Despite his restless imagination, he was a chronically inept businessman. Neither did any of his other inventions-including a horse-powered boat, a revolving rifle, a self-adjusting cheese press and a “combined chair and cane”-make it to production. Porter’s airship never did fly, nor ferry settlers across America to California as he intended. Days later, wind and rain exacerbated the damage. Among those citizens, he later wrote in the Aerial Reporter, his self-published newspaper, were some “thanksgiving rowdies”, one of whom tested the balloon’s strength by making a hole in it. On Thanksgiving Day 1852, the New England artist and inventor Rufus Porter was visited “by swarms of thanksgiving citizens” eager to inspect his steam-powered, hydrogen-filled “travelling balloon”.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |