1912 
<a 
Aviation and Civic Improvements 
By Harold Donaldson Eberlein 
Photographs by T. C. Turner, W. H. Porterfield and Hugo Kihn 
sq) HERE is, truly, nothing new under the sun. 
‘4|| Nothing new, at least in conception, even if 
the actual achievement be a thing of but 
yesterday or to-day. Lord Bacon unwit- 
tingly foretold the invention of air-craft and 
the navigation of the air by man when, in 
‘‘New Atlantis,’ he made the father of ‘‘Solomon’s 
describe the “College of the Six Days’ Work” and 
“We have also engine- 
houses where we imitate also flights of birds; 
we have some designs of flying in the air.” Then there was 
Icarus, who had a shocking bad tumble and lost his life 
because he rashly allowed his Dedalus propellers to get 
overheated and they came to pieces in midair. 
It was left, however, to the men of our own day, fired 
with inspiration descending from Darius Green, to unite 
theory and practice and to 
accomplish successful flights, 
and that against strong odds 
of wind and weather. What 
with the progress made thus 
far in aeronautics and the 
enthusiasm impelling to ever 
fresh experimentation and 
improvement, we may rest 
assured that mechanical fly- 
ing as a mode of human loco- 
motion has come to stay, 
whether the future favorite 
type of air-craft be mono- 
plane, biplane,  dirigible 
balloon, or some other spe- 
cies of aerial vehicle not yet 
emerged from the inventor’s 
brain. Since flying, then, is 
to be regarded hereafter as 
an orthodox method of traveling for those that fancy it, it 
is not unreasonable to infer that its advent is fraught with 
consequences of diverse import to us. 
One of the ways in which we shall doubtless feel the new 
influence will be in the direction of architecture and city 
planning. With this inevitable modification in view, a few 
thoughts and suggestions will supply food for reflection. 
his 
House”’ 
put into his mouth these words: 
” The Bia Y Sock pa vOREes as viewed an TERR its es 
Of course, whatever one may say anent this subject must 
be considered not in the light of definite prophecy, but 
rather as a forecast of imminent probability. At any time, 
new features in the construction of air-craft may evolve 
that will alter appreciably the course of developments so 
far as we can now foresce them, but without venturing to 
predict too confidently, it is reasonably safe to assume that 
further growth will be in the direction already marked out. 
It is quite certain that the science of aviation is still in its 
infancy. All that has so far been proved is, that man can 
fly and is going to fly, whether he fly for mere sport or to 
serve some utilitarian purpose. This, too, notwithstanding 
the fact that only a few years since a very great mathe- 
matician proved entirely to his own satisfaction and the 
satisfaction of many others, besides that it would never be 
possible to leave the ground in a heavier-than-air machine. 
Air vehicles are being used 
extensively in military tactics, 
also somewhat for the trans- 
portation of passengers in 
certain places abroad, and al- 
ready, following improve- 
ments in design and _struc- 
ture, experiments have been 
made in putting them to vari- 
ous commercial uses, such as 
carrying light express mat- 
ter, making short cuts over 
country unsuitable for rail- 
roads, and the conveyance of 
mails. Even if flying never 
advances to the position 
looked for it by enthusiastic 
and even by conservative per- 
sons interested in aeronaut- 
ics, it can nevertheless reveal 
the blemishes, the inconsistencies, the objectionable spots in 
our cities and towns as nothing else will. 
The passage annually of so many people through the air 
has supplied us with a new point of view whence we may 
look down and study the aspect of our surroundings. 
Hitherto we have felt that all was well if our buildings and 
cities satisfied inspection as seen from the ground. We 
