Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-06
Ss Nsi,ss VIII os - wss with sssh Tee.
vssls issssssssss .f slaughter SD De-
sssssis.-P.ssis,ii,,ss o. Aerial ssip~
vlsvs % . Naval Oases.
Especial corr.spondsnos.l


ofics Of our department the other day.
and In . talk with the officials there was
amazed st what they know IL going on
throughout the world.
practically everything OF importanoe
that occurs In the naval world fall. uu'
der their observation and is describ>d In
their notss. indsIsi and hlei away. with
copies furnished 10 the various bureaus
of our owe department for their infor'
nation and guidanos. soms Of this work
10 confidential. and In securing some of
ths facts sLrewd detective work is re-
sorted 10. AN not ct liberty. there
fore. TO tell you everything learned In
that ofiice, and 10 shouh also b. borne In
mind that for every importAn, fact OF
invention that CONES under the obssrva-
t,on of our intelligence otiics perhaps
another equally important escape. no
tics OF eludes pursuit
HsSt.sss prspAssy.
"Dut from what IL known of the ex.
psrimsnts now being carried on In thi.
and other countries, either sscretly by
sovernments or by individuals, ! have
no hesitation In saying that 10 yrar-
hence there viii bs Ia existence . de
stroyer that will make war impossible.
for the simple reason that no nation viii
20 10 war when Il is by % doing subject
ing its great cities to absolute destruc-
ton and Its psopls 10 wholesale slaush-
ter. The new psacs bringing destroyer
will sAil In tbs air. The terrible scenes
depicted In that work OF the Imagination.
Hartman. the Anarchist. Destroying
London which VA Published lsst sum.
mer In an English periodical. will b
r~alii~i IN actuality. We are nearer 10
10 now than the world thinks Expert
ments have besn made In this and other
countries secretly which prove beyond
shadow VI doubt that In cass VI necsssi'
ty On aerial ship can be constructed ihA,
will destroy London or any other city In
thu world with which the United State
may b st var. This aerial destroyer
does not necessarily need ~ be capable
Of navigating the air. though aerial navi-
CATION for naval u not for commercial
purposes 10 near ct hand.
A yss.sk@ss's Is,s.,iss-
eft is On open sscret here In naval ctr.
eles that II Admiral Mello and his fellow
rrvolutionis.s Of the Brazilian r.public
had had sufiicisnt means at their dspos
al they could have secured the services
Of an aerial destroyer that would hay,
placed Rio and the Brazilian government
completely ct their mercy. A company
stood ready 10 construct Tor them such
device. and the plans wer. drawn. Ths
inventor of ths system IL % FrenchmAn
named De Bausset. who has for lons
time ben srvsident of America. Hsds
voted many years 20 the Perfection OF y
system % aerial navigation and sought
20 secure the capital nsoe..ary Tor H.
perfection In commercial circles. II wa,
there that he made his mistake. Not IN
50 years. II ever. is there any prospect Of
successful sSriAl navigation from q CON
msrciai point u view. II De Bausssi
had from the nrst devoted his ensrgie'
10 the construction of On airship foi
naval warfare. for the destruction o.
the feets or cities of an enemy, be might
now be on the topmost wave of success
Diasaitiss ef Ceas,r~ssiss.
Ellis scheme s sound. lie proposes
not balloon In ths ordinary ssnss OF
the term. lie argues that II illuminsi
ing gas IL lighter than air. and that
hight body filed with gas will riss, moth
ing Il lighter than illuminating gas, o.
even hydrogen. and will rise % mucL
the more easily. Therefore instsai OF
gas he use vAcuum-not . perfect o.
even approximately perfect vacuum, bui
one of about 20 or ~ atmosphere. tn
trouble IL 10 construct ship or vcs-.
strong enough 10 have the air pump~l
from Il and 20 resist atmospheric pr~s
SURE Of eight or ten pounds per squar,
inch and yet light enough 10 h. lifted In
the atmosphere by virtue Of the Who'll,
masa bsing lighter than the air which u
aisplscss. Dc Bausset had this ai
worked out.
"By employinG light steel frame and
Q plating % the best steel one forty-fourth
Of On inch In thicknsss he could doit. Bu,
the vess.l would have 10 be very large.
some 600 or 200 feet long and 100 or
more feat In diAmster. This would make
Il larger In bulk than one OF our biggest
ocean steamers, which are so feet long.
bot only about ss feet deep and broad.
Il was necesaary 10 make the airship =.
large - this In order 20 make Il foa'
above the earth. on the principle thati the
larger your vessel, OF whatever shape-
spherical. cylindrical or conical -th'
greater its contents In proportion 10 tn
amount Of materials used In its construc-
ton. This u couveniently illustrated by
the fact that . globe 10 feet In diameter
has Q superficial area Of sit square feet
and coutsnts of only sit cubic feet. while
Q globe Is feet In diameter has an area
Of only 707 square feet and has contents
Of 500 cubic feet.
Cushsrssss ssd Csstiy.
"Ds Bsussst's vessel - planned by
him was 20 large, cumbersome and cost
" that investors wouldn't look at It. A.
that Size Il could lift, besbles itself and
machinery. % tons Of freight. II was al-
together too bulky-a veritabls lsviathan
Of thu air. Now comes aluminium and
new possibility. Though aluminium y
NOT the wonderful metal which people
commonly think 1t. In the building Of
airahips it u sure 10 play an important
part. Weight for weight, the new metal
has the same strength - steel. But
where thin but st the same time stifi
section II wanted with lishtness u 10
much superior 10 steel. This u why II 10
% ussfui In the building Of boats.
"An aluminium yacht has just been
built In France. and In this country
lifsboat, fos private parties. u now be
Ing constructed In Baltimcrs-an szperi'
msut which The life saving authorities
- well - naval people are watching
with interest. hsss this Baltimore boat
h 10 b ussd In ths arctic regions. With
aluminium the Do Bsussst airship can
b buiit probably no more than 30 feet
long and proportional diameter. and jet
have displacsmsnt enough 70 carry IL
ELF. its engines, scrsws and enough high
sxpioavs 70 destroy . nsst Of warships
q 70 maks . bls hoas even In . oity like
London.
is fssySsss Possibilities
gfa sAa g a