Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-02-23
BALDWW'S NEW AIRSHlP.
Believed by Experts to Surpass any
Flying Machine Het Construct ted.


Captain Thomas Baldwin believes
he has found a way to navigate the air
with fair success. Captain Baldwin,
be 1t known, Is Americas foremost
aeronaut, having been engaged In the
profession of sailing to the clouds
longer and more continuously than
any other citizen of the republic. He
began ballooning In the ordinary way
nearly a quarter of century ago.
Then he invented the modern type OF
parachute and In his inventing and ex-
perimenting, went from one thing to
another until he hit upon the dirigible
balloon type Of airship.
In the past haif decade Captain
Baldwin, who makes his home in Los
Angeles. California, has built Ave diff.
ferent sky craft, all on this general
pattern, but each different in many re-
spects from its predecessor. He hopes
to improve ON even the new airship
which has recently been completed,
but the fact remains that this latest
flying machine Is so far superior to
everything that has gone before 1t that
1t is well worthy of notice.
In the new airship the gas bag or
balloon which lifts It has capacity
of 10000 cubic feet of gas or nearly
twice as much as the bag of the one
which Captain Baldwin exhibited at
the st. Louis Exposition. 1t is made
of Japan silk, oiled inside and out.
From this bag there Is suspended by
means of a net Of cotton seine twine q
framework which contains the pro-
pelling and steering apparatus OF the
airship and which Is known as the
keel" In Captain Baldwin's earlier
inventions this was built OF steel tub
ing and each frame cost 800, but In
the new airship the keel Is of Oregon
spruce. the lightest and strongest
wood in existence.
a Powerful Little Engine.
The engine which furnishes power
for driving the balloon is located about
midway on the keel. 1t consists OF o
gasoline motor very similar to those In
use on motorcycles. The motor
weighs about rs pounds. is capable of
5000 revolutions per minute, and
able to develop 7la horsepower, but 1t
is seldom II ever that SO much energy
Is required even when the aerial flyer
is facing heavy wind.
Attached to the keel at the forward
end of the airship IL the propeller.
has two IS inch blades of painted can
vas. These blades whirl around at the
rate OF two hundred times per minute,
but it will be observed that this pro-
peller Is at the forward end Of the ship
instead of at the stern, where 1t might
naturally be looked for, and this gives
the keynote to one Of Captain Bald
wins most important inventions,
namely, the scheme OF having the rap
idly revolving propeller pull the ship
through the air instead Of pushing 1t
as ship is pushed through the water.
Nearly fifty feet from the propeller,
at the other end of the keel Is the rud-
der by which the steering Is accom-
plished This rudder Is about six by
eight feet in size and consists OF
canvas stretched upon q wooden
frame. Attached to the framework Of
the keel is also tank which is ca.
pable Of holding two gallons Of gaso-
line. The navigator Of the new Bald.
win airship has nothing in the way of
platform on which to stand. but
must balance himself on the skeleton
| framework Of the keel, bracing himself
by means Of the net which suspends
the keel from the gas bag.
Baldwin's new airship cost him more
than 1880 and by reason Of the gas
required to initiate 1t as we'll as other
expenses, each ascension costs In the
neighborhood OF $3.50. The hydrogen
gas which is employed to lift the bal
loon and to maintain 1t in position
where the propeller can do Its work is
manufactured by combining iron
filings or borings, sulphuric acid and
water on the basis Of one part acid
and one part iron to fou.' parts water