Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-07

S#Ea a .ns nuIuIe, 1t fact an
Dirisible air SHIPS have been built by both
the French and German governments.
though all data respecting them are kept
secret as the grave. For many years past
France has maintained a school of aero
station at Meudon, at which experiments
are carried on under conditions of the ut
most privacy. 1t is known. however, that
cigar-shaped balloons have been made
there, which able to run at speed of
fourteen miles an hour and even maneuver
In the teeth of fairly strong gale of wind
This is accomplished by means of very
large and light cloth-covered screw pro-
peller, which is operated by an electric mo-
tor In the car.
Defense Against Air Ships.
Incidentally, the Germans have been try
Ing to find out what defense could be made
against such balloons. The answer seems
to be that the strongest and best-equioped
army would be helpless and at the mercy
OF a single air ship of the kind lowering
overhead and dropping cartridges contain
ing high explosives. To fire at 1t with
rifles or cannon Is hopeless. At height
OF only loo feet, balloon is an extremely
difficult object to hit. Tests proved that
the most expert marksmen in the Ger
man army could not strike such a target
at that elevation more than once in six
teen times
At an elevation of mile balloon is
wholly out of range of the modern rifle,
and no cannon has yet been invented that
can be aimed accurately toward the ze-
nlth A hrSt-claSs mortar-the only large
gun that will throw a projectile directly
upward-will send a ball to the vertical
helght OF considerably over a mile; but
to make the shot with any degree of pre-
clsion at a target moving overhead is out
of the question
What is to prevent single hostile ship
or war from pauSing far out in the ocean
loo miles from land, ard taking advantage
OF favoring westerly breeze to send up
half dczen balloons, with orders to shape
tfeir course toward New York citvp Nv
droSen can be put I'D in cylindrical tanks
In small bulk. and the contents of a few
such receptacles will suffice to fill a balloon
Where Is the. difficulty?
A Fleet of Our Balloons
The only possible protection against war
balloons is fleet Of war balloons Sooner
or later, 1t is said Uncle Sam will be oblg-
ed to build SIGH fleet, unless he is to re-
sign himself to the prospect of being
wiped off the earth. The progress of in
vention does not pause, and the navigation
Of the air is,a fact practically accomplish
ed already. In order to render practicable
such things as fere suggested. very little
fnproveme mt is needed.
Maxim, the inventor of the famous ma
chine gun. has spent $4,000 on the flying
machine idea up to date: but he has not
succeeded In flying fifty yards. Herr Lii
ehthal. equipped with his patent wings,
has jumped from heights. and has been
seriously injured only once. With the
Falcon it is quite different. 1t has been
demonstrated that balloons will float in
tEe arr ff an aeroplane machine could be
induced to start properly the question of
Harding easily and safely would still be
as mrch unsolved as at the beginning
The balloon does float in the air-that IS
the main point; it can he steered-that is
proven; and 1t only remains to improve the
method of directing its course. AS quick
ly as the continuance is perfected, all meth
DDS of warfare 1t is claimed, will be wholly
revolutonized.
Air Ships of War.
1t is predicted that the warships of the
future will be airships-dirigble balloons
carrying high explosives in small compass
which may he dropped wherever they will
work the most destruction. lowering over
great cities like gigantic birds of prey,
they will compel submission on whatever
conditions may be prescribed. 1t follows
that the conditions of conflict between ma
items Will he wholly altered. No longer
will the poor soldier be the victim-the
king, members Of parliament and other i'm
portant perSonages concerned In the maxi
Ing OF the war keeping at a safe distance.
When such flying machines become com
non, as Mr.. Maxim has remarked, the first
man to be attacked will he the monarch or
president: the first building knocked down
Will be the royal palace the second, the
parliament house.
Useful for Invasion and Defense.
With equal pointedness Mr.. Maxim sug-
gests that flying machines would be most
useful for invasion. No hostile man-of-war
can get near the United States now without
big fight, but an enemy's dirigible balloon
might enter the country overhead with per-
feet impunity.
1t is reckoned that If half dozen batter
les of balloons each Vara or tiopad
different points along the Atlantic coast
no hostile squadron could come within reach
OF the cities along the eastern seaboard
II they ventured near, the ships could be
upon their decks
Suppose that squadron of armor-clads
were lying few miles off Sandy Hook,
hreatening New York A single diriaiIIa
pailoon with two men, could go out and
wipe all of them off the face of the ocean
within an hour or So
but ~ IS by no means necessary that a
cartridge dropped from balloon and aimed
AT an enemys vessel should actually strike
the latter. If It comes anywhere near. thai
VIII 40 as Nell Fifty pounds of dynamite
eNploued within 200 feet of the most poyver-
tul snip of war will sink it inevitably. Eur
s snel more, the cartridge does not have to be
dropped from far aloft; 1t may be suspended
on the end of long rope and detached at
me proper moment, actually falling from a
distance of only 100 feet or So above =, -
40 o' han craft. Surprising an overcast sky
p
layer of clouds. and while itself cnnct'Toi
discharge explosives
Modern improvements
the expectation for the future of the
aerial war ship is due to a great extelt to
en- improvement in balloon making that has
peen accomplished within the last decada
The old-time balloon was a leal<y bag of
Elk or other ma terial, no better able to
noat In air than boat with a hole in lis
Dottou iloats in water. The modern balloon
is maze on principle wholly different lis
envelope being composed of material that
Is hhoWh commercially goldbeater's
oi me OK ana Is very costly, one animal fur
Hlshing piece only about fifteen by twenty
HVe inches In area. 1t is preserved II, brine
uhtli ready for use. and Is then placed in n
vessel OF soft water, to which a peculiar
hinu Oh 8Iue, obtained from the Caspian
sea sturgeon, is added to give adhesive oris,i.
ity. qu''-
The war balloon of the future so far as
present knowledge indicates, will be of
this material. 1t will be of sufficient size