THE NEW FLYING SHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 894, 25 September 1866, Page 6

THE NEW FLYING SHIP.

.ANOTHER VOYAGE AJIONG THE CLOVPS. The flying ship of Prof. Andrews of New York made iter second experimental trip on the 6th. of June. The Professor was accompanied by the well known aeronaut, Mr. Plunlb. No material change had beeii rnade in the construction, of the uiereoiif except in the substitution of a larger rudder thantheoneused at first; Inadditibii to the gentlemen name*!, the ca.r contained 400 pounds of ballast. The Aereon rose rapidly, but, as on the first trial, the steering tackle became entangled, with other and the rudder being held firmly at right angles with the plpne of the amsstoid, the; vessel wiis unmanageable and drifted with the wind. As soon as the rudder tackle was relieved from its ment, Prof. Andrews brought her head to wind; and elevating the bow by moving with his companion to the rear end of the car, the Aeveon moved upon the back track afc an angle of about four degrees, passing almost directly over her starting point. The wind, at this time, blowing* gently N. N. E. The bow was now' turned in. that direction, and headway was made for several iniles against the current. When at an elevation of ) or 1,560 feet, the gas in the the aerestoid expanded so as to press the silk firmly against the netting and deprive the band used to depress the upper surface of its power in that respect. This resulted in the failure of all further efforts of the ajronauts to tilt either end of thpjajrestoid, and their being once again at the mercy of the wind, which luckily for them, blew gently. At an elevation of 6,000 feet, which they had attained in about twenty minutes, they found themselves in an. atmosphere of perfect calm. Underneath them filmy clouds floated in a direction contrary to that in which. they had being going; this was the current through, which they had just passed. Overhead there was still another current, bearing light fleecy clouds slowly onward. Down toward the Eastern horizon great banks of clouds lay piled, one above the other, like mountainous drifts of sposv, unfathomable and apparently of endless extent. These Dr. Andrews, describes as being of, wonderful, and from their immensity > of aweinspiring beauty. At this time, owing; to the drifting clouds below, ithe earth was ouiyTisible now and then ; but even this imperfect observation enabled the. wronauts to see that, contrary to their expectation, they were still moving to* ward the northeast, while the clouds below them were moving south southwest. The valve was now opened and a descent of about; 2,000 feet effected and the stratum of cloud passed through showing the voyagers the waters of the Sound beneath them. Ifirst doubtful of their ; ability to control tun y» °° Z \ as stated, found that they had lost the tilting power in the upper region, they concluded to cross the Sound,, and land somewhere beyond it. On making further experiment, however, they found that with the escape of the gas just made, the vessel had recovered somewhat of its .flatness on the upper Surface, and that she was now more, manageable. In proof of this her head, was turned homeward again, and more gas emitted, when to the satisfaction of the yby agerg, she slowly descended on an incline plane in the island's 'direction. The descent was easily accomplished though at a long distance from the starting' point. Although not perfectly satisfied, 'with the result of his trip—:-as-.he hoped to be able to return in his ship, not: in. a wagon—the Doctor is satisfied so far that he has proved to himself, at least, that he has got ; hold of the right principle at last, . and that aerial navigation is ao< longer a mytb ( however many the sceptics ris to its practicability there may be.. He sets to work at once in. the construction of a new car 50 feet long,,that he used lately was. but 12. This, he states,, will . give him complete control. Over the aerestoid as 'by moving from end to end of the car he can alter the centre of gravity at will, and.so elevate or depress the bbwof his sliip. Tliis; he urges is ail that he now wants' to enable him to prove to the world that he liasT discovered that gravitation is. the soie motive: power necessary for the navigation of the airi and that the means to control are so Simplified ;that the scientific inen of this progressive day will, be ashamed to. .find that the solution of the problem was.all; the ...time within their reach. Prof. Andrews .claims to have no ambition beyond the confirmation of :the principle involved in these experiments. This done lie says, he leaves to others, to work out to their perfection the glorious results which must inevitably follow the establishmehtbf Ids theory. — Callfomiaii Alta, Julyil.