XXIV. I'KESIDENTIAL AEDRESS. 



than previously ever dreamed of by the numerous discoverors 

 and inventors, who have laboured silently in this field, and his 

 efforts at demonstrating, merit the success he has received, and 

 the world be right in placing his name on the highest pinnacle 

 in relation to Aerial Telegraphy, but there is no doubt that had 

 Professor Hughes, received the encouragement due to hiiu from 

 eminent scientists, the discovery of Aerial Telegraphy would have 

 dated back 20 years ago. 



Aerial navigation has been the dream of speculative minds 

 ever since Rozier made the first ascent ever attempted, some 200 

 years ago. Volumes could be written of the various contrivances, 

 mishaps and misfortunes, that have attended aerial experiments, 

 but of late, since the introduction of aluminium owing to its 

 lightness, a fresh impetus has been given to this subject, and 

 there seems to be some hope that at no distant date, aerial 

 navigation will at least meet with some measure of success, not- 

 withstanding all the disasters and failures of the past. Confidence 

 in a successful issue still prevails in the minds of many practical 

 men. The importance of such an innovation must be patent to 

 all. At the present time there is being constructed in Germany 

 such an aerial ship, which is expected to plough its way through 

 the regions of the air, as the Atlantic liner glides over the ocean. 

 This vessel is being built on a floating pontoon, and has the out- 

 ward appearance of an iron-clad war vessel, but as delicate in 

 structure as a gigantic bird-cage. The framing is entirely of 

 aluminium, together with all the fittings and utensils. The pro- 

 pelling machine is of the lightest description, internally she is 

 floated by balloons, her speed is to be 22 miles per hour and a 

 total lifting capacity of 10 tons. Her cost is something ov^r 

 i'70,000, and we may hear very soon of the first trial of this 

 novel and expensive venture, as much is expected from this event, 

 since such an amount of money and skill has never before been 

 expended on such an enterprise. All calculations have been so 

 accurately made, every contingency so carefully considex*ed. each 

 possibility of failure so cautiously guarded against, that we can- 

 not but hope that success will follow. 



So while we have in Germany experiments going on in 

 Aerial Navigation, we have at the same time, both in France and 

 America, submarine navagation receiving a large amount of 

 attention and experiment, especially in France quite a flotilla 

 of these vessels of various designs have been built, from the 



