Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-28
STUDIED WAR BALLOONS
COL. COOKE DOES NOT THINK
MUCH OF THEM.
Says Their Use Will Be Limited by
the Low Elevation They Reach
and Feeble Carrying Power.

| Special Cablegram to The Star.
PARIS. October 2s.-Col. Gadke. retired,
| of the German army, has published his
| views here on dirigibe ballooning and
its applica ton to military purposes. Col.
| Gadke begins by pointing out that so far
| the ascents made In France. as also IN
| Germany. have proved but one thing.
namely. that the problem of dirigible bal
| looms is solvable, and that the ef1orts
which have been devoted thereto imply
more than mere daring and costly sport.
He recognizes that the hopes entertained
ONLY a few years ago have been greatly
SURPASSED by the success of French con-
structors At the same time, many of
tho favorable ascents which called forth
the amazement and admiration of the
hubble took place in conditions which Will
rarely be met with in time or war. IN
deed according to certain accounts II
looks as If some of the aScentS had been
suddenly interrupted In order TO aVolo
the admission of failure. So far the aitl-
tude attained has been moderate ana tne
duration of the experiments relauNeiS
short Col. Gadke says that so faT as ne
is aware the balloon Patrle iaceu WIN
success a wind blowing at the rate OF
more than fourteen meters second.
Rut there are engineers who CONSIDER
that the problems will only be SoiVeo
when the aerOStat is able to steer az
certain speed against a wind of from
twenty to twenty-five meters Secoitu
In the near future the only system to De
reckoncd with will be the French one
already improved in the Patrle, ana II Is
70 the further improvement OF tha' moe
that all efforts Will no douoe ,enu ~,
is evident that the advance secured by
France. and in the second place py Ger
many, will be caught up IN he" years
nv other civilized nations
Good for Observation.
Col Gadke goes on to say that in reality
tho di,.igjble balloon can only be con-
sidered from twofold standpoint-as
means of undertaking "Reminiscences ana
Transmitting orders and Information and
as defensive weapon. 1t Is true, he
savs that in Germany people gifted with
lively imaginations have foretold Its ap-
ulication as a means of transport. put
according to him. ii is only the first OF
those applicationS which can at present
he taken into account as having more or
less a practical military value. If up to
the present dirigible balloons have only
attained a low altitude which did not Sc
cure them sufficiently against the enects
of existing firearms, 1t Is perm1sslnie 70
hone that before long that defect Will pe
remedied. For reconnaissance ana tne
transmission of Information a crew Oh
four to nine men would be more than
sufficient. Ii is, perhaps, for the purpose
of est ablishing communications between
besiesed fortress and the interior of the
country the armies in the field and the
government that drigibie balloons Will
render the best service. If the weather
is favorable 1t will be possible to discover
at glance the direction of the march or
the whole army and to give immediate in
formation of the disposition and strength
of the different columns and the points
where they happen to be. If that We're
the only advantage 1t would be ample
compensation for the trouble and money
devoted to the solution of the problem
Within a few years all the great military
powers will possess sufhclent NUMBER
of dirigible balloons and well-trained
crews. Should the aeroStatS of two hos
tile armies meet in the air they will, of
course endeavor to fight and destroy
each other. Thus war will include new
horror This leads to the consideration
engine. The crews will probably be sup
piled with instruments of destruction,
which 1t will not be difficult to find In
any case the men will be provided with
air guns and will endeavor to destroy the
enemys balloon.
Are Not Transports.
After claiming that the war balloon
cannot be considered more inhuman than
other engines of war. as, for instance, the
submarine torpedo, Col Gadke expresses
skepticism as regards artillery balloons
and the part they may be called upon to
play, and gives 1t as his conviction that
it is in fighting around a fortress that the
dirigible balloon will find enough to do
and will be able to render the best serv-
Ice as an offensive weapon. The more
that dirigible balloons are improved the
greater will be the perfection acquired in
the weapons destined to combat them both
on land and from men-of-war. The dirigi-