New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-31
BALLOONS IN II -IR.
jays and Russians May No7o Drop
Bombs on Each Other.

\ Much speculation - 10 tuIdiiS eAN4~S~ -
expiration last Friday of prohibition placed
upon a certain method OF conducting warfare
by the International Peace Conference at The
Hague An agreement was entered into at that
time by more than of nations To re-
frain from the use Of proIectiles which might
be dropped from balloons IF bombs which upon
explosion would diffuse sunocatng gases, AMI
of explosive bullets.
To the second Of these provisions the United
States aud England withheld their consent. but
the others were adopted unanimously. Again.
regarding the second and third there appears
10 have been no tins limit As for the first of
them. it was explicitly agreed that abstinence
was 70 continue for five years only. The confer
ence adjourned On July ~ 1853 and the yroh-
bition dated from that day
Some Of the military possibilities Of tie bal
loon were promptly perceived Immediately after
1t invented. The first notable ascent by the
MontgoIfer brothers occurred III 1883. Within
ten years thereafter a regular school of aerosta-
tion was established at Meudon. under the au-
spices of the army. and in 1894 the head of it,
Colonel Coutelli. took up with him to a height
of over "a mile general and adjutant to OBJ
serve the position and strength of a hostile force
This incident occurred on the eve Of the battle
of Freurus and the reconnaissance gave the
French distinct advantage over the Austriars
Telegraphy had not then come into use. Hence
the information which was secured was trans
mitted to the commander only after the de-
scent of the balloon Nevertheless IL coatrfb,It-
ed directly to the decisive victory which fol-
lowed On that occasion the airship was pre-
vented from going astray by means OF a rope
and windlass- an expedient which has been gem
orally adopted ever since when balloons have
been employed for observation At Santiago In
1888 there was, in addition to the rope a teie-
graph WIRE by means OF which the signal Off
Ger aloft could communicate directly and in
simultaneously with headquarters
Balloons have been used in almost every great
war for a century. The first Napoleon took
number of them into Egypt in order To impress
the Arabs with the superiority OF European
ideas In the siege of Paris, 1S70-11. the AZ
tempt was made 10 establish postal communica-
ton by means of airships between the be-
leaguered city and the national authorities out
side. but this did not work so satisfactorily as
the carrier pigeon service. After all the prin-
cipal military of the balloon hitherto has
been reconnaissance and one officer after an
other has testified To the help thus received
Lord Wolseley has asserted that he finished
his campaign in the Soudan far more quickly
than would otherwise have been possible be-
cause Of such aid.
An observer In captive balloon is exposed
to great danger from the enen:y's guns Even
CouteIlc over a century ago was threatened
by q cannon shot, and was obliged to let out
more rope To insure safety. To-day the Mauser
and other rides carried by infantry soldiers
have range of three miles cr more. A. San
tago showers of we'll directed bullets flew
around the signal officers who we're on duty
and whose elevation wcs at no time greater
than SEQ feet. There were narrow escapes from
instant death on that account. to say nothing
OF injury from premature descent had the bal
loon been badly puucturcd.
Such risks have furnished an important In
ceutive for experiments with airships which
could be kept moving by suitable machinery.
I'm the United States the War Department has
lent encouragement to Professor Langley for
that reason. and several European powers have
pursued a similar policy for at least twenty
years. The prototype Of the Santos Dumont ma
chine was developed by two French army Off
GERS, Renard and krebs They used electric
power instead Of gasolene engines TO drive their
screws but they adopted the cigar shaped gas
bag, in order TO lessen the resistance encouut-
cred from the atmosphere while flying horizon
tally. They are said 10 be the first aerouauts who
described a complete circle in the air while aioft,
thus demonstrating the feasibility of Steering
and propelllng craft Of this kind No speeds have
Yet been developed which exceed fifteen or six
teen miles an hour and no voyage has yet ex-
further Improvement i'm these directions is need
ed. though to pu: in the hands Of military men
agent Of largely increased power. Not only
will q good flying machine. properly managed.
be bic 10 keep out of the way Of an enemy while
engaged I'm reconnaissance. but II should he able
To assume the aggressive and work fearful
havoc.
The Kind If service which now bec ONES per
MISSILE has not hitherto been attempted. for
a variety Of reasons The agreement made at
The Hague five years ago has interfered tenn
porarly. Before that prohibition took effect
there had been no important war for a con-
siderable period Resides. the airship had not
reached its present state Of development. How
ever both in America and Europe Il number of
wide awake men have considered plans for max
ing trouble for an enemy in new ways. One
scheme Is 10 operate iu the air mechanism
akin 10 the Whitehead torpedo. The latter pro-
pels and steers itself after being launched in
the water. The aerial torpedo il designed for
horizontal flight could be liberated from a ap-
tive balloon or elevated station on iaUd.
from "a self-propelled ai~Shtp of the santos DU-
mont type II has also been proposed 20 drop
torpedoes from craft OF the latter kind
venient position first being reached above an
army or e.. town. or even over ship at sea
Were these torpedOeS filed with dynamite
GuEcottOn they might do much damage. though
il is Impossible To say how much. santos llu-
mont has pointed out that from one of his ai~-
ships 1t might be possible To nit q submarine
boat, even IL the latter was submerged The
former heins moro utmhle than the latter. could