The Washington times., 1904-11-20

Gle. II l attempt to shift my weight TO
alter the angle OF the machine, then
lose my steering power on account OF
having 10 give up the ruddeP. You must
have your hand on thar every moment
But when one learns how-and tbs
art Is soon acquiFeo-lt IS almost as easy
10 direct an airship as It's flight looks
10 the people below.
''Lsndsmen may think that dfzziness
would be one OF the perils Of the aero
maui but IL Is not 50. 1 take pleasure.
when 1 have time, IN looking down on
the landscape There is something about
the motion OF a balloon or airzhip
which relieves the Yoyager entirely OF
that dizzy feeling which he experiences
when standing on a high building. OF at
the edge OF a precipice. and which
prompts him To hurl himself down.
have never been al FL dizzy, and other
balloOnists tell me that they have the
same 7imrn unity. ] feel entirely diner
ent looking down from balloon from
what l do when stationed un anything
attached TO the earth.
Raced Across Field.
''Yet one is not so remote rom earth
in the airship. IN my fight Wednesday.
when 1 was fully Go feet high, called
down 10 Mr.. Baldwin: Get out the
aut0mobile! SO that he might follow
me, and he heard me.
THE thrOng OF people around me on
Wednesday were part of the reason, l
think. that the trial that day was no
better than IL was. / must admit that
a crowd makes me nervous. You never
know what the people are going - do.
they may clip on piece Of the silk Ia
their craze Tor souvenirs ana then all
their comments are heard by the aero
naut N his preparations.
But ! took Z certain pleasure, after
ALL IN the enthusiasm of the people
During the preparations tn excitement
was intense. The onlOokers-and tbs
gate receipts VIII show how multitude
nous they weFe-Were all saying: Do
start. their voices are drowned in the
putting OF the engine. That is all l can
hear.
ION preparing 10 make a landing. as
! did on Wednesday. In the corn held,
fifteen miles away. ] glanced down. and
saw In the various roads leading in THAI
direction automobiles tearing along,
loaded down with enthusiastic fellows.
AS / came down, they burst into the
field and raced across II at their best
clip, They were covered with dust from
head TO foot. but had forgotten every
thing except the pleasure OF the mo-
THE thought occurred TO me that
here were these diguified men. holding
positions In the world. who. after all.
were nothing but geOWn-up boys, out
for EoOd time, and playing away like
children. Then came the terrible task
or towing the ship home. avoiding wire
fences and watching the ropes that they
should not be caUSht
The ascent on wednesday % which I
have spoken when by throwing out ten
hanGfuls OF sand ] went up l.O00 feet
shows how nicely balanced the Ar
row Is. The smallest weight has an
effect. Even quarter of a dollar makes
difference IN the balance, But the
adjustment is so perfect that IL Is Casi-
~ possible TO make an ascent ard fiisht
and land again without throwing cut a
particle Of ballast.
Easy to Drop Bomb
las ! sailed the last time over the
''Woman's magazine" ] thought how
simple a matter Il would be 10 drop
little bottle OF nitroglycerin on IL and
put the building out OF existence. With
a dirigble airship like this one the prob
lem. for instance, OF blowing up Port
Arthur would be reduced 10 easy terms
some one suggested 10 ME, suppose
the japanese government We're 90 offer
YOU and SIR. Baldwin Slo0 600 to aid them
with the airship, would YOU gor
can't say what Mr. Baldwin's answer
myself. would not be mixed up in ID for
million The alrship in such surround
ings would become the center OF their
firing. IL would take only one shell 10
reduce the Arrow 90 such destruction
that not an inch square Of her silk
would remain The only safety to her
| captain would be the tOlerably probable
/ chance that neither the Russians nor
anyone else could gauge the altitude 50
/ as 20 make a sure aim 4 cloud Ia the
/ sky u something a very few marksmcn
| can hit
There would lie a similar uncertainty
| about the atrshiI. Yet n the prOjectMes
/ Old strike the mark nothing but 4 pro-
I found pauiotisnt could make allowance
/ FOR So horrible a death There would all
4 WAYS be danger unless the airship
/ hhoold eail two ar three miles above
greatly limit its efficiency in dropping
| explosives"