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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0993.PDF
NOVEMBER O. 1916. I/OCHT] AIRISMS El. **... *^%^»^ JWITH the proof of the will of the late Mr D. H. G. Chambers, of Atherton, Sydenham Road, Croydon, at ^16,055 last week, the memory of the eccentricities of a curious Surrey recluse, whose chief hobby was matters aeronautic, is revived. Most of the money goes to the erection of alms houses, but not within 50 miles of Croydon Town Hall. Bequests are made to religious societies, anti-vivisection societies and the Dogs' Home. Mr. Chambers had for many years lired quite alone at Atherton, a house of about sixteen rooms. His sister. Miss J. M. Chambers, B.Sc, after whom the almshouses are to be named, shared the house with him till her death. He had apparently left her things absolutely undisturbed, writes a correspondent of the Morning Post. The house was securely protected against burglars. Half- inch iron bars, firmly embedded in the masonry, were on the basement windows. The back portico had an iron gate, and every outer door had padlocks, chains, wire nets, bolts and screwed-down shutters. Moreover, the tenant kept four six- chambered revolvers liandy, with ammunition. To callers the front door was only opened upon a chain. The tenant's simple fare consisted largely of patent cereal foods. Mr. Chambers and his sister must have'Jtravelled widely, They left behind about forty trunks, hold-alls and the like including several venerable carpet bags. There were Con tinental time-tables, guide-books and pocket dictionaries sufficient to take the owners over the larger part of Europe The books showed intellectual tastes. Anatomy, philosophy and physics had been studied ; photography, chemistry and the uses of electricity. Aeronautics, however, seemed to have been the chief hobby. Many notes and diagrams were the work of Miss Chambers, ;md there was a big collection of newspaper cuttings on the subject. In a large building in the garden labour had been bestowed on all kinds of " con traptions," from big kites to small aeroplanes. The effects found there included a rotary aeroplane engine and various sets of aluminium biplane wings. Oiled calico, bundles of bamboo rods, and rotysof wire netting were among the material, with elaborately made woodwork sundries, all evidence of patient toil. A gondola-like box suggested an attempt at a man-carrying machine. At the auction these effects went at lumber prices. Miss Chambers had suffrage sympathies, and had tried literary composition. She had printed a garde* Ms m ffi nil A propoa of the para graph which ap peared In " Alrisms " on page 883, October 12th, in regard to the ultimate effect upon the Panama Canal of the appearance of the U-boats in American waters, and the sug gestion of the possi bilities of aircraft assisting nature in the years to come In destroying the canal for naval purposes, a correspondent from "Somewhere In France" sends us this very suggestive sketch as a dream which he dreamt after reading the few remarks. m > www I K M M w M m m w 1 m m m. m $ w 1 w w • • m m m w w w w w w 985
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