Show Sky Locomotion What is to be the next departure in theme the-me hod locomotion There is no standing stand-ing still in the universe One improvement improve-ment suggests another and so the march of progress ever goes on Electricity is no doubt to take the place of steam that wonderful power that revolutionized the old ways of transportation but is found to be too noisy and dirty for advanced civilization Travel by electrical method is the coming com-ing method on land and sea but will that I suffice We think not The navigation of the air must be in the nature of things suggesting itself as an approaching possibility possi-bility Itis no new idea Centuries ago I attempts were made by man t fly and numerous contrivances have been invented I in-vented to mount above the things of earth and sail through the upper deep But they were signal failures and became mere objects of derision The ridicule which all these contrivances contrivan-ces evoked deterred that perseverance II which generally develops success in more earthly affairs after experience ha sug I gusted improvements And the danger attending failures has added t the reluctance reluct-ance felt to continue tempting fate The balloon gave some promise of a solution of the problem of air travel But it has only succeeded in lifting men up to the clouds and defied his skill t manage it for aerial journeys Most of the attempts to construct an air machine to move in any desired direction have been modeled after the balloon idea and have therefore been generally abortive abor-tive At one time a cigarshaped tube was built which was confidently asserted could bo made to rush through upper space at a wonderful rate but it has seemed like real cigars t have ended in smoke I The newest thing under the sun in the line of air machines is called a skyc leI le-I appears to be worthy of some investigation investi-gation I is the invention of George M Miller of Oregon a brother of Joaqnin Miller He is not a poet nor a theorizer but a lawyer and a practical man He conceived the idea of his skysailer while driving an automatic grain reaper on his i f 1 ii f o > o fathers farm in 1177 I so impressed I tself upon his mind recurring again and again I that he went to work to make it I something more than an aerial dream I i I The machine now in construction by i Mr Miller is a bicycle with an upright steel shaft running from the centre of the I I wheel about twelve feet made in three i parts one inside of the other The main wheel is provided with cogs and moved by mean of pedals and handcranks Fans or fingers made of bamboo and silk spread out all around from the top of the i shaft to act as wings each fitted with a joint and elbow There are two sets of i these fans one placed horizontally over i the other They are so arranged that on the motion of the drive wheel they revolve I re-volve each series in opposite directions attaining a speed of sixty miles an hour on their outer edge The theory said t have been demonstrated demon-strated is that i a plane of one superficial super-ficial foot be passed through the air horizontally zontally with the front edge twelvefour tenths of an inch higher than the back at speed of sixty miles an hour it will sustain a weight of fourteen pounds and require only one pound of push power to maintain the speed To ascend the speed of the wings is increased in-creased to descend it is decreased To turn to the right or left one side of the wings is tipped more than the other An intricate system of wires is under regulation regula-tion by the operator so that the machine can be kept in complete control Where great weights and long journeys are necessary the inventor thinks a gas and electric combination motor can be attached We have not space for a more elaborate description the concern but it is something some-thing approaching the motive power suggested sug-gested by the flight of birds and may lead to a solution of the problem which has so long puzzled mechanics and scientists scien-tists as well as idealists and dreamers Aerial navigation will not down No doubt the time is near when man will learn not only how to go up but how to travel aloft whichever way he will |