Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-09-16
ARMY AIRSHIPS.
UNCLE SAM WILL BUILD A Fly
ING MACHINE.
A Monster of the Heavens Destined
to Protect Us From Our Enemies
will BE Tried at Den
vcr Next Year.
THE officials of the army Signal


Service have practically de-
cided to build flying ma
chine. When completed it
will be used in series of experiments
whose object will be to determine, if
possible, the practicability of artificial
soaring flight. The apparatus will
probably be on the aeroplane or
aerocurve design, and is calculated to
throw considerable light on the rela-
tive merits of device of that order
and the balloon, which latter vehicle
of aerial locomotion has been the OBJ
iect of study by military men during
the past few years.
The construction of the flying ma
chine will probably be under tho
supervision of Captain Glassford, of
the Department of Colorado, who,
under General Greeley, Chief
Signal Officer, U. S. A., has
been carrying on extensive expert
ments in military ballooning for the
past three years. Captain Glassford
is making preparations for an extern
sive exhibit to be instituted in connec-
ton with the Denver Exposition to
open July l, 1896, says the Phila-
delphia Times. This exhibit will
illustrate many of the conspicuous
phases of military aeronautics. A
whole department of the Exposition
will be devoted to aero-dynamics, and
in all probability the War Department
will give Captain Glassford permission
to take charge of it. During the in
tervening time previous to the open
ing of the Colorado Fair every effort
will be lent to the construction of an
apparatus which may actually carry u
man for the instruction and amuse-
ment of the people to assemble in the
Western city next summer.
The mechanism to be constructed is
what is known as the soaring appara-
tus, the only kind of flying machine
on the aeroplane order which has ac-
tually succeeded in transporting a man
in free air. One of these has been
built and successfully used by Herr
Lillienthal, German engine manu-
facturer, who succeeded iu flying
several hundred yards by its means.
The same device has been made and
improved by an American engineer
living in New York City. A new ap-
paratus on these lines will be con-
structed for the exhibit mentioned.
The new soaring apparatus will
greatly resemble gigantic butterfly,
with large curved but fixed wings,
provided with fiat tail and upright
keel projecting out behind 1t will bo
about thirty feet across from tip to
tip of wings and about seven feet from
front to back. 1t will expose about
100 square feet of surface. This sur
face will consist of fine cloth stretched
tightly over framework of light
wood, held in place by fine steel wire.
There will be no movement of the
wings whatever. The whole surface
will be rigid, without hinges or joints
or the movement of one part against
another. The whole is designed to
represent the eagle in the act of soar
ing. From the centre of the machine
to the front edge will be left an open
space to be occupied by the aeronaut,
who flies in standing position.
Military aeronautics has become a
special study in all of tho great Eu-
ropean armies, including those of
France, Germany, England, Russia.
Austria, Italy, Spain, Belgium and
Holland. Experiments in all coun-
tries SO far have been made with bal
looms only. But upon the perfection
Of an apparatus which may be pro-
pelled and steered rapidly from place
to place tho functions of the balloon
us military agent will be lost.
The best authorities on flying ma
chimes agree that their first practical
use will be as instruments of war, not
to take part III actual battle so much
as means OF communication. One
might be guided over hostile terri.
tory, upon which it might drop ex-
plosives, destroying bridges and other
means OF communication. A fiyinp
machine would be very much less like
ly to be hit by gun aimed from the
Garth than would balloon, on ac-
count of its much smaller size, COM
blned with its extreme speed, which
some aero-dynamists now believe will
some day reach as high as 200 miles
an hour. Owing to the small area ex-
posed by the light frame and vital
parts, it will be very difficult to hit,
and if struck the chances are that u
ball would go through one of the thin
coverings of the wings without shat
tering any other part. 1t is not be-
lieved that an airship will be of much
value for carrying guns heavier than
a Maxim repeater, which weighs about
eixty or seventy pounds. A successful
airship will probably be ablo to run
several days without renewing fuel or
water, providing that sufficiently
light air surface condenser can be
perfected.
pracnryot;on nf DooI.Y ~,