256 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE VOL. 27 



few appurtenances which could be shifted in balancing tbe aerodrome, but the 

 proper disposition of weight had been so accurately determined by calculation 

 that the floats, which, as will be seen from the various photographs, were merely 

 cylindrical tanks with pointed ends, and of a sufficient capacity to cause a dis- 

 placement great enough to float the aerodrome when it came down into the water, 

 proved sufficient ballast for shifting the center of gravity to its proper point. 

 The flying weight of the aerodrome was 830 pounds, 1 including the weight of the 

 writer, which was 125 pounds. The total area of the wings or supporting sur- 

 faces was 1040 square feet, or the ratio of supporting surface to weight was 

 L.25 square feel per pound, which is the same as .8 pound per square foot. 



After the balancing of the large aerodrome had been completed on the 

 house-boat, and everything else got in readiness as far as could be done before 

 actually arriving at the point at which the test was to be made, the house-boat 

 was towed down the river on July 14, 1903, and fastened to its mooring buoy, 

 which had been placed in the middle of the river at a point practically opposite 

 Widewater, Ya., and approximately forty miles from Washington. See Coast- 

 Survey Chart, Plate 85. 



Sleeping quarters for the force of eight workmen and the regular soldier 

 from the United States Army, who had been detailed as a special guard, had 

 been provided on the boat, but owing to the lack of space it had been found im- 

 practicable to arrange proper cooking facilities on the boat, and it had been 

 found necessary to arrange to transport the workmen to Chopawamsic Island, 

 near Quant ico, Va., for their meals. It had been planned to use the twenty- 

 five foot power launch for this purpose, but owing to the heavy storms which 

 became quite frequent soon after the house-boat was taken down the river, it 

 was found that the small launch was not sufficient, and it was necessary to 

 employ a tug-boat and keep it stationed there at all times. This added very 

 considerably to the expense of the experiments, as the hire of this one tug- 

 boat very nearly equalled the pay-roll of the workmen, and while it was not 

 expected that the stay down the river would be so greatly prolonged as after- 

 wards proved the case it was felt certain that minor delays were sure to occur 

 and the experiments would at the very least require several weeks. 



Had it been possible to foresee the great delay which finally occurred be- 

 fore the large aerodrome was actually launched, and the great expense arising 

 from the necessity of maintaining one or more expensive tug boats constantly, 

 it is very certain that an experimental station nearer Washington would have 

 been selected, even though the nearer places on the river which were available 

 were much less suitable, both on account of the river being much narrower and 

 the traffic very much heavier. Tn fact, at the time that the house-boat was taken 

 down the river on July 14, with the expectation that the experiments with the 



1 The weight was afterwards increased to 850 pounds due to repairing the wings and adding more 

 sparking batteries. 



