All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

242 All About Inventions quiescent. Nevertheless, the airship had sufficiently demonstrated her virtues as to encourage further investigations. During the journey the aeronauts related that the craft upon several occasions under- went oscillations ranging between two and three degrees, the movement being somewhat similar to the pitching motion of a steamship. This was con- sidered to be attributable to irregularities in form or to local currents of air moving in the vertical plane. Such was the first successful journey through the air at the will of the aeronaut. It proved conclusively that a vessel could be built which would answer to the desires of the man at the helm, and which could be induced to travel in any direction as required. No longer was the balloon the slave of the air as it had been up to this time. Needless to say, several other aerial trips of this character were made during which the investigators accumulated scientific data of in- calculable value, and which have played a prominent part in all subsequent experiments to this end. Although Renard and Krebs undoubtedly opened the way of the air, little further progress was made for nearly two decades. Not that the subject was neglected; far from it. But because there were difficulties which appeared to be insuperable. The available facilities for driving the vessel were limited and unsuitable. Electric batteries were too weighty and cumbersome, while the loss of gas had to be taken into consideration. Woelfert attempted to solve the first question by using the Daimler benzine motor, and had his vessel fired and exploded in mid-air by the flames from the engine coming into contact with the gas exuding from