The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-09-04
TO EUROPE BY A|RSH|P
Bold Prediction Made by a Ger
man Scientist.
FIFTY DOLLARS PER TRIP.

WI 0OVu 0S sV000 ~ TOUT 1AyOD
Says German Seientist-United States
Will Then Be the Worlds Most En-.
WED Country.
A remarkable statement comes from
Rudolph Martin. a German scientist
and imperial councillor. He declares
that before long We'll make the trip to
Europe by airships. Martin is the lead
Ing European writer on ~aeronautics.
He is one Of the chiefs Of the Stats
teal department Of the German gov
eminent, so that his conclusions con-
corning airships are not those of a
! visionary dreamer, but Of q hardhead.
ed scientific man of figures, says the
Brooklyn Citizen. His recen book,
Berlin to Bagdad," describing the con.
quest Of Europe by Germany through
the employment Of airships, created a
great sensation in military circles.
Martins statement Is as follows:
"Within ten years transatlantic pas
sages through the air will have be-
some a regular and normal method of
journeying between Europe and Amer.
lea. The voyages will be made in four
days at a cost Of $50 for a first class
ticket. This is not the dream of an en-
thusiast. but is a sober statement
based on scientific deductions.
"Only those interested know what
giant strides have been made in the
past few years in airship construction.
The principle Of air navigation has
been solved. and the world Is on the
point of seeing the principle put into
practical operation. The Wright broth
ers in America. Count Zeppelin in Ger
many and Count de la Vaulx and Le-
baudy in France have all contributed
to solve the initial difficulties.
1.-THE type Of airship that will be
employed for travelling between Amer
lea and Europe undoubtedly will he
based on the aluminium vessel Of
Count Zeppelin. 1t will have a cubic
measurement Of 100000 feet, will be
from COO to 700 feet long and con
structed as a luxe ship, for first class
travel, and will be able to carry thirty
passengers. 1t will race from Ham
burg to New York within 40 hours.
Such a ship will cost about $4,000 to
build and equip and will be a good
paying venture at a charge Of $50 a
passenger, with cheaper rates to come
later.
ut is easy to see what a revolution
this will effect In transatlantic travel.
1t is as impossible to guard airship
construction by patents as it is to pro
tect sailing ships, and any balloon
maker will be able to build an air e s
sci. The cheapness of construction
will permit many rival companies to
enter the field, and there will he no
possibility Of forming a trust.
1.-THE coming era Of airship travel
will make America the most envied
country in the world. Her position
will be unique. and she will become
predominant on this planet. Every ma
ton in Europe Will be in the presence
Of new and hitherto unthought Of dan
gers through airships. England will
cease to he an island. and all the els
Atlantic cou1tries will be in dread Of
a sudden dec; @aration Of war and mid
night commandments by a feet Of
aerial warships. Only America Is Inn
mune against such q sudden surprise
In the air. The great distance an air
ship would have to travel either In
crossing the Atlantic or Pacific to at
tack the United States is Americas
safeguard. Almost all the space on
the airship would have to I've utilized
for the necessary moun of henzine to
make the double journey across the
ocean and back again. There would be
only a small place for men and ammu.
milton, and certain defeat would he
the result Of any such campaign
against the great republic Of the west
ern hemisphere.
THE chief danger to America il he.
own inventive genius. If Edison were
to invent Il small electric engine capa
Bile Of developing enormous power
then conditions would be changed. but
I am persuaded that this will not come
In the lifetime Of any ~ yet born.
III in the next decade the United
States were attacked by combined
British and Japanese fleets Of sea war
ships America would find an aeria
squadron the best means of defense
With the motor in the air the United
States could simply laugh at an Anglo
Japanese attack. If a war with Japal
We're to come now Americas position
would be far from enviQble. but giv'
the United States Il hundred airship'
Of the type i LSaudy's ratrie ant
Japan's w%arships would never return
from their transpaciic voyage If tn
! Tokyo government were to order then
10 the American coast"