Man used the air as power for sailing vessels long years before he ever dreamed that it could be used to travel thru by airplane. The first idea of steam navigation was patented by Jonathan in 1713, and later in 1783, a steamboat by Fitch. In 1793, the first real steamboat by Fulton. On August 9, 1803, Fulton's steamboat, "The Claremont," made its first trip up the Hudson. In 1807, Fulton started a steamboat line on the Hudson. On July 15, 1819, the first steamship made a trip from New York to Liverpool in twenty-six days. In October, 1829, a locomotive by steam carriages started in Liverpool. In June, 1838, the "Great Western" made a trip from Bristol, arrived in New York, making the voyage in eighteen days. The next record for ocean travel was made in 1851 when the "Pacific" crossed the Atlantic in 9 days, 19 hours and 25 minutes. In 1917, a German submarine boat made a successful trip from Germany to Baltimore.
The advent of automobiles, or gas engines, began in 1877, when the first gas engine was invented by Otto. In 1879, a gasoline motor was invented by Selden. In 1892, the first automobile was operated by C.A. Duryea. Note that this was repeating the 500-year cycle, and 100 years before the first attempt was made to start an iron railway, and in 1783, the first time a balloon went up which carried a passenger.
In our modern times the first attempt by man to conquer the air by means of plane or balloon was in June, 1783, when Joseph and Stephen Montgolfier built the first balloon, but it carried no passengers. In November, 1783, for the first time man went up in a balloon that sailed over Paris. In 1859, John Wise sailed in a balloon from St. Louis to Henderson, N.Y., in twenty hours; the greatest distance accomplished up to that time. In 1900, Count Zeppelin flew the first dirigible. In November, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made their first flight in an airplane which rose under its own power. Note that this was 100 years after Fulton's first steamboat went up the Hudson, again repeating the 100-year cycle. In July, 1908, Glenn H. Curtiss flew his first airplane. In July, 1909, Charles K. Hamilton flew from New York to Philadelphia—seventy-four miles. Note 100 years before this, in 1807, Fulton started the first steamship line up the Hudson.
From 1914 to 1918, airplanes were used in the great World War; 100 years before steamers began crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. In June, 1919, first non-stop flight from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Ireland. In July, 1919, the R-34 made a successful flight from Scotland to Mineola, Long Island. The R-34 made the trip in 64 hours and 13 minutes. One hundred years previous to this the first fast steamship crossed the Atlantic.
In May, 1923, Lieut. Macready and Kelly made a non-stop flight from New York to San Diego, California. In July, 1923, sunrise to sunset flight from New York to San Francisco. The flight was made by Russell L. Maughan. March 17th to September 28, 1924, L.H. Smith and Lee Wade flew around the world the first time. May, 1926, Richard E. Byrd circled the North Pole with the dirigible. May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh made the first successful flight across the Atlantic from New York to Paris.
Note how the airplane followed 100 years later after the fast steamer across the Atlantic. As railroad and ocean transportation made rapid progress from 1807 to 1838, so is airplane transportation making rapid progress and I predict that in 1938, airplanes will be traveling at the rate of 1000 miles an hour to all parts of the earth, carrying passengers and freight. My interpretation of the cycles to repeat in future indicates that from 1928 to 1932, one of the greatest battles of all history will be fought in the air. In the next few years airplanes will be making successful trips around the world and carrying passengers.
Man has succeeded in traveling on the earth by steam, gas and electricity. The automobile solved the problem of motor transportation without rail. The water was first conquered in a crude canoe, next with a sailing vessel, then the fast steamers and later the submarine by which man can travel secretly under the water. The next and last great conquest was the air, and as nations have fought battles on the land, on the water and used the submarine for successful warfare under the water, the next and last great step in transportation will be in the air. It is but natural to expect that the greatest battle of all will take place in the air when all modern inventions will be used to destroy human life. As stated in the Bible, unless the time be shortened, no human being will be left on this earth, but the Good Book has promised that the time will be shortened. Nations will try this new mode to conquer each other before the United Kingdom, spoken of in the Bible, can be realized.
CHAPTER IX
Supplementing his former letter, Robert Gordon wrote:
Dear Mr. Kennelworth: