New-York tribune., 1907-10-29
AIRSHIP vs.. SUBMARINE
FIRST 1NTTDOTES SECOND.
AeronauticaL Congress Discusses
Nezo Adjunct to Warfare.


Development of airship adjuncts of warfare
vas the chief topic under consideration AT The
first session of the International Aeronautical
Congress yesterday in the rooms of the Auto-
mobile Club of America, in West 54th street
Professor Willis L. Moore. chief of the United
States Weather Bureau, told briefly of the ad-
vance in aeronautics, and the balloonists who
were in the James Gordon Bennett Cup race
told Of some of their experiences
OF the military and naval experts. Admiral
c. n. Chester. L. S. N, was the first TO sneak
He is an earnest advocate of the heavier than
air machine. He told how important it was
that the navy should take up aeronautics at once
in the same earnest way other nations Rus
sia and Japan used the captive balloon to good
effect.
'The airship is TO become the antidote for the
submarine Admiral Chester said s'NapoIeon"
he went on, ''once said that one of his most
important reverses was due to his failure to
secure Fulton's steamship, which had been Of
fered 10 him and which he refused"
He warned his hearers that the United States
must not run the risk of losing a similar valu-
able aid through neglect to recognize its oppor-
tunities- He said that most of the officers in
his branch Of the service were anxious 70 take
up the study. and many OF them already were
well read on the subject. They lacked prac-
tcal training, however. so the admiral advo-
Gated the establishment of a balloon depot for
the navy.
With the growth and further development of
the petrol and gas engine Admiral Chester be-
neved that il would not be long before an aero
plane was part of the equipment of the vessels
Of the navy. The Prince of Monaco already has
invented an aeroplane for such a purpose. Ad-
miral Chester also described the great advan-
tage It would be to have feet of airships as
scouts and to swoop down on the approaching
submarines.
Following Admiral Chester's address a COM
fnittee Of three was appointed to draft a memo
rial TO Congress TO make an appropriation for
seronautical research by the navy and military
The committee, consisting Of Professor A. Law
renee Roch. director OF the Blue Hill Observa-
tory; J. c. Mccoy and Carl E. Myers adopted
resolution asking President Roosevelt to call
the attention OF Congress TO the advisabiity OF
establishing aeronautical depots commensurate
with those of other nations.
Major George o. Squires, OF the United States
Signal Corps, said in his address that aeronau-
tics would be the fourth arm Of the ser
vice and it's most important one. The Man
churian campaign. he said, had shown thor
oughly the value OF the airship, and he pre-
dicted that It would ultimately revolutionize
warfare.
Professor Moore, who made the opening
speech, told OF the work which had been done
abroad TO develop the flying machine as an
added arm to the government defence, and men
toned the Lack of interest taken by the Amer
ican government, although American inventors
have taken the lead in the development OF the
heavier than air type. In part. he said on this
subject:
In the United States the government has done
building dirfgible
looms. This has been left private initiative, and
psie @ Mr. h Mr. ifS BALDWIN fdG and
Sow = he8 eV could 6 baTe ed shown mGMn oPa Sa see
If they had built larger ships. but this was be-
cost $4,000 On the other hand, Mr. Wein1an has
the daring project to reach the North Poie and
Il IS earnestly hoped that his third attempt next
Although the. United States has done very little
g"s 2%a5d & &SevIe9Ping I The dirgibe baoop it has pro
n 1Ss4 Ader in 1887. Kress in 1901 and Langley in
not obtained SATISFACTORY rests TheZ underto t
too much at once-L e, to work out simultaneously
and it's pr0beg on g eY T IT'S m us t motor
q equpoise; Their apparatus proved unstable and
more critical still they had no previous experience
early as 1896 that the first problem be solved
His advice was followed bX Pcber and and pr 2bs
Wright, OF Dayton. Ohio, whose improvements
Inents with gliding machines they added motor
and a propeller OF their design and
were enabled on December IL to make four flights
with their dynamic flying machine, the longest
being b52 feet in length, against icy gusty wind
blowing at twenty miles hour They greatly
improved upon this in 1904. and finally perfected
en apparatus which few. in 1906 twenty four miles
On a stretch at thirty-eight miles hour.
After he had finished speaking Professor
Moore asked some Of the contestants In the
Bennett cup race TO tell Of their experiences
J. c. Mccoy told Of his trip in the America with
Captain Charles De Forest Chandler of the
United States Signal Corps. n. LIE Blanc fol-
lowed speaking in French. NJ Rene Cashier
another French contestant, spoke in English
Major Hersey praised the work done by Leo
Stevens in getting the balloons Off When he
was travelling in the United States and had
Just crossed the Mississippi they sailed near the
tallest smokestack they saw anywhere Down
below they suddenly heard sound like Sec
ond mate passing the time Of day TO a half
asleep crew. In a few minutes they made out
That the motif running through the speech OF
an excited red shirted Irishman down below
was: Don't run your id old balloon into
tins smokestack" They didn't.
DR.. Albert F. zahm, professor of mechanics