Hide Article Text (OCR)
Edison Denounces It as a “Pure Fake”’—Thinks It Absurd. Believes, However, That Airships Will Be Successfully Construct ed in Future—Will Only Be Toys at Best. Thomas A. Edison doesn’t think much of airships. He was seen recent ly in his West Orange laboratory in re gard to a late account of the movement of the airship, according to which a let ter was dropped from it on a farm near Astoria, Ill., with a cipher inclosure ad dressed to Edison and signed “C. L. Har ris, electrician airship No. 3.” Mr. Edison paused from a luncheon of sandwiches, pumpkin pie and tea to observe: “You can take it from me that that is a pure fake. I have had several men named Harris in my employ, but I know nothing of C. L. Harris. “I have no doubt that airships will be successfully constructed in the near future, but there has been too much talk about this supposed airship out west. I have always found that there is much talk before these ships are tried and very little afterward. “It is absolutely absurd to imagine that a man should construct a success ful airship and keep the matter secret. When I was young we used to construct big colored paper balloons, inflate them with gas, and they would float about for days. I guess someone has been up to that same game out west. “When an airship is made it will not be in the form of a balloon. It will be a mechanical contrivance, which will be raised by means of a very powerful motor, which must be made of very light weight. At present no one has discovered such a motor, but we never know what will happen. We may wake up tomorrow morning and hear of some invention which sets us all eagerly to work within a few hours, as was the case with the Roentgen rays. Their success may come. I am not, however, figuring on inventing an airship. [I prefer to devote my time to objects which have some commercial value. At the best, airships would only be toys.”
Newspaper Details
Defiance Daily Crescent
Defiance, Ohio, US
Mon, May 17, 1897
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
John C.
USA 19 Aug 2026
Other Publications Near Defiance, Ohio
The Crescent-News
Defiance Democrat
Defiance Express
Defiance Daily Crescent News
Defiance Daily Crescent
