The Washington herald., 1907-09-15
BUILDING Big AIRSHIP
England'S First War Balloon
Nearly Ready.
KEEP IT CLOSELY GUARDED
Secrets OF Construction Carefully
Yelled by AUthOrities-FIyer wiu
BE Eighty Feet Long and Have
Great Lifting Capacity-Soon to
Float over AIdershot.

London, Sept. I4-Unless something un-
foreseen occurs within the next fortnight
AldershOt viii see the first OF the British
feet of military airships floating over it,
For TWO years the work of building a
military airship has been in progress,
both Col. Templar and Col. Capper, r. e,
having been engaged in the task. The
latter is now in command Of the aerial
section, but Col Templar is still consult
ed and frequently visits the establishment.
Progress was very slow until recently.
when the great development Of conti-
mental airships gave an impetus 10 Eng
hsh designers Since then the work has
proceeded rapidly.
Somewhat of French Type.
The new airship will probably be found
10 approximate the type Of the French La
Patrie. a sausage-shaped balloon. made
of the best material and heavily lac
Quered, carries a light framework Of steel
and bamboo. The envelope is Of great
hfting power. and Is nearly eighty feet in
length by thirty feet in diameter. Both
planes and fan prOpeIers are used in the
direction and propulsion Of the airship.
and the models tried have in "a remark
able degree answered their helm. d struc-
ture similar 10 that ON the Ia Pairie
% Some useful suggestions have been OBJ
taiued from the German airsbips with
whose construction the AIdershot special
list staff are familiar.
Petrol viii be the motive power in the
engines, which are OF the motor type.
Unfortunately, there has been some tr0u-
BILE with these, and the experts are work
ing hard TO lessen their liability 10 strain.
The difficulties are now surmounsed. and
there is every prospect that greatly i'm
proved engine Will result Already the
motor contains much that is an advance
on tie French and German engines. II
is llght and promises n he very reliable.
Nothing DEFINITE is fixed as. to the trial
TIP 0t thr new airship. but IL viii DE
FIRST tried in calm weather. Il is sug-
geS,ed that il shall be called the Edward
VII because the King inspected it some
time ago.
How the secret Is Kept.
Tie new airship is lodged in huge shed
cn-the Swans road which forms part Of
the largo balloon factory which Alder
shot Possesses. The building Tor the con-
struction of the airship is OF "a peculiar
shape. rising TO a cl-restory rnof The
lighting is through windows high up in
tie zine walls, SO that a. one can see
wha, is inside except by the use Of a
forty-foot ladder. Strict guard is kept
over the whole of the balloon establish
ment
Col Capper has considerable staff NJ
work III his department where much ex-
perimcnting is going on in other ways
than on the war machine All his men
manifest the keenest interest in the sue
cess Of the new airship, and arc Loyalty
cooperating 10 prevent valuable details
Of is construction leaking ouu So keenly
are they concerned that It is not advisable
for any one Of foreign appearance 10 ven
ture near the balloon factories Apart
from the aeToplane. Col Capper has on
hand large number OF experimental war
kites. These are being built in a smaller
shed in front of that containing the air
ship. The kites are the invention of AIr
Cody, United States subject who, with
his Two sons. has been taken into the
service Of the British government An
other gentleman engaged on the airship
has quite unofficial position but acts
as the experimenting engiheeer.