Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-12-02
GEN. GRO IER TALKS ABOUT
BOMBS FOR THE SKY NAVY
Aerial Ships Now a Fact and the Gov.
ernnie1t is Wrestling With the Diff
eulty Of Accurate Firing.

the reason for that is found In the
statement of Gen. Crozier that much
OF the value ot9a machine for dropping
explosive missiies depends on the &c.
cpracy Of aim and the ability to poise
or. Keep the machine still in the air
The government has already several
balloons which are of an improved
make. g.. 49,
The Views Of Experts.
Some Of the experts say that bal.
loon carrying explosives would be
safe at, On elevation of 1000 yards,
While others regarded the safety point
at about $500 to 5000 yards. Great
artillery cahnot be used against them,
because of the difficulty OF elevating
the guns to very high angle, and the
perpendicular would be chosen by the
balloon or air ship. The best means
of assailing them would be with the
military rifle.
:. The other possibility is, of course,
that the enemies air ships should be
assailed by the attacking party's air
ships. and such, indeed. would be the
most spectacular, fatal, and disastrous
of all battles.
Owing to the great height which
the balloon must maintain to hurl its
bombs. It Is extremely difficult, OF
course, to hit given object. even
such as great fortress, because 1t
would be very small speck at the
point of aerial observation. The
greater would be the difficulty If the
attack on such place were made by
an air ship. All OF these difficulties,
however, are expected to disappear in
time.
Members Of the Board OF Ordnance
and Notifications believe that the
Wright brothers air ship is on the
line OF success, built on the practical
BILE principle, and that it has made
successful fights. carrying a man.
A Squirt In BaIlooning.
Gen. Allen Of the Signal Corps, said
he believes the ballooning business
about to take on a great squirt in
America. He makes. of course, a broad
distinction, between the balloon as
war machine. he having charge of that
branch Of the. subject. and the flying
machine as an engine Of war, n mat
ter with which the Board of Ordnance
and Fortifications deals. He does not
care to speak OF the Lebaudy exploits.
or the report which came to his office
informally that France would invest
In squadron of air ships.
OF course, he does not tell what par
ticular progress ia being made by his
department, but 1t iB certain that the
balloons for the American army are
up to date in every regard, and, in
fact. have surprises in store for any
future antagonist in the field or at
sea. =
The important fact was learned that
It is not absolutely necessary that
Congress should have to be appealed
70 In case the Board of Ordnance and
Qualifications should decide to buy
flying machine
The board could buy 1t out of appro.
priations in hand, but the government
would have to appropriate money for
further and general construction.
& Chairman Hull, Of the military COM
mittee, said that the flying machine
as an aid to military defense and at
tack and was naturally subject that is
now Interesting the world. He does
not think, however, that Congress
would Inappropriate money unless the
military committee has been assured
by experts like Crozier and Allen that
the actual practical machine had been
invented, and could do what it was al.
legged It could do.
1t Is nevertheless likely that, as
with the submarine boat, efforts NAV
be made at the coming session of Con
gress to have specific appropriation
put into the military bill for the Dur.
chase OF fully tested flying machines
as "a part Of the equipment OF the
United States army.