Progress In Man-flight

It seems fairly doubtful whether Gokl.smith, if h liad been oí thls geneiation, would "have feit ju-sti.led in declariivg tihat man wants lut little 'here betow, nor -wants that little long. The eontemporary sentiment about man, based on daily experiences, is tfhat he wants everything ttiat strikei Mm as even potentially ïlesii-ablc, and wants it vehemently and continuously until lie sets it. For a lang, long time 'lio lias wanted to navig-ate the air. His attempts to óo so have been imperfectly bucceasful, but he keeps on tryiug with in-epresisible persistence. A. long time he Invented balloons, wliicli are successïul in a measure, since they will oarry liim up into the air. But tiiey are far froan eatlslylng liimHe wants a machine that will take him where h ewnaits i o go. He eamiot fly y et. but this problem oí maivílis-lit now eugrosses the atteMtion of some of the eleverest eeieütists and toventörs in the world, ,.,n, -,,,.y eertaSmly seem to .be progreesiog towarü it.s solution. l'roJeasar Laugley of tüie Öonithsonian Institutiofc, bas been working at it ïor VL-.-rs. aa is well known, and though ho woarks in retirement and sayiS very little, we get iuionnation now and tlien as to lus proeeedings. Tliere was a little ilutter the other day over the news that a machine oí his which is run liy st-eam had made cwo short flights, coaning down eaoh time in safety. It eame d.nvu bL-cause it rau out oi steam. But the iact that it did mount up, and that Lt kept tts balance after the power gave out, and carae down without distuster, is thoughjt to represent aa achievement of ürst-rate importance ia aeronautics. ; i Professor Langly calis his machine ajeírodrolme. While he is basy in Washington, with abundant resources at hts disposal, Mr. Maxim keeps experimenting in England with aeroplanes, and Professor Lilienthal and Count Zeppelin keep at work in Germany. A recent Berlin dispatch Bays that Count Zeppelin, after years of experiment, is building an air ship which is to carry 5,000 pounds, and go wherever lts governor wills. But air ships that are going to carry loads an dbe dirigible hardly even excite the imagiination. In aeronautics th hopes of inventors count for little with the public. It is incredulous, except in ttie face of an accomplished fact. "Whiatever Professor Langley's expecbations are, h is wisely reticent about