Newly discovered article, 1863, the New York Herald, about Solomon Andrews and one of his many public test flights.

Interesting details reported include, the paper refuses to discuss its propulsion mechanism, sighting fears the Confederates will exploit the information, the craft is cited at moving over 120 mph against the wind, the paper states Andrews is in contact with the War Department and the Secretary of War, fascinating stuff. The Full Text is as follows: New York Herald, September 8, 1863, p. 3 AERIAL NAVIGATION An Extraordinary Invention—The Air Navigated Successfully—The Great Air Ships—Incidents of Their Trial Trips** We have this week the pleasure to record the success of the most extraordinary invention of the age, if not the most so of any the world ever saw—at least the greatest stride in invention ever made by a single individual. In October last Dr. Solomon Andrews, of Perth Amboy, N.J., commenced the construction of a war aerostat, for reconnoitering purposes, on his own personal responsibility, not being able, after submitting his plans to the War Department, to make the honorable Secretary of War “see the utility” of a machine which would go over into **[portion obscured in the scan]** and reconnoitre the force and position of the enemy. His plans showed on the face of them to any one not stupid that the machine could not do otherwise than go ahead in any direction in which the bow was pointed, and that, too, with any amount of power or force which might be desired, and which greenbacks would readily procure. The power required and the propelling apparatus added but little weight to the aerostat, whether of large or small dimensions; consequently it did not increase the dimensions of the aerostat beyond that of balloons of ordinary construction, much less in size than many that are now made. The machine made by Mr. Andrews would carry up three men in addition to all the fixtures and paraphernalia for its forward movement. It contained twenty-six thousand cubic feet of hydrogen gas. It carried him, weighing one hundred and seventy-two pounds, and two hundred and fifty-six pounds of ballast. Upon his invitation last spring we have sent our reporters at three different times to witness his experiments with his machine, and have watched his progress with great interest. Its form was that of three segars pointed at both ends, secured together at their longitudinal equators, covered by a net, and supporting by one hundred and twenty cords a car sixteen feet below under its centre. The car was twelve feet long, made of basket work, and was sixteen inches wide at the bottom. The aerostat, or cylindroids, were made of varnished linen, like ordinary balloons. On Friday, the 4th instant, he made his last experiment, and demonstrated to an admiring crowd the possibility of going against the wind and of guiding her in any and every direction with a small rudder having only seventeen square feet of surface. He made no long flight in one straight line, lest his *modus operandi* aboard be divulged; but by a most ingenious plan demonstrated her capabilities beyond all possibility of doubt, whilst he prevented a public knowledge of his method of propelling. After a few short flights, to satisfy himself and a few friends that all was right, and that she would do all he had contemplated, he set her off in a spiral course upward, she going at a rate of not less than one hundred and twenty miles per hour, and describing circles in the air of more than one and a half miles in circumference. She made twenty revolutions before she entered the upper strata of clouds and was lost to view. She passed through the first strata of dense white clouds, about two miles high, scattering them as she entered in all directions. In her upward flight could be distinctly seen her rapid movement in a contrary direction to the moving clouds, and as she came before the wind passing by them with great celerity. As she was distinctly seen thus to move, both below and above the clouds, on the clear blue sky at 5 o’clock P.M., with the sun shining clear upon her, there could be no mistake or optical delusion to consider. As to her propelling power and motive apparatus, it behooves us not now to speak. It might be considered contraband of war, or affording aid and comfort to the enemy, for with such a machine in the hands of Jeff Davis the armies around Washington would be powerless to preserve the capital. We think Dr. Andrews deserves more praise for the patriotic ingenuity with which he has preserved his secret, and yet tried his grand experiment in the open air before the public, than even that manifested in the conception and construction of his machine. Of that and its beautiful simplicity we may have occasion to speak hereafter. We have the documents.