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397 lines
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(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2)
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Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
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Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
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PO BOX 1031
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Mesquite, TX 75150
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There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS
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on duplicating, publishing or distributing the
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files on KeelyNet except where noted!
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February 15, 1992
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AERO9.ASC
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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This file courteously shared with KeelyNet through the research
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efforts of Pete Navarro and Jimmy Ward.
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If you might wish to correspond directly with Jimmy or Pete, you may
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do so at the following address:
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Jimmy Ward
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1511 Summer St.
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Houston, TX 77007
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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Dellschau and other "Aeronauts"
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by Jimmy Ward and P.G. Navarro
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Among the thousands of drawings of strange and wondrous aircraft
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produced by Dellschau are notations, remarks, and comments; some in
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"clear" and some in code which, when pieced together, tell the story
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of a group of industrious, aeronautically-minded inventors who
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gathered in and around the towns of Sonora and Columbia, California
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about the middle of the 19th century. They were members of an
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"Aeroy Club", which was the original name of the club, but was
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changed to the "Sonora Aero Club" in 1858 after becoming associated
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with a Society "back East" known as NYMZA. Most of the members of
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the Sonora Aero Club were German immigrants, with at least two
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Spanish or Mexican members, one Frenchman, and three or four
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Englishmen.
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The towns of Sonora and Columbia were not the movie or TV
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stereotypes of goldfish towns, which picture the inhabitants of
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mining towns in those days as rough-shod, unmannerly, and
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unschooled. It was on March 27, 1850 that Dr. Thaddeus Hildreth,
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his brother George, and a handful of prospectors made their camp
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near the site of what was to become Columbia. They found gold there
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and the stampede was on. Before the month was out there were some
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5,000 prospectors in the area and a thriving tent and shanty town
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was born.
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At first it was called Hildreth's Diggings, then American Camp, and
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finally Columbia. Streets were laid out and the tents and shanties
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replaced by more permanent structures. By the end of 1852 there
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were more than 150 places of business (including 30 saloons and a
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brewery), a church, Sunday School, Masonic Lodge, and even a branch
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of the Sons of Temperance. In 1854, fire destroyed everything in
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Page 1
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the center of business district except for one brick building. In
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the next year and a half some 30 buildings were built, this time
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from locally produced red brick.
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In 1854, following the fire, the New England Water Company was
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organized and supplied the town with its own water for domestic use
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and fire protection and, in July 1855, the first piped water was
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made available.
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In August 1857, a second fire ravaged the town's business district
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and destroyed nearly all structures in a 15 block area. Following
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this fire, a volunteer fire department was organized and a new fire
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engine was purchased.
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By 1860 the town had the usual Mexican fandango halls, gambling
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parlors, saloons and other "houses" of diversion so common to all
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mining towns in those days, but there were also more cultural
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establishments such as small circuses and theatrical groups,
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volunteer military companies, bands, and choral groups. There was
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even a two-story brick schoolhouse.
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Sonora, just 6 miles south, was even less like the stereotype mining
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town and even contained several book stores that did a thriving
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business. It was the cultural center of the area, and the ideal
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location for a group of intelligentsia engaged in secret
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experiments. Dellschau states that the group held their meetings in
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Sonora, but they built and tested their craft near Columbia and
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stored their dismantled craft in buildings in Columbia. Dellschau
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claims that an airship, which they called the "Aero Dora" had been
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built by August Schoetler, tested, and stored in Columbia. Also,
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what is now the Columbia Airport is the only level area for miles
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around and would have made an ideal test site. With all the mining
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equipment and building supplies pouring into Sonora and Columbia,
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parts for the secret craft would have passed unnoticed. The only
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problem would be keeping the test flights secret, but even the most
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ardent prospectors did not work all day, every day, and care could
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have been taken to fly only when the "coast was clear". The
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airships were equipped with wheels (many were self-propelled) and
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they could have been assembled and stored in a nearby location and
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wheeled out when the time was ripe for testing. This would have
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been simple enough to do since the body fo the craft was wood and
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all the external equipment, such as landing gear, paddle wheels,
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etc. was bolted on.
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This equipment could have been placed inside the body of the craft
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and transported as if they were large borax or equipment-hauling
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wagons, which would have attracted no special notice. The only
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attention it might have attracted would have been because of the
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strange and unusual appearance, but in those days there were many
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strange types of wagons which were used for different purposes.
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Only after it was re-assembled and the gas bag was attached would it
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lose its appearance as a wagon and look like the airship it was
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intended to be.
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One aircraft that could have been easily transformed was the "Aero
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Goeit". This airship contained a section which could have been
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changed to the appearance of a gypsy wagon. The section behind the
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main body was like a coal-tender behind a locomotive, but its
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purpoer was to hold additional gas (for lift) and to provide
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locomotion.
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Page 2
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Incidentally, Goetz's Aero Goeit was flown over the California giant
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redwoods area and became entangled in one of the trees, resulting in
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the death of one of the club members. The caption on this drawing
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reads:
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"Brother Goetz, you gready guts, What you mean whit
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your one man flying trapp?
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"Brother Newell, I mean One man is enough to breack
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his neck".
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Another aircraft that was readily adaptable as a land vehicle was
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the "Crippel Wagon", designed and built by F.W. Schultze. It was
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originally designed as a land-traveling vehicle and was called the
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"Crippel Wagon Hydro-whir Auto". This vehicle was presumably built
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for land use, but was later outfitted with a gas bag and a converter
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by August Schoetler who turned it into a flying machine. However,
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it appears that due to some indiscretion of Schoetler's, which
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compromised the organization by divulging matters of secret trust,
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the plans for further development of the Auto-Aero was discontinued
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and the machine was dismantled. The possibilities for all the
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undertakings mentioned above are there, only the proof is lacking.
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In reply to a letter, listing the names of all known club members,
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which was sent to Mr. Carlo De Ferrari, County Historian at Sonora,
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by one of the authors, Mr. De Ferrari had this to say:
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"I have run the list of 62 names through my indices, but I have
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been unable to identify a single individual. Unless the names
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are aliases or in code, they seem to have no local connections.
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"The area you identify as being where the experiments were
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conducted (now the Columbia Airport) was known as the Lawndale
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Gulch and French Gulch areas at the time and was adjacent to the
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town of Springfield. It was quite heavily mined and thickly
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populated. Certainly, if any such aerial activities were taking
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place there, someone would have noticed."
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He then went into the fact that contemporary diaried and newspapers
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contained no mention of such activities. But then he added in
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closing:
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"This does not necessarily mean that such activity did not take
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place; as it could have been carried out in a highly secretive
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manner."
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Since this letter was written several tombstones have been found in
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the area bearing names SIMILAR to the names by Dellschau in his
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books. There is also NO trace of any Charles Arthur Dellschau, but
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there are records of two brothers, John Charles and Arthur D.
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Duchow. The records of the Duchow brothers are confusing and often
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contradictory. They appear to have been men of mystery themselves,
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to some degree. In one instance their name was spelled differently
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and several times they used each other's given names arbitrarily.
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According to Dellschau's notations the group wanted secrecy about
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themselves AND their activities. They took great pains to ensure
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it. But all of this was probably unnecessary. Even with newspaper
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accounts and documentation, as an example, how many people know
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Page 3
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about President Lincoln's U.S. Army Corps of Aeronautics or his
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interest in Dr. Solomon Andrews' "Aereon"? For that matter, how
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many people have even HEARD of Dr. Solomon Andrews?
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Dr. Solomon Andrews was an M.D. and, for a time, Mayor and Health
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Officer of Perth Amboy where he developed the town's first sewer
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system to help keep down cholera and yellow fever. He also invented
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a sewing machine, a barrel-maker, a fumigator, a velocipede, a gas
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lamp, forging presses, a kitchen stove and a pipe that would "filter
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out harmful substances" from the tobacco.
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In 1849, Dr. Andrews purchased the old Army barracks at Perth Amboy,
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New Jersey and converted them into the "Inventor's Institute", where
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he was joined by many other inventors.
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In 1861, Thaddeus Lowe flew 900 miles in an observation balloon that
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he had built. Lincoln made him chief of the newly formed U.S. Army
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Corps of Aeronautics and he presided over a fleet of observation
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balloons that were used in many Civil War engagements, mostly as
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spies in the sky. Since there was so little control on the balloons
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and the rebels were such crack shots, many were lost in the
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fighting.
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A letter dated August 9, 1862, reached President Lincoln from Dr.
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Andrews in which he suggested "producing an aerostat for
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reconnaissance, if nothing more, in aid of the armies of the Union".
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Lincoln thought the idea had merit and asked to be kept informed and
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to have eyewitness accounts of the progress and test flights of Dr.
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Andrews' Aereon. Although reports were sent to the President, they
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never got beyond his secretary.
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On June 1, 1863, Dr. Andrews brought his ship out for its maiden
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flight. It leaped into the air and flew INTO the wind at 200 feet.
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It was then brought down to a safe landing. His motorless aircraft
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had worked, and was navigable. A month later, with refinements, it
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was again tested with equally fine results. Another trial, on
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September 4, before a reporter from the New York Herald, was so
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impressive, the newsman wrote, "With such a machine in the hands of
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Jefferson Davis, the armies around Washington would be powerless to
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defend the Capital".
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Dr. Andrews was finally able to see President Lincoln and report to
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him personally. A Congressional committe was set up by the
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Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, to look into the invention and make
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recommendations. Hearings were held in March 1864 and immediate
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appropriations were recommended. But apparently no one heard of
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these recommendations and on March 22, 1865, Andrews received a
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letter from the House Military Affairs Committee that they were
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really not interested and, besides, the war was over.
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This ended Lincoln's flying warships before they ever got off the
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ground. (No pun intended.) If an episode such as the above
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involving so many people in high places and so well publicized at
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the time can become unknown almost overnight, think how easy it
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would be to keep unknown activities of a group who strove to BE
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KNOWN.
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Apropos to the above story are several notations and comments made
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by Dellschau in his drawings. For example :
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Page 4
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There are a series of drawings of "Jacke's Aero Hunter" which is
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an airship based on his brother Carl Schubert's original design,
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known as the "Aero Hunter". On one page is the note "a la
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Brother Andrews". This may be an error because the writing
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tapers to a point at the end and looks like a series of "e's" or
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undotted "i's".
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At any rate, the ship uses 3 gas bags "a la Andrews" (Dr.
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Andrews Aereon) rather than the normal one on most of the other
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Aeros. Also, Jacke Schubert designed a second craft, the Aero
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Hurray, also with 3 balloons or gas bags and flat tailfins in
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the rear "a la Andrews", unlike most other Aeros.
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Another notation reads:
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"Again, where material is used other than Peter's fuel, even the
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Army, using fire to ascend cannot stay up long, because nothing
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travels like Peter's Goose".
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The above refers to Peter Mennis, who ALONE, knew the formula for
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producing the gas used on the Aeros.
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Still another:
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"And who are you to question our board? Now what makes (it)
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practical (to fly a) military airship (from) 10 or 100 miles an
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hour? ? ? Hell. Those acting officers act just like race
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track gamblers. No such questions asked as bullet-proof, good
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gas reservoir, fall-easy, anti-ballast! What did you say? Holy
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red tape.
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"Yes, when weather suits - gas can be got when reaching camp!
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What won't Peter Mennis say to you, simply "nonsense". And what
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say I that long legged Prussian officer just more train. We got
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too much already. Amen."
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And lastly a long message:
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"How would our members laugh, over the deeds of today's
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Aeronauts. Nothing new under the heaven, says Brother Lewis
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Caro. They build them, with and without using gasses..but 300-
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400 feet long. Nay, nay, never!
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"Yes, Dr. Saxe and Jourdan swearet for fool fun. All over us,
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but who of our members did not say, say No sir - Won't go! Now
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Kaiser Wilhelm wants sleeping rooms attached to his balloons!
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Say Jourdan, can't you supply his majesty? Now next dropping
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thing from above shall be unlawful in war and peace time.
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"No bomb - no packages - no stinkeys. Well, who cares for the
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laws - up in the clouds?
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"Forbidden fruit tastes very sweet. For instance, the spys a
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flying general a ammunition train right under him. He let
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something droppe, to hear it boom, and burn it did! But
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exploding powders force Aero his flyer and he droppet down
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himself! All play things yet - good for time goe by, and money,
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yes money always to pay for the funn, and money earning only for
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mackers and Booler too. And now, my friends, Good Bye."
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Page 5 CAAD
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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As can be seen from the above, the members, for the most part, were
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against war and did not want their craft to be used for war
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purposes. And they wanted nothing to do with violence and/or the
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military.
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One of Dellschau's drawings graphically shows this. It is a collage
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divided down the center. One side consists of newsclippings about
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the subject of war and the uses of aircraft for this purpose, along
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with a picture of two men talking. Dellschau also includes a
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drawing of a black cat, a symbol he often used to designate evil or
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bad luck. The other half of the collage depicts a man and a woman
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carrying suitcases and golf clubs entering an Aero. The captions
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read: "From your Point of View" and "Our Point of View". A very
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good reason for keeping their discoveries secret!
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There was also the element of fear; that their machines would be
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used by criminals, and several drawings contained a "Press Bluhmen"
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with comments about such uses. In one instance, along with a
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drawing of the Aero IGOE, is an account both in English, and in
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German apparently for emphasis that reads:
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"There stands below a custom house to collect lots of taxes -
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Stand there, not in my way. Come right up here and doo collect
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for fetching diamonds overland. If not, my dear appraiser - we
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going fast somewhere - we not telling you!
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"There flies the burglar's windy craft with lots of luckre,
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stolen. What does he care for policeman up here. And let me
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tell you...Well you laugh. Have you a bank or a store below?
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If so, the time might come when you won't laugh. Nor swear!"
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Are these some of the reasons Dellschau took such great pains to
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make it difficult for anyone to read his books and learn about the
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Sonora Aero Club and their Aeros? Did the Club really exist or is
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it all a figment of Dellschau's imagination? For that matter, who
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is Dellschau? He did not seem to even exist prior to 1886 when he
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came to Houston!
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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If you have comments or other information relating to such topics
|
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as this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the
|
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Vangard Sciences address as listed on the first page.
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Thank you for your consideration, interest and support.
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Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
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Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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If we can be of service, you may contact
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Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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Page 6
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