsepower.
The engine drives four propellers, and
Mr. Martin is most confident of the
success of his Invention.
Although all of the airships that have
been made by confident inventors have
had points of excellence, only a small
percentage of the total number halve
ever been in the air. The Man Angel,
invented by Alva L. Reynolds, has
made the most successful flights of
any ship In the United States.
Last Sunday, from the concession back
of the Chutes theater, a most success
ful flight was made and it 1m expected
that another will be made today.
On the Fourth of July the race for
$1000 a side between the Man Angel
and the Whlto Streamer, which Capt.
Hyus of the White garage will drive,
will take place. Tho race will be to
Pomona, and it Is expected that a very
close race will result. Last Sunday the
Man Angel flew more than eight miles
In about twenty minutes and three
landings were made in that time. The
distance to Pomona is about thirty
miles and It Is expected, that the airship
can make that distance in less than an
hour.
Mr. Reynolds had enough confidence
In the prospect of the Man Angel .win
ning to post a bet of JIOOO with The
Herald. This bet was taken up by
Capt. Ryus. A stock White steamer
will be used In the race, the start of
which will take p*lace at 10:30 o'clock
from the concession in the rear of the
Chutes theater.
A flight will also be made this after
noon at 3 o'clock. This will also be
made from the concession and much In
terest Is taken in this flight, as it will
to a certain extent give a line on the
form of the machine and Its chances of
winning.
All of the men who are at work on
machines and who have been at work
have helped to give Lna Angeles the
reputation which it now has, that of the
greatest airship city in the country.
The climate is admirably adapted to
trials of machines and In the morning
hoiu-M there Is little wind to disturb t he
aerial navigators. *
With *o many capable mechanics,
and men who know thoroughly the
scientific obstacles which must he over
come before an airship can be success
ful. It germs certain that some one will
In t liii 4 stumble on the secret which has
so long been undiscovered— that . of a
practical method of navigating the air.
LOS ANGELES HERALD: SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 1, 1906.
AIBSHIP MAN ANGEL MATCHED TO RACE WITH AUTOI
PLAN WATER
BASKET BALL
Originator of the Sport Hopes That
Regulations May Be Improved
Upon During the Com.
ing Year
"The water camp of the women's
colleges" Is what they will be calling
Bernal Dyas of Los Angeles in a few
years if the book he intends to publish
shortly is as successful as Is to be ex
pected.
The little volume will be devoted to
water basketball, a game that was in
troduced at Vassar last year and which
was invented by Dyas. The fair ath
letes in the Poughkeepsie institution
took to the sport so readily that Dyas
has been importuned to publish a book
of "rules and directions, which he will
do before very long.
Water basketball is an adaptation
lilPC^fi 19 ■ftOT-T^; I^T££K T\l< IP
of water polo, which is played here
every summer with great success. In
stead of a email ball, such as is used in
polo, the basketball devotees use a
large inflated sphere and play the game
in shallow water. ;
"When the game was first Introduced
to the Vassarltes last year by Miss
Cleme Griffin of Los Angeles, formerly
one of the stars of the local high
school's feminine athletes, It was
pounced on by the collegians with
great Joy.
The swimming "tank at once became
the center of attraction and class teams
were organized to play against each
other. Although they were new to the
game, the Vassarites grasped the fine
points of tho play, and before the sec
ond school semester had arrived water
basketball had taken Its place in the
lists along with regulation basketball
and tennis.
Dyas, who Is really the originator of
the game, hopes that the rules may be
further improved upon and that the
coming year will see the new game
played at Smith, Holyoke, Bryn Mawr
and other women's colleges beside
PoughkeepEie. A ball of regulation size
will be constructed and the game prom
ises to be played as much by the fair
ones as Its counterpart, water polo, is
by the athletes of the rougher>sex.
ROCKEFELLER HARD TO LAND
Eastern Dealer Tells of Experience
in Getting King of Standard
Oil to Buy a Machine
An eastern dealer recently told how
he succeeded, after repeated efforts, in
getting John D. Rockefeller Interested
in an automobile. "After repeated ef
forts," said the dealer, "I finally suc
ceeded in getting Mr. Rockefeller in
terested to the extent of a demonstra
tion, and at the time appointed I. drove
to his house in an Olds runabout. Mr.
Rockefeller ordered out his best team,
and, seated beside his coachman, fol
lowed about 100 feet behind me, while
I drove up and down hill for a flve-mile
demonstration. At times he urged his
horses to their utmost, but I always
kept Just far enough ahead. On the
return to the house he asked rather
anxiously how much gasoline I had
used, and when informed of the small
quantity he ordered the machine de
livered at once. Since then I ! aye sold
him two other machines of the same
type, but have had to take the old
machines in exchange, allowing him a
substantial amount for them."
TAKES LONGEST ,
TOUR ON RECORD
CHARLES J. GLIDDEN SEES
WORLD FROM AUTO
Visits Countries Where White Men
Are Very Rarely Been and
Has Many Unique Ex.
perienoea
By AxxoelAted Press.
CHICAOO, June 80.— Charles J. GlM
den, a veteran automobile tourist and
founder of the trophy tour hearing; his
name, reached Chicago yesterday on his
way home to Boston. Mr. Glldden and
his wife sailed from Japan last month,
where they closed for the time being
the remarkable automobile tour, of the
world, returning to this country to
spend the summer. Since 1901, wWen
Mr. and Mrs. Glldden started on their
travels, they have visited thirty-five
countries and have covered in their
motor car approximately 33.600 miles.
It is Mr. Glldden's intention to con
tinue his travels until fifty countries
have been visited and about 60,000 miles
of highway have been covered by his
car. He estimates that the tour as
planned will not be completed until
1911, by which time he expects to have
seen more of the world and its peo
ple than any other living person.
During their travels Mr... and Mrs.
Glldden have had many unique experi
ences and have been entertained by
monarchs and princes ranging in In
fluence from the king of the Fljls to a
gorgeously robed maharajah of an In
dian state. The tourists have passed
through countries where a. white man
Is seldom seen and where their motor
car was regarded with awe as a su
pernatural, fire breathing monster.
MUGGSY M'GRAW IS
y CRAFTY MANAGER
Placed Soapy Substance Around the
Home Plate With Result That
Opposing Batsmen Lost Their
Grip I
Eastern baseball players are handing
around a good story on McGraw's
Cubs, who received , such a walloping
at Chicago during the last series there.
Th Chicago National players claimed
that one of the reasons they made
fifty-two hits In the first three games
was that they have been wise to the
trick that handicaps every visiting
team. The Cubs claim that the dirt
around the home plate is mixed with
some greasy or soapy substance that
caused the bat to slip out of, the bat
ters' hands If they rub their hands in it.
,The same dirt Is around the pitchers'
slab also to make the ball hard to hold.
The Cubs' pitchers and batters have not
rubbed their hands in this dirt and
have not suffered as a consequence.
Pfeister said Thursday night after tho
game: "I am sure that there is some
substance in that dirt that makes th«
balls slippery, and once or twice I felt
It and after that I didn't use any more
of the dirt on my hands. Schulte rubbed
his hands in dirt taken from beneath
the visiting players' bench and had no
trouble in landing a home run."
MAY TEST DOVE ORDINANCE
San Bernardino Sportsmen Object to
\"'r; ■-. V Conflicting Provisions
Special to The Herald, j
SAN BERNARDINO, June 30.— Local
sportsmen are considering making a
w'ivWJi^ ,lsn'ra-pleasant;fellow:to
m\\W/ L \ meet;on.a.dark,'nijjht-but
wW;L I ' JESSE MOORE
WifMhl WHISKEY
W/SjULW /SjUL / ls ? the ' favorlte\jat;all}c!ubs
and L homes Son s any i night.'
I UGOMARSINOCoToistK
Tho Quality Store
Correctness in Dress
Is ' evidence of refinement. And
for this reason our
Men's Furnishings
Are always In demand. We
handle the leaders In all lines,
and however varied the taste,
there Is something here to suit It.
But the power of price rules
man, and we have made that
power a gentle one.
Mullen Sr Bluett
Clothing Co*
First and Spring Streets
the m;i,iAiu,rc store.
The Best
and the
JVIostN
Whisky
For
A Full Quart
Aged in the
Wood
10 Years Old
So. California Wine Co.
218 W. Fourth St.
Home Phone Ex. 16. Sunset Main 332.
518 So. Main St.
Sunset Phone Main 6431.
744 So. Spring St.
Home 2892.- No Bar In Connection.
Morley's
Ocean Park
Rink
BUILT OVER THE SEA,
The finest auditorium on the sea-
1 shore . '•-•.-
Opens July 4
Conducted Morjey's way. 7 days In
the week.
Popular Prices. Music by
Wiley's Band
NO TIPPING.
15,000 square feet of floor space, ,
Large room for beginners. ,\:--i.'t
THREE DAILY SESSIONS. •/■ i >
10 a. m. 2p. m. Sp. ni.
test of the county ordinance relative to
shooting doves.
The state law provides that the sea-,
son shall open July 1, and it is proba
ble that a number will go out after the
birds. ♦• ;
The county ordinance makes the sea
son from October 1 to 31 Inclusive...
The sportsmen claim . the county or
dinance is invalid and have legal au
thority to back them In the stand. Dis
trict AUorney Sprecher, however,
states that he will prosecute ; anyone
caught hunting doves In July or | any
other time to October 1, and the game
wardens have been Instructed to keep
a sharp lookout for violators of the
ordinance. •
The old ordinance which cut down
the season to one day was held to be
unreasonable, but the present ordinance
making the season thirty days .Is
claimed by the authorities' to be so
drawn as to stand the objections of the
courts.
Homeless children received and placed
fn homes for adoption. Apply Her. O.
V. Rice, Superintendent Children's
Home society.. »J« Bradbury bulldln*.
Ivos Angeles. . . - ■.-, *