The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-15
SAIL THE AIR OR SEA
A Curious Combination for Use in
the War With Spain.

That the War Department and the
Signal Service Bureau intend to use war
balloons and airships extensively as soon
as active operations in the field are be-
gun is acknowledged by no less an au-
thoritv than General A. W. Greedy,
Chief Signal Officer, and that the govern
ment has for some time been quietly
making experiments with several new
inventions along this line, which have
been brought to the attention OF the
signal service office officials by their
designers, is also freely acknowledged.
The latest and one of the most promi-
nent of these inventions to come under
review and receive careful attention is an
airship devised by Thomas Creper a
well-posed electrician OF Grand Rapids,
Mich.
Mr.. Creper claims that his craft is emf
nently pratical and particularly adapted
for war purposes. The machinery for
propelling the ship is not complicated,
while a system OF aeroDlanes PARALLEL
with the sides of the airship, are de-
signed to prevent pitching and tossing
while moving either up or down in the
various air currents
Taken altogether the craft, which is
cigar shaped, has decided lines OF beauty,
as well a., of utility. Leading experts
have greatly encouraged Mr. Creper in
the pursuance of his latest undertaking.
He is known as the patentee of several
valuable inventions and with his genius
in this line he has fair chance before
him of many years Of usefulness.
He claims that he has discovered an
inexpensive gas that is OF greater buoy
ancy than hydrogen gas, but he refuses
to include its description in his patents,
as he wants to keep that point secret,
claiming that it is Of very great import
ance in handling aerial vessels.
When questioned the other day regard
ing his airship for war purposes Mr..
Creper said: "Whcn designing my ship
| had what consider Il very important
fact in mind; that is, that at certain
times an aerial craft must alight on the
water.
cat the present time with balloons in
use such a result is disastrous to all on
board. consequently believe that some
provision should be made in an air-hip
which is to be entirely practical 10,
:, travelling in the water as wei as in the
air.
'In order to overcome this difficulty it
was niece Ssarv to pattern my invention
us much "a possible after a boat, 50 with
this in view the connection was begun
at the bottom like the foundation Of a
house, or as any ordinary vessel would
be built by first laying the keel and SC
on up to he decks, and finished with 8
; pair Of small propelIcr+ for use in the
> water.
, AS She stands at present my crart
/ will float in water or air and is capable
! Of making several miles an hour in the
, water under favorable circumstances ,anC
she is perfectly seaworty under any
conditions.
''The motive power will be a gasoline
thoroughly tested and the one having
+ the least vibration will be selected. Al
they are automatic they require little o
=, no attention. The whole ship will b,
constructed Of aluminium wherever it cal
+ be applied, while cclluloid will be sub
/ stituted for glass.
. ''Two persons can handle my shi,
g without difficulty continuously, one fo
day and the other for night service. an,
a sufficient fuel can be carried to trave
n several thousand miles without ben!
n repleniShed.
every part of the craft has been prac
tically tested, not only by myself, bu
by the scientific men of this and Euro
pean countries, and every one of then
has stated that they ar. thoroughly sat
istied with the result of each identica
" part.
81 must give some credit to other in
"a ventors Of airships by stating that hay
If taken advantage Of all former expert
,s ments. in the line Of successful aeria
i navigation. In fact, might say hay
N N only put the finishing touch upon wha
, has been done by others, so as to as
! Semble the whole into one practicabl
~ body, which will be seen and recoe
Il nizcd at once as being all that is caime
" for it.
"ro go into detail and explain cac
.. part individually would require NOR
# space than any publication would car
J. to devote at one issue. | might say
\, however, that gas much more buoyan
~ than hydrogen will be used to suppol
% V the ship, while the craft can be built 70
). a 1.-THE Of the cost of an average mon
Ia tor