The aviator from the infinite

[Atlas]

In 1911, a French newspaper published this article about a mysterious man who said he was working on an airplane which would "revolutionize the extraterrestrial world" and that he could fly "throughout the infinite".



I used Google to translate the article:

The aviator from the infinite.

In the afternoon of June 30, Mr. Georges Chanaz, aged twenty-five, was renting a room in a grand hotel in the Place des Pyramides. He was distinguished and possessed an important background. So the staff hurried around him. At dinner-time, a hotel room attendant knocked discreetly at the young traveler's door, to inform him that dinner was served.

M. Chanaz, who does not speak a word of French, made it clear by signs that he was not hungry. We did not insist.

The next day, at the announcement of the lunch, the traveler again made known that he did not feel the need to take any food.

"It becomes extraordinary," said the servant. "Could this gentleman, who has not left his room since his arrival, live by the spirit of the times ?"

And as a conscientious servant, he went to inform the manager of the hotel.

The latter, with the help of an interpreter, questioned his client and inquired, with the most courteous solicitude, after his health.

"Leave me alone," replied the latter; "I am no longer of this world, I am taking care of [/working on] an airplane which must revolutionize the extraterrestrial world. I fly at this moment throughout the infinite..."

A doctor, summoned at once, found that the unfortunate young man, who pretends to be a Romanian aviator, no longer enjoyed the fullness of his mental faculties. In the evening, Mr. Bleynie, the local police chief, ordered him to be led, with infinite care, into the special infirmary of the detention centre. We hope to find in his baggage the address of his family that he could not specify.

[latina]

These are the type on news they have in 1911. I let my mind wander on this phrase: " the local police chief, ordered him to be led, with infinite care, into the special infirmary of the detention centre". Gone are the days when police personnel treated people with respect and care. If this was happening today I can only assume the treatment this guy could get. Nowadays policemen are just defending corporations interests like the case with United Airlines, regular people have no rights anymore.

[Hervé]

This account reminded me of the Tokyo incident Bill Ryan bumps from time to time (there has to be a pun somewhere...) like here (<---) (check the thread Timeline shifts as well).