Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-16

Major Baden-PoWell, brother Of the
British commander at Mafeking, has
caused a revival Of the discussion re-
garding flying machines by drawing
attention to the Importance Of one now
being constructed in Germany by
Count Won Zeppelin.
He describes it as resembling the
slender skeleton of a huge battleship,
made of aluminium, containing a large
number of balloons. Attached to this
frame are cars of the same metal. It's
total lifting capacity is about ten tons,
enabling the vessel to carry stores suf-
.ficient to remain in the air several
days Seventy thousand pounds have
already been spent in the construc-
ton, the plans having been approved
by the German government.
Major BadenPowell says it is hoped
to drive the vessel at the rate Of
twenty-five miles an hour.
According to a royal engineer and
flying machine expert, the British
authorities hold that no flying machine
can hope to attain success unless a
speed of thirty miles is reached. Navi-
cation, even a short distance from the
earth and under normal conditions, is
held to be impossible, unless the power
developed Is equal to the currents,
which circulate, on the average, at a
speed of thirty miles an hour, and
often above that figure.
The idea which for the time being
has come nearer giving practical re-
suit, seeks to attain the power
Of steering the ordinary balloon by
transforming it into an airship.
One of the leading representatives of
this idea is Count Won Zeppelin, who is
at present in Neutrality-suspicious.
building an airship, and who hopes
very shortly to undertake a trial trip
with it.
Count Won Zeppelin is descended
from an old Wurttemberg family, and
as is the custom in most German fami-
lies, embraced a military career He
distinguished himself in the Franco
Prussian war of 1870, and earned for
himself a high place in that conflict.
He belonged to the general staff of the
Wurttemberg army, and on July rs,
noissance in the enemy's country and
captured Lauterburg.
Since he left the service, with the
rank Of major general, he has lived in
Ebersberg on the Bodensee.
A man of Count Won Zepplin's energy
could not long remain inactive. He
devoted himself to scientific studies
and was particularly attracted by the
study of military ballooning, which of
recent years has assumed such i'm
portance in the German army. His
aim was to construct a Siderable air.
ship, and he has for years devoted
himself to the solution of the prob
lem.
After many years of research and ex-
pertinent, especially with view to in
venting a light yet powerful motor
Count Won Zeppelin finally made a
discovery which brought such a ma
chine within the realm of practical
construction. His first experiment
was the construction of a powerful
air propeller, which he attached to a
boat which was driven through the
water by its action in the air. This
action was so powerful that in an eX
pertinent on the River Inn the boat at
tanned a speed of fifteen kilometres per
hour. Thus it was proved that the &C
ton of a screw in the air was suffic-
iently powerful to fulfill all the de-
mands Count Won Zeppelin made on it.
Count Won Zeppelin, on the strength
of the success Of his experiments
founded limited liability company for
the advancement of aerial navigation.
The capital was 100000 marks, of
which Count Won Zeppelin himself sub
scribed the half.
He then chose the Lake Of Constance
as the scene of his experiments. He
had here a fiat surface of 500 square
Kilometres BY choosing a water sur
face he also diminished the danger to
life in case of a sudden fall of the air.
ship, and was at the same time in a
position to follow in boat all the
movements of the aerial vessel.