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