New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-11-27
A|RSH|P FOR THE ARMY
Government to Spend S25, 900
For DirigibIe Balloon.
WILL BE USED FOR SCOUTING
American and Foreign Experts Will
Be Asked to Submit Bids on One.
Artillery Experts Engaged on Plans
to Destroy Scout Balloons of Foes.

Acting Secretary of War Oliver has
approved the action of the army ord
nance board in allotting the signal corps
$4,000 to be used in getting dirigl-
BILE balloon for scouting purposes, says
a Washington special dispatch to the
New York Times. The last efforts of
the war department to conquer the air
were made under the tutelage of Pro
lessor Langley, who thought he had
worked out this problem of fight by
means of the aeroplane. but in the
final test five years ago his contrivance
came to grief in the tawny waters of
the Potomac The experiments made
at that time cost more than $4,000.
and for them the government has moth
ing to show today but pretty little
engine Of aluminium, which it is as
serted can develop ten horse power
and weighs but 300 pounds
The science of aeronavigation has
been almost wholly developed since the
death Of Professor Langley, and now
it will be purely business matter for
the government to advertise for bids
and get it's wants in the shape Of a
skyship. General Allen. chief of the
signal corps. has sent to all the leading
workers in aeronautics in. the United
States and abroad a tentative invi-
tation with specifications for such a
dirigible balloon as the army needs.
1t is not expected that with the amount
allotted by the ordnance board salts
| factory balloon can be had, but be-
| ence points the way larger and more
complete balloon can be procured.
| The present specifications call for a
| two man balloon capable of carrying
| gasoline enough for three hours
| fight. The plan is for one man to de-
vote his attention entirely to the man
agement Of the balloon, while the 9th.
er is left free to reconnoiter, make pho
| tographs or draw topogra phical maps
The idea is to use coal gas, for reasons
of economy, and the minimum speed re
quired is eighteen miles an hour in still
air and from thirty to thirty-f1ve miles
! with the wind The balloon mus
| make 100 mile trip successfully
fifty miles out and fifty back. Tht
price to be paid will doubtless be baset
on the speed attained, the successful
/. contractor receiving bonus for ever.
mile over the maximum set by the de
partment's specifications or losing pr
rata for every mile under the average
speed called for.
i There are several experts in tn
i United States who have been at wor]
in cooperation with the army student
of aeronautics who think that the re
4 quirements laid down by General Allel
can be met successfully here.
i It is intended to conduct balloon
drills after the dirigible is bought an,
gradually work out many problem
that now confront aeronauts. Ulti
mately it is hoped a dirigible will b
built by the government with the com
bined skill and ingenuity of all the ex
pert army officers turned on the job.
4 1t goes without saying nowadays tina
balloons are to be recognized equip
ment Of armies hereafter. Already GU
artillery experts are at work on ord
nance to com bat balloon reconnaissance
High angle firing is being practice,
with howitzers and special shrapne
charges are being tried. 1t has bee
/ found that it takes different marks
manship to hit balloon target hig
; up in the air from what is required a
, distance on the surface of the eartt
The trajectory is much flatter, and tn
powder charges must be greater t
carry distances that otherwise in OF
binary fire take a low charge.
The type of balloon aimed at by th
signal officers is not such as privat
individuals have brought into prom
hence, but rather those that have bee
developed by the French and BIRTHS
military experts. These have been SUI
!, .cessful beyond all doubt, although tn
British war balloon was wrecked r.
| Gently and is being rebuilt