The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-10-07
THREE VARIETIES OF
II | D|R|G|BLE A|RSH|PS
HAVE BEEN TESTED BY GERMAN
INVESTIGATORS.
EACH HAs'its ioooD POINTS
As b Form the Cigar Shape is Most
Favored, but the Material for
Construction IL OF Many
Different Varieties.

Berlin, Oct. The science of
aerial navigation, at least in Germany.
has Preached a point where many of
the most prominent investigators are
asking themselves in which direction
they shall pursue their experiments.
Thee problem of steering is satisfac-
torily solved, but there remains the
important question of the conquest of
the contrary currents of the air, and
this raises the issue between the al.
vocates of lighter than the air and
heavier than the air."
Balloons inflated with gas arc gen.
orally regarded here as having nearly
attained the final stage of their possi.
bilities, which. as is contendcd, al
though marvellous in comparison with
the position Of five years ago still
leaves much to be achieved before the
air can be said to be mastered.
An three systems. the rigid, the
semirigid and the flexible. represent
ed respectively by the steerable bal
looms OF Count Zeppelin, the German
army aeronauts and Mai. Won Parse.
val. have been and still are being
tested. All have given evidence that
In light winds and otherwise favorable
weather they may be stoered and ma
neuvered with great facility. Not one
of them. however. has on any occasion
ventured into the air when strong
wind was blowing. for the good reason
that their steersmen are aware that
their weak motive power would not
permit progression.
The greatest speed attained by any
of them. and this applies also to
French balloons, has not exceeded 2S
miles an hour. and at that rate in
such a wind they would be driven
backwards. Even the Zeppelin. which
is credited with speed of 30 or "a
miles an hour. would do little more
than hold its own.
As to form, the cigar shape main.
tains it's favor, but the material of con-
struction on which. it Is argued, de-
pcnds the capacity of the balloon to
remain in the air, is varied. In Yep
pelin's balloon the envelope is entirely
OF aluminium covered with silk and
rubber: in the military airship the
lower portion of the main body of the
envelope Is OF metal covered with
silk and rubber. the ends and the NJ
per portion being of ordinary balloon
material; while Parsevals balloon Is
entirely composed of flexible material,
. similar to that used in. spherical bal
looms.
The voyages of the Parseval and
military balloons as well as OF the
French airships, all of which are
either semi-rigid or flexible. have been
limited to slightly over three hours,
owing to the forward end of the en-.
velope gradually collapsing through
the escape of gas. thus presenting a
concave surface to the dire ction in
which the balloon is steered and pre-.
venting further progress.
On the other hand, the Zeppelin,
even after the escape of n consider.
able quantity of gas, retains its shape
and Is able to proceed. Count Ieppe
lin asserts that he can attain veloc
ity of about "a miles an hour with tho
motor working at full pressure. His
further trials are awaited with the
greatest interest, for, with such a
speed, according to meteorological av.
erages, which show that on 90 days
out of every 100 the wind does not eX.|
ceed 30 miles an hour, he would he
able to ascend and navigate against IL
successfully, although on some Ccaa
sions he would be able to make but
slow progress. At high altitude
however, the balloon would be able tCI
pass over an enemy's camp without
running much danger, as owing tn its
construction in ~ or II compart
ments. each separate from the 9th,
ers, even should several compart
ments he pierced by shot and collapse
the metal envelope would not change
its sha"e and the voyage could be con
tinued.
Tho c'1er dirigibles do not possess
this al,Gutage. The military balloon
is built OH the lines of the Patrie, the
envelope being composed of only one
compartment. The balloon at present.
in use. which contains l,S00 cubic
metres of gas, Is intended only as 9I
model ICr larger airships.
The parscval balloon, which has
shown such wonderful powers of nayi
cation in calm weather, has the same
disadvantages as the military balloon
Tho only serious German expert
menter until now with flying machines
heavier than the air" is Herr Kari
Jatho OF Hanover. He has constructed
a remarkable aeroplane composed oil
six sails Ga horizontal steering sail. s
horizontal mainsail two vertical fixed
sails aud two vertical steering sails
wind propeller and a basket or plat
form carving n ~ horsepower motor
The equilibrium of the aeroplane isl
maintained by the horizontal steering
sail