THE CONQUEST OF THE AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 113, 12 May 1908, Page 4

THE CONQUEST OF THE AIR.

In spite of the marvellous successea achieved by man in traversing the surface of the earth, and sea, and even in exploring the recesses of the ocean, very few people have yet become accustomed to the idea that the navigation of the air is not only well within the range of possibility, but is practically an already accomplished fact. The progress o;; aeronauts during the last ten years haa been almost fabulously rapid, and the results already secured have effectually dispelled all doubt about the future. The old-fashioned balloon speedily proved itself too cumbersome and uncontrollable for practical use. The airship, supported, by gas, driven by a propeller, and steered like a ship by a rudder, has failed to. realise the high expectations once formed of its possible development. Count yon Zeppelin's great airship can carry a load of S tons for 60 hours at a rate of 30 miles an hour. But neither this monstrous invention nor tie dirigible balloons popularised by Santos Dumontj are light, cheap, or easy to manage; and though "La Patrie" and other similar airmachines will doubtless play an effective part in the -wars of the future, the leadtie clay look no3v»xafcfcex

to the aeroplane as the means T>y which the conquest of the air will be achieved, and its navigation brought ■within reach of the world at large.

An aeroplane, as most people know, is a surface propelled ' horizontally through the air and kept from falling 1 , simply by air-pressure. Such a plane runs on the air like a skater on ice, or, a canoe on water. There is no more diffi-r culty about propelling an aeroplane than flying a kite; the trouble is for the aeronaut to maintain his equilibrium upon it. To keep the centre of gravity and the centre of air-pressure in the same straight line, this is the problem that all aeronauts from Xilienthal and Pilcher to Langley and Maxim have in vain tried to solve. Infinitely the most successful experiments in this direction have been made by two young Americans, the Wright Brothers, of Dayton, Ohio, to whom one of yesterday's cable messages referred. These men, the sons of a country clergyman, have worked almost entirely on their own lines, and most of their experiments have been conducted' in secret; bu* enough is known of their results to justify the assertion that they have come nearer than any other man to success in navigating the air. Their machine is a very simple-looking device, with the rudder placed in front instead of behind- and its chief feature is the secret method they have adopted for securing stability while in flight. On December 17th, 1903, their machine flew through the air for 852 feet in 59 seconds—the first successful trip of the kind ever made since the world began. In 1904 they-flew three miles at the rate of 34 miles an hour. In 1905 they covered over 24 miles at a speed of more than 38 miles an hour—the best time ever made by any type of flying machine. By this time their marvellous experiments had attracted the attention of the scientific world, and the few competent critics who have been permitted to inspect their work and to watch their flights, are more emphatic in their predictions of future success than the inventors themselves. The president of the American Aero Club has publicly declared that the Wrights have actually and beyond doubt solved the problem of aerial navigation; and now we learn that they have accomplished a flight of 25 miles, partly against the wind, and apparently as a public test. The Wrights themselves assert that they can easily reach a speed of 60 miles an hour, and that even in the present state of their art, a practicable and durable flying machine can be built that would carry a man and his supplies for 500 miles at 50 miles an hour. The caution, reticence and modesty displayed by these ingenious young Americans have impressed scientists strongly in their favour, and their extraordinary success certainly offers some excuse for the boast of an enthusiastic aeronaut that the flying machine is now better developed and nearer ideal perfection than the motor-car was ten years ago.

Following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast for 24' hours from 9 a.m. this day:—" Moderate to strong winds from between north and east and south-east; glass little movement."

A meeting of the Hon. Geo. Fowlds' central committee was held in the Primitive Methodist schoolroom last evening, there being a large and enthusiastic attendance. The coming campaign was freely discussed and it was. resolved l to endeavour to see that all those who were entitled to vote should have their names placed on the roll, and that the committees in other parts of the district should be formed at once. It was also decided to tender JMr. Fowlds a hearty reception at his meeting ou May 27, at St. George's Hall.

'"It's not how it affects Mr. Wright, it's how it affects mc," said a witness at the Arbitration Court this morning. "Me." he repeated, indicating' himself with an emphatic prod in the region oi tne soiar plexus- " Would I prefer working at five o'clock in the morning? Why, 1 like it. Keeps mc in good health." The remarks were elicited in response to questions by the representative of the Master Carriers, in connection with the farriers* dispute. Cross-examination by the Union's representative failed to shake the witness's confidence in the salutary effect of early working.

A meeting of oystermen . was called for last night, to protest against the new Government regulations of controlling the oyster beds, but only half-a-dozen of those interested put in an appearance, and these were mostly shopkeepers, who were louder in their praise of the new system of control than anything else. "Why," said one, "last season I had one bag of oysters in the first fortnight, and could not get more; this season I had six bags in the first week." Other shopkeepers present were equally emphatic in their approval of the new order of things, and the meeting, such as it was, approved, rather than decried, the State control of oyster beds. "You see, it's this way," said one of those present, "the oyster mien charged us what they liked, and served whom they liked, last season; now we all get a fair share of the oysters coming into the" depot. Even now the pickers are not satisfied. They get 19/0 per day for picking three bags, and growl because they are limited to that. Some of them can pick six bags at a tide, and so they are not making as much out of it as they did last season. Therefore they are dissatisfied."

At a special meeting of the Grey Lynn Borough Council last evening, the Mayor, Mr. George Sayers, reported having visited Cox's Creek in company with the. District Health Officer, the City Engineer, Inspector Grieve, the Sanitary Inspector, the Town Clerk, and Councillors Donald and Holdsworth. He -was pleased to 'say that generally speaking matters were found satisfactory in connection with the drainage question. The outfall from the City Council sewer was a little out of repair, and the whole length of the open gully,' some 300, yards, required attention, as the free flow of the sewage was impeded by certain obstructions. This matter had since been attended to by the City. Engineer, and he''was pleased to report that any nuisance that might hava existed was now abated. They also visited certain industries referred to at the last meeting of the Council, and found everything quite satisfactory, there baing an evident desire on the part of the owners of those industries to keep their premises free from anything offensive as far as the nature oi their respective trades permitted. They also visited, the sawdust tip at the end of Queen-street, and the Haaltii Officer expressed the opinion that there was" no cause for complaint there, as he considered the narrowing of the channel would better assist in carrying away the sewage to sea. They must, therefore, look elsewhere for the cause of the typhoid, and he proposed to employ Dr. Frost to make a bacteriological examination of the milk Supplied in the borough. He was strongly of opinion that the City Council shbufd lay a 12in pipe down the gully and connect ■with the Grey Lynn, sewer, and then t the two bodies combined to carry it out ,-bejona. the fether bridge to the sea. '

"These cases are getting far too numerous. We shall soon require a special Court to deal ■with them," commented Mr. Kettle this morning, in reference tp the weekly and growing batch, of people, young and old, -who, after launching their barque on the uncertain sea of matrimony, develop a speedy and feverish anxiety to get it on the slip again, or, at. all events, safely docked from the perils and misadventures of marital storms. One young couple, husband 22, wife maturely 19, had been at .the experiment for something less than a year, and discovered it to be a miserable failure, chiefly, it was alleged, to the interest taken in their domestic affairs by two mothers-in-law. As a result the girl-wife is now living with her mother, and applying for separation, while the other party to the original contract holds the fort at home and awaits further developments. He evidently desires to see these mature without unnecessary delay, for when Mr. Kettle suggested a week's adjournment to give the beat of angry feeling a little while to cool, this husband inquired somewhat disappointedly, "Can't we keep it going now?" Another pair faced the parson only last Christmas, and were already a-w-eary of each other, the male spouse calmlj' admitting that he had turned the wealth of his affection at full upon a" widow with two children, what time his own newly-wed-ded wife lived desolately at the house of ber mother. "Cases like this show a shocking and deplorable state of things, and it is sad to lcnow that it is only one in hundreds of similar cases," remarked his Worship.

The extension of the electrical tramway line from Synionds-street to the Mt. Eden Tennis Courts has been completed, and everything is now in readiness for the service to be put into use. As soon as the Public Works Department gives the necessary sanction the line will be opened. At last night's meeting of the Mt. Eden Borough Council, the Mayor (Mr. Nicholson) reported that a trial trip of the cars had been made and had proved the cars to be satisfactory. The manager of the Tramway Company had stated that pending the passing of the roads by the Public Works Department he had applied for a temporary permit to run the cars. He hoped to receive the permission any day. Ample power and a sufficient number of cars were available for the service.

The District Engineer, Mr. Wilson, and the Constructed Railways' District Engineer, Mr. Mclntosh, are going up on Tuesday morning to see if they can certify that the section of the North of Auckland Main Trunk Railway, Tauhoa to Wayby, is ji a fit condition to be handed over to the Constructed Railways' Department ; and if these engineers are satisfied, then it is likely that this section of the railway will De opened in a few days thereafter. The section, Waby to Wellsford, will scarcely be finished to open before December next.

A discussion on a motion which came before the Hawke's Bay Education Board last night with regard to.the arrangement of school hours under certain conditions, presumably to facilitate the giving of religious instruction, showed the members to be equally divided and no action was taken. The Hon. G. Fowlds (Minister for Education) was present during part of the meeting last night. A member of the Board raised the question of affording certain teachers better opportunities of obtaining certificates, and the Minister promised to give the matter his consideration.

Inspector Cullen this morning received a. telegram from Sergeant Hutton, of Gis■borne, notifying that a native named Kaka Akarama, who was wanted in connection with several forgeries perpetrated in the Bay of Islands district, from which he escaped to the East Coast, had been arrested at Tuparoa and remanded to appear at Auckland. He had been sent North, via Tolago Bay, under escort.

Mr. John Holmes, who a few years back held the position of New Zealand Trade Commissioner, writing from Melbourne to a friend in Auckland with regard to the flax industry, says he has recently been making inquiries as to the value of Auckland hemp in the Victorian capital. He finds Wellington and 'Blenheim fibre preferred to Auckland. This, however, is accounted for by the fact that the freight from Auckland to Melbourne is excessive, and Southern shippers have an advantage of 15/ per ton. Shipments can be made from Bluff, Dunedin, Lyttelton, and Wellington at 30/ per ton, against 45/ per ton from Auckland. The difference is due to transhipping, but, the writer points out, it is unfair to handicap Auckland exporters because the shipping companies run a service which necessitates transhipment. Mr. Holmes also points out that there is urgent need of further effort in the exploitation of new markets by .competent commercial men, in view of the competition arising in the production of Manila, Sisal, and Kentucky hemp.

Our Huntly correspondent writes: "A labour crisis was averted by the conciliatory spirit displayed at a meeting of the directors of the Taupiri mines and the members of the Waikato Miners' Union, held last week. The directors granted a 'bonus o£ five per cent on their employees' earnings as from Ist April last, the employees agreeing to throw back household coal as desired, the requisite facilities to be afforded by the management, and to start work 15 minutes earlier on Saturday.

In the course of a series of articles in " The Sunday Times," Sydney, recounting his experiences, Oliver William May, a diver, confidently speaks of his ability to salve the remainder of the ill-fated Jilingamito. " I would like to refer brieily to the wreck of the Elingamite at the Three 'Kings (he writes). At the time she I went down I was in England, and was communicated with, and asked to take I the job on, but as 1 had a big contract in hand then, I could not get away. Do 1 think I could get the gold down there still? Yes, I'm sure I could. There ia I about £ 13,500 waiting to be salved, but I 1 could' not take a job on like that for nothing. You must have one of the best ! deep-water me n going to reach it — a J man who can use his brains as well as his J hands. Some say the gold is in 16 fath- : oms, and others 22, but I feel certain that I could get it. If I did not care to < take on the contract personally, and 1 am not very keen about it, I can assure ' you, I know a' man in Kngland who would j succeed. It cost 35 per cent to get the ! gold from the Catterthun, and 1 think this is a more risky job. There has been some talk about the difficulty of usin<* dynamite, and that this stands in the way of success. Well, if that is all, 1 can use the explosive. Why. if they hadl only let mc use dynamite at the wreck of the Tasmania, on the New Zealand coast, T would have got the mails and jewellery they were after, and would not have returned empty-handed, but the wreck had been bought privately, and the owners would not hear of it-. It was no use trying to- get ; through without explosives. One end of the boat was blocked up with cargo,-aifdtlw other with dead horses. You could) not get.into ; the 'tween decks anyhow unless ," you. .bfere » passage [.through." '-* ■■•■•••■ _■ v * "»■

It was reported in tie. "LytteLtpn Times" in February last that Mr. J. McLaren, of Mokoreta, near Wyndham,' Southland, had a sensational experience' ■with a ■wild boar, -which mauled him very badly,. This animal has been a, -marauder for some time, and on Friday an armed party of seven set out to compass its destruction. It was -soon .found, and was dispatched by the first shot. The Wyndham "Herald" says that it was an inglorious ending for the ;old monarch to be shot dea-d without being given the chance of putting up a fight. The party took his measurements, which were as follow: Height 3ft 2in, length of body from snout to tip of tail 7ft 3in (tail probably 9in), hide 2Jin thick on the "shield," tusks 9in. He had lived well, and was as fat as a pig should be. He was a characteristic Captain Cook. .The weight was estimated at- from. scwt to 6cwt. . ' •

The city engineer started a gang of five men to work yesterday .cleaning ■out the open gully at the back of the Marist Bros.' Gollege in order to give free flow for the sewage, and render this place as unobjectionable as possible pending the carrying out of the drainage scheme. It was found that the concerte at the mouth had given, way, and the flow of sewage was checked 'by a tree, that blocked the outlet to Cox's Creek intake. The recent heavy downpour of rain has thoroughly flushed this gully, and the work now in greatly improve the position, of affairs in that vicinity.

The Hon. James McGowan was taken yesterday afternoon by Mr. J. S. Pickson (chairman) and Mr. Bevan (member of the Remuera Road Board) to view the Orakei Bridge. Some time ago Mr. McGowan got a small grant for repairing this 'bridge, and afterwards the Department notified the Remuera Road Board that the bridge would be handed over to that body. The Board, however, refused to take over the bridge, alleging that it was not in a proper state of repair. Yesterday Mr. McGowan expressed the opinion that what was wanted was a steel bridge. It is understood that if a new bridge was erected the Board will be prepared to take it over.

/The Department of Trade and Customs has written to the Harbour Board witn regard to the protest made against being charged dμty on machinery imported for Calliope Dock. The letter stated that the Minister of Customs had directed the Board to be informed that the undertaking of the Government in 1898 to refund duty on the machinery vras for that required then under, the agreement with the Admiralty, and not for all machinery imported for the requirements of the Dock for all time. The Minister therefore regrets he is unable to recommend the Government to accede to the request of the Board for a refund.

The City Engineer has written to the Harbour Board with regard, to the crossing to No. 4 jetty, Quay-street; stating it was put down solely for the use of vehicles using the jetty, and not for ordinary street traffic. As private firms have to put in their own crossing he thought they would readily concede such, a rule should) also apply to the Harbour Board.

The usual monthly meeting of the Auckland branch of th? Liberal and Labour Federation of N.Z. -will be held Jα the Oddfellows' Hall, Cook-street, tomorrow (Wednesday.) evening at- 8 o'clock. The agenda paper includes certain recommendations of the council in regard to proposed amendments, ta the Old Age Pensions' Act, an address by Dr Purdy, Chief Health Ofljcer, ort "The Protection of Infant and' other important general business. .

The Devonport Council has .asked the Harbour Board to vest a. portion of Shoal Bay in that Council for the purpose of a public park and recreation ground. The letter stated that the Council was prepared to pay the cost of transfer.

The Parnell Borough Council has written to the Harbour Board objecting to the removal of material from' the cliff near Selwyn-terrace. The letter points gut that injury might result, as" the material is being taken from immediately below where a serious slip recently took place.- The Council finally notified' the Board it would be held responsible for any damage caused by the removal of material from that portion of the cliff.

A Chinese coal trimmer on the s.s. African Monarch committed suicide" by hanging himself when the .steamer v&s two days' out on her passage from Sydnew to Auckla*nd. The body was discovered when yet warm, but efforts at restoration failed. The body was buried at sea.

The new three-manual organ for St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, built by Mr George Croft, will be opened on Friday evening next, when a dedication service will be held, commencing at a quarter to 8 p.m. There will be special services also in the church on Sunday next, morning and evening, and on the following Friday evening, the 22nd inst., Mr W. T. Sharp gives an organ, recitaL

The taking over of the working of the oyster beds by the Government has Taised an- important qu-esfion ■as to the right to charge -wharfage dues on oysters in sacks, the property of the Crown. The Collector of Customs at Auckland has, however, written to the Harbour Board explaining that "dues are properly chargeable on goods sold by, and ceasing to be the property of, the Crown, when re-shipped beyond the limits of the provincial district of Auckland."