The Lake Airships – 1908 – 09
Christopher John Lake, (1847 – 1938), was an inventor, and father of Simon Lake, (1866 – 1945), the man who invented the Lake Submarine Boat.
On June 8, 1908, a short article appeared in The Hartford Courant, (Hartford, Ct.), announcing that Simon Lake, “inventor of the Lake submarine boat”, had patented a design for a new type of airship.
In the article Simon Lake was quoted as saying, “The new airship will be a combination of the dirigible balloon, the aeroplane, and the helicoppre. I have been too busy with other work to devote the time that is necessary for building the new airship, and I will give a reward to the man who will build it and relieve me of the task. I cannot go into the details of the invention at this time, but am satisfied it is one that has solved the problem of aerial navigation.”
It’s unknown if Simon’s airship was constructed, but the following article indicates that construction was begun in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on another airship designed by Simon’s father, Christopher Lake.
The following article appeared in the Norwich Bulletin, (Norwich, CT.), on September 28, 1909.
BRIDGEPORT AIRSHIP
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Inventor Lake Hopes To Test It During October
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Christopher J. Lake, the flying machine inventor, is completing the construction of his airship at Nutmeg Park, Bridgeport. His force of mechanics are working daily, getting the invention ready for its first trials next month. Just when the machine will be completed cannot be stated definitely, but Mr. Lake reiterated his statement that he expected to make his first flight during October.
He feels confident of having the machine ready for a trail flight before November 1, and within four weeks he ought to be able to give the first test of the machine. He is working along novel lines and all of his theories have been demonstrated so that there should be no great question about the ability of the machine to fly.
There is a great deal of interest in this “Made in Bridgeport” flying machine which will be a combination of biplane and dirigible balloon. When the airship is finished and private demonstrations made, Mr. Lake may give the public a chance to see it fly. He is working now to demonstrate to his own satisfaction that his ideas of aerial navigation are correct.
If he is successful, he will probably enter into the manufacture of the machines for sale the same as automobiles. He says that no expert knowledge is required to operate an airship and that they can be manufactured for sale at reasonable cost. Mr. Lake says that the time is not far distant when airships will be sold for pleasure purposes the same as automobiles, but perhaps not so numerously. He is spending considerable money in the development of his machine and before the snow flies he may have other aviators at Nutmeg Park, the name of which would be changed to Lake Aerodrome.
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Mr. Lake’s airship project was also mentioned in a publication called, Aeronautics – The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion. The brief article stated, “Charles J. Lake, of Bridgeport, father of Capt. Simon Lake, inventor of the Lake submarine boat, is at work on an apparatus of his own design and has secured an option from Stephen C. Osborne, owner of Hippodrome Park, where the new flying machine is to be built and tested. Several men are now at work there to carry out the ideas of Mr. Lake, but their work is enshrouded in complete mystery, no one being privileged to give out any information in regard to it.
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On September 16, 1909, it was reported in The Bridgeport Evening Farmer that an unidentified man had tried to break into the building where Mr. Lake’s airship was being constructed, but was driven off by a night watchman hired to guard the premises.
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Sources:
Hartford Courant, “Lake Invents An Airship”, June 8, 1908
Norwich Bulletin, “Bridgeport Airship”, September 28, 1909
The Bridgeport Evening Farmer, “May Shoot Next Time”, September 16, 1909
Aeronautics – The American Magazine Of Aerial Locomotion, “From Submarine To Airship”, September, 1909, page 111.