The Aeroport or Flying Ship

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Another number of the .Aerial Reporter has been published by its indefatigable editor, Ruf us Porter Esq.,who has been sadly thwarted in the production of his grand developmentmdash;the wonder of the age, we mean his aroport or flying ship, or in plain words, a " steam balloon." This great machine, on account of its perigrinations, or rather those of its great designer, has changed its locality more than once, and its name offcener still. It is the aroportmdash;alias revoloidal spindlemdash;alias flying machine, and a few other names of the jaw breaking stamp which we forget how to spell. Mr. Porter has been very unfortunate, he is really a doomed man by the prince of the power of the air. Lest he should steal a march on Satan by his flying balloon in navigating (as he has promised,) the atmosphere and sailing along to California in three days, his sable majesty has been keeping up a perpetual war with him. Some rowdies on Thanksgiving Day, rewarded the permission given to view the work, by clandestinely cutting the material of which the float is made. The rent produced by this was the next day increased by a blast of wind, and then a rain storm, followed by a freeze, caused considerable additional trouble. However, Mr. Porter has so far repaired all this mischief as to be waiting only for suitable weather to renew and complete his task. We presume, therefore, that nothing further will be undertaken on the aroport until the spring has advanced. Mr. Porter professes to be more than ever sanguine of success. He announces in this number that the leading motive which prompted him to the invention of''the main principles of the aroport was the liberation of Napoleon from St. Helena, where he was then imprisoned." So that the aroport is no mushroom affair of yesterday. We advise him when it is completed to make his first voyage across the Atlantic to Paris and pay his respects to Napoleon III, who no doubt, for the great development of a patriotic heartmdash;the liberation of Napoleon the Greatmdash;will reward him abundantly, perhaps he may yet become President du Departement de Grand Ballon.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 18This article was published with the title “The Aeroport or Flying Ship” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 18 (), p. 141
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican01151853-141c

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