Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-13
A|RSH|PS HOLD
STAGE IN LONDON
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON, August 12.-London, like Paris
and New York, is now taking a great in
terest in airships The Barton-Rawson air
ship, measuring over 1870 feet in length and
Weighing over six tons, having made it's
initial journey. travelling with a crew Of
four from the Alexandra Palace in the
north of London to near Romford In Essex,
where 1t safely descended. remaining in the
air an hour, and by reason OF its maneu-
verings covering twenty-five miles, ls be-
lieved to have placed that particular air
ship beyond a matter Of speculation and ex-
pertinent.
Interviewed upon the subject DR.. Barton,
one of the inventors. said:
when we once got up we endeavored to
go against the wind, but it was gusty and
strong, sometimes reaching the rate of thir-
ty-f1ve miles an hour. We found we could
combat hostile breeze Of twenty miles an
hour. but not more and sometimes as we
swung round to face the palace we seemed
to hang motionless by the power OF our
propellers until stronger blast than usual
carried us gently backward.
I'VE found we could turn our ship In
circle OF 200 yards. and IL the rudder had
been bigger we could have done 1t in less.
AS we could not go in the face of the wind
we determined to go across 1t, and we made
our way In southeasterly direction over
West Green and then toward Lea bridge
Here We descended to within 200 feet Of the
river, and our trail rope went into the
water. After some maneuvering we rose
to a height of 2.4O0 feet. and presently we
found lull. We put our head to the
breeze, which was now quite light. and we
felt her move through it easily for some
minutes in the direction of the palace.
But the wind increased, and we could
not keep up our progress. We turned our
head and went Epping Forest way Over
Barkingside we stopped the engines and
drifted before the wind out to Essex, and
finally finding an open field some three
miles the other side of Romford we made
our descent which, thanks to the excellent
supervision Of Mr.. Gaudron, was almost
perfect. The bamboo deck on which we
were standing alighted in the field without
so much as a jerk.
Then, however. came an incident For
getful Of balance the four of us gathered
together in the bow. with the result that
the stern Of the ship mounted rapidly in
the air until IT was forty feet or more from
the ground Mr.. Spencer sprang I'D the
framework and pulled the ripping valve"
which cuts hole in the balloon The gas
began to rush out with roar and its force
split the balloon exactly In halves. There
was a roar like thunder, the balloon COL
lapsed, and the framework came crashing
to the ground. None of US were hurt and
thanks to the elasticity and strength of the
bamboo. the only damage done to the ship
consisted in the breaking of one of the
propellers.
Successful as the trip was, It must be
remembered that 1t was conducted under
disadyantageous circumstances. The gas
which had been in the balloon for days
had deteriorated and had lost some of its
lifting powers, and the consequence was
that instead Of the proper euipment of
thirty-two aeroplanes I could take up only
four. Then. of course, there was the wind.
But the trip, In addition to proving the dir
igibility of the airship and its power to
travel against light breeze, has taught
us many technical details which we shall
use In the future. l think our propellers
were too small and were not at the right
angle. also that the framework was too
large and the balloon itself was too large
The motors worked well and l shall have
them just as powerful In the future. And
the motors are really the key to the Sit
uat!on.
Within a month / hope to try an aero
plane flying machine which 1 have just
completed and l shall try 1t without the
balloon at all"