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John Geoghegan

John Geoghegan writes about unusual inventions that fail in the market despite their innovative nature.

Because Baldwin was too heavy to pilot his airship, he hired L. Guy Mecklem to row it aloft. After six months, Mecklem felt he was just a “flunky,” and the two parted ways.

Thomas Baldwin’s “Aerial Rowboat” Could Do About 4 MPH on a Calm Day

However impractical, the hydrogen airship was a big hit with crowds in 1905.