, 1900-10-03
TO SOAR VERY HIGH.
Count Zeppelin's Air ship Almost Ready
for the Trial Trip.

count zeppelin Air ship Almost Ready
for the Trial Trip.
News comes from Europe that the
flying machine designed by Count Yep
pelin of the German army has been
completed. and is about to be put to a
series of trials. Unusual interest is
centered on this machine because Of
the magnitude of the scheme and be-
cause Of the association with it of such
a distinguished name as Count Zeppe-
lin. An idea of the enormity of the
scheme may be gathered from the fact
that before any work was begun a
floating construction plant was erected
on Lake Constance 450 feet in length
and 65 feet high. In the boat house
the foundation of the ship was laid,
and since then the entire construction
has been carried on within its four
walls. The air ship itself is 400 feet
long, with a diameter of IS feet. The
exterior is aluminium, while the power
is furnished by two sixteen horse
power Daimler motors. and the crew
consists of five men. The cross section
Of the ships body amounts to 315
square feet. and the entire surface Of
opposition, projected on a vertical
plane. amounts to about $40 feet. In
construction the ship is a form of
latticework, with steel stretching wires.
Outside the lattice is a smooth cover
ing of cloth, consisting of pegamoid on
top and silk cloth below, which is
stretched over the network of ramie
fiber that forms a cover FOR the metal
frame. The body of the balloon is d.
vided into seventeen cross sections, or
compartments, each of which is about
% feet lorg, except W. of about 121a
feet in length. Each compartment
contains an inflated balloon, proteced
from rubbing against the metal walls
by a covering of ramie fiber. In front
and at the real of the ship, both above
and below, are steering gears, and at
the sides are two pairs of four bladed
screw propeller three and a half feet
in diameter. The advantage Of the
Zeppelin system of cells, here put into
practice for the first time. is in this
case made apparent; for in the event
of a material increase in weight the
length of the ship offers a steadiness
not to be obtained in any other form
Of construction. The escape of gas is
also confined to small spaces. Close
below the air ship, and closely fitted
to it, forming a keel, is a gallery $50
feet long, with aluminium cages. This
carries. besides the crew Of five men,
two sixteen horse power Daimler mo-
tors and ninety quarts of benzine, cal
culated to last ten hours. The COM
bined weight of the motors amounts
to 1,430 pounds, the hourly consump-
ton Of benzine being 26 pounds. AS
a result Of It's II 800 square yard gas
supply Count Won Zeppelin's inven-
ton possesses a carrying capacity OF
a corresponding measurement. Ac-
cording to the calculations of the
builder. Engineer Kubler, the entire
weight Of the ship. including the crew,
does not exceed ten tons, notwithstand-
ing in length it measures the size of
an ordinary ocean greyhound. 1nclud-
ed in this figure is a water ballast OF
one and a half tons. Practical expert
ments with the motor in a boat on
Lake Constance have demonstrated
that each motor consumes hourly II
pounds of benzine. Each benZine tank
holds about 100 pounds Of benzine, or
sufficient for a ten hours run. Within
this time it is reckoned that with a
velocity of SO feet per SECOND the ship
would cover $50 miles in ten hours, or
the distance from Philadelphia to New
York and return. There is, however.
nothing to prevent the carriage Of suf-
hcient ballast in the shape of benzine
tanks to provide for a RUIZ OF from 30
to 40 hours. or 721 miles. the distance
from Berlin to HOme.-Philadelphia
Record.