The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-08
BALLOONS FOR
USE IN war
How Far Conquest Of the
Air Has Been Ac-
complished.
DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS.
Can Be Used For War Only
on Calm Days at
Present.

In Its entirety there is no subject
more fascinating than that of aerial
navigation, and especially is this true
Of its military aspects. Dreamers Of
world power to be suddenly achieved
invoke the aid Of some wondrous in
vention which gives its owners the abb
solute dominion Of the air and the
consequent supremacy on land and
sea. Here certainly is a splendid field
for speculative romance.
AS long as the visionary nature of
the dream was frankly acknowledged,
writes T. I'll. Ledeboer In the London
Daily Mail, well and good. But quite
recently it has been gravely and re-
peatedly asserted by responsible per-
sons that this conquest Of the air is
almost, If not entirely, a fait ac-
compli, that future wars will be
fought ont in the air by fleets Of
flying machines and squadrons Of air.
ships. Nations are soberly said to be
constructing these new engines Of war
IN all secrecy.
When we come to look closely into
the matter, however, we find that the
only existing facts In this direction are
two dirigible balloons-one in France
the other in Germany Both have had
several trials; both have been very
fairly successful. But before it is
possible to estimate in how far they
are suitable instruments of war, it is
essential to lay down clearly the pur-
poses Of military aeronautics, as often
misunderstood. These are: To direct
the artillery fire on the enemy's posi-
ton; to reconnoitre tile enemys lines
and spy out the disposition of his
forces; to destroy his troops, stores
and fortifications by dropping explo-
sIves; and lastly, to transport troops
with speed and safety, possibly over
ground that could not be covered by
any other means.
For the first of these purposes the
dirigible balloon is scarcely so suitable
ais an ordinary captive balloon, and
certainly less so than a man lifting
kite. Its huge bulk would offer far
too obvious target for the enemy's
guns.
For the other purposes, however, no
more admirable instrument could well
be devised than dirigible balloon,
provided that it fulfls certain condi-
lions. The proviso, however, is es-
sential. Briefly, to be of any use from
a military point Of viey, an airship
must possess the following qualities
High speed and large lifting power in
order to move aginst the wind and es-
frn at Ixr
ing rapidly at fairly low elevation
or by temporarily rising to great
height; extended radius of action to
enable it to return to its base; per-
feet stability during flight; dirigibility
against head winds and cross cur
rents, and absolute safety in ascend
ing, and more especially In landing I'M
der adverse circumstances.
In how far now can La Patrie and
Count Won zeppelin's balloon be said
to possess these essential qualities? To
begin with, the all important ques-
ton of speed. From the official re-
ports relating to the performances of
both airships, to which the writer has
had personal access, it appears that
La Patrie has in favorable circum-
stances developed an Independent We
locity of twenty-three miles and the
Zeppelin a speed of thirty miles on
hour.
1t is, Of course, well known that the
wind often reaches this speed and as
often surpasses it. If it is true, as
shown recently by a Belgian scientist
that the wind, even at moderate alti-
tudes, attains a greater force than
twenty miles an hour or an average
during half the days in the year, it
follows that the French dirigible
would only be seryiceable during half
the year, and then only at moderate
elevations, save on exceptionally calm
DAYS. The German airship, whose
more rigid aluminium framework--the
French aerostat only preserves its rig
idity through the pressure of the gas
with which it is Manifestations it to
move at a slightly higher speed, is so
unwieldy that it cannot ascend during
a breeze of anything like this
strength. II it did succeed in rising