Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-02-10
BATTLES OF THE FUTURE
IT is PREDICTED THAT THEY WILL
BE FOUGHT IN TIE AIR.

Have Flying Ileets-DanSer to This
Country From an .iirship Squadron.
The appeal for money for balloon ex.
periments, addressed by the Chief
Signal Officer of the Army to the
Secretary OF War, is a confession of
the weakness OF the United States in
branch Of military art which, accord
ing to the Detroit Free Press. is gain
ing Importance steadily. Our own
bureau of military intelligence has
been gathering information on this sub
iect very industriously OF late, and the
Government is following closely all
that Is being done i'll the direction of
aerostatics by foreign powers. At the
same time, nothing is being done in
this country toward the creation of II
fighting balloon service, though many
students of military science believe
that the war vessel of the not distant
future will be an aerial vessel-a iy-
ing machine that will accomplish re-
volution in the practice of warfare far
more complete than that which has
been marked by the creation of mod.
ern battleships, high-power guns and
high explosives.
1t is ar open secret that Germany
now possesses Il fleet of war balloons,
which i'll the event OF trouble with
France would take most important
part in the operations against the lat.
ter country. The French, however,
have balloons of their own, more or
less similar in type, and it seems not
unlikely that in the next Franco-Ger.
man conflict there will be actual en-.
gagements between squadrons OF air.
ships.
The balloons in question are cigar
shaped-that form presenting the least
opposition to the wind They are op.
Grated by means of propellers, and are
steered with rudders of some sort.
One of the newest French balloons,
with which experiments have been
made ut the School of Aerostation at
Meudon, is described as being filled
with hydrogen gas. Inside OF it is a
smaller bag, which is pumped full OF
air, SO as to keep the outer envelope
stiff. In the car carried beneath is a
powerful bichromate battery, which
runs an electric motor, driving Il very
large and light cloth-coyered screw
propeller. This machine travels fiji.
teen miles an hour. An improved
copy of it twice as big is being built,
and is expected to do twenty five
miles an h our.
Rumor says that the Germans have
evolved a balloon that is readily
steered and carries great weight; but
they are extremely anxious not to give
ont any facts. The French and the
English also have tried captive bal,
looms with success in campaigns-the
former in Tonquin and the latter in
Africa. Even slowgoing Spain is in
vestigating the subject, and proposes
to employ balloons to watch the rebels
in Cuba.
Sooner or later Uncle Sam will BIS
obliged to have fleet OF war balloons.
Balloons are the only means of lie.
fence against balloons. 4 hostile
fleet o. vessels could not approach our
shore without n fight, but squadron
of air-ships could sail in and hover
ovee our great cities without the
slightest effective resistance. No fort
that can be built is able to withstand
high explosives dropped from aloft.
1t Is easy to imagine two or three bal
looms hanging in the air over New
York like gigantic birds holding de
structlon in their claws, ready TO de-
stoy the town unless bought off by a
fabulous ransom.
True, such air-ships could not fly
across the ocean. But what is to pre-
vent vessels OF war from bringing them
over and sending them up from short
distance off our coast? The balloons
may be placed in very small compass,
and the hydrogen gas required to in
ilate them can he carried compressed
in steel cylinders. Imagine Il flock of
such flying foes launched toward our
shores. What could we do for de
fence? Not anything. That is to say,
we could do nothing unless we had
balloons Of our own. We would be
Obliged to surrender and pay whatever
war indemnitirs might be demanded.
On the other hand, no hostile fleet
would dare to come near our coast if
We owned few war balloons. Ac-
cOrdmg to the latest estimates. nearly
500, 900 coo must be expended in or.
der to establish proper coast and har-
Dor defences. Millions of dollars
would have to he spent annually for
the maintenance OF the system thus
created; furthermore, the system IT,
et.lf Nr-,, Il B.. 1. ! II