The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-02
Invalid Chairs
AERIAL BOMB SHIP.
Plan for Destroying Whole Cities De-
vfsed by a German.

NEW YORK, Nov 1.--Lieutenant KungeI
who was until recently an officer in the.Ger
man army. but who now lives in Hoboken.
believes that the aerial bomb ship which he
has invented would free Cuba in the space
of one weeks time Lieutenant Kungie
many years ago was an officer in command
of a balloon corps in Kaiser Williams
army. He is now a naturalzed American
citizen. His aerial bomb ship is a combi-
nation of balloon, flying machine. steam
locomotive, steamship and bomb thrower
Besides having the power to raise from the
ground by means of gas, like an ordinary
balloon. the aerial bomb ship is so con-
structed that after raising up it can be
lowered again by the action of the engines
without allowing the gas to escape While
1t Is suspended by its balloon its side wheels
can be set in motion and the ship be made
to travel either to the right or to the left
Whenever it is desirable that the bomb ship
should be brought to earth two screws ad-
Justed to the top will be put in revolution.
and the ship will sink to the ground at
once. This will happen because the down.
ward motive power of the Two screws is
five times greater than the upward motive
power of the gas in the balloon
Except for the interior of her engines and
the steel box to hold the ammunition that is
TO be hurled down. every metallic part of
this unique ship is composed of tough alum
inium, and, with all her engines in motion
and her fuel supply and ammunition stored
away, the bomb ship will not weigh an
ounce over one ton, plus six hundred pounds.
This will include the weight of the men on
board. The moment the ship touches the
ground 1t can be made to move forward or
backward in any direction There are six
pairs of wheels fastened to the bottom of
the snip, and these wheels are corrugated,
so that when they are in motion they will
grasp the ground firmly and cannot possibly
It viii float, and the propeller at its rear
and the two propelling screws on either side
of 1t will as easily carry ii through the
water as through the air. Every bit of the
aerial bomb ship has been manufactured
and put together in New York and Hoboken
foundries.
Lieutenant Kungel has had the balloon.
which will be of unusual size and strength
made in England. The balloon is to be 1856
feet in length and forty feet in width. The
all over with stout gut netting. A
wide. thick band of aluminium is fastened
around the balloon like belt. and from this
are suspended number of small steel ca
bles, which fasten at the sides of the bomb
ship and keep it suspended in the air.
Lieutenant Kungel states that the govern
ment of Spain has offered to buy his ship
when he has 1t successfully launched but
this offer he has not accepted, as he is In
full sympathy with the patriot Cubans. He
has communicated privately with concern
which supplies much of the ammunition to
the Cuban army, and he has received def
mite assurance that the Cubans will pay
him satisfactory price for the use Of the
ship If he can get it safely to their army
Cuba and that he is laying his plans to do
So Dropping down huge bombs upon forts
conquered in week Lieutenant Kungel
expects 10 have his ship ready for a pub
lie trial within four weeks.