The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-01-18
Progressive Aeronautics.

Scientific American: The past year has been one
of great activity in aeronautics in previous year
has so much been either attempted or accomplished
The simple balloon in spite of its inherent limita-
TONS continues to grow in popularity; and now that
its safety has been established it is taking hold of
the popular imagination, and is becoming established
as a recognized form of sport. The Parisians as
usual are foremost in this movement and balloon
pleasure trips became, during the past summer,
regular of diversion. In this country the
international race for the Gordon-B Bennett cup which
was won last year by Lieutenant Lahm,
cessfully carried through by the clubs of Amer
lea and ST. Louis. There six foreign contest
ants-three from Germany, two from France and one
from Engand-and for the defense three American
balloons were entered. The German balloon Pom
mern" under command of Oscar Erbsloeh, descended
at Ashbury Park N. J., winner over the second
balloon 'I.'ISe de France" by distance of three
miles, having covered altogether 876M miles. The
excellent gas holding qualities of the modern bal
loon are shown by the fact that 81 Isle de France"
was in the air continuously for fortyfour hours and
two minutes The most successful flights of the
drigible- balloons have been those made by Count
Zeppn Zepplin's machine is the largest drlgible
balloon in the world. 1t is forty feet in diameter
by 42O in length and carries two engines OF eighty
five horsepower, each of which drives twin propeers
1t has remained continuously in the air tor seven
hours and has made a flight of 220 miles at speed
of over thirty miles hour.
ola Patrie" the French Government dirigible,
during the preparations for recent flight and IN a
strong wind was torn loose from the soldiers who
were holding it. driven across to ireland and after
ward ont TO sea The "Nu11i Secundus," the first
really practical arship of the British army, was also
wrecked in the same way being torn loose from Its
anchorage in the Crystal Palace grounds London,
and badly wrecked These two disasters indicate
lust where the drigb1e is most vulnerable; tor 1t
has long been recognized by those who are expert
menting in ballooning that in spite OF the credtaDe
work which has been done with these machines they
must because of their large area and necessarily
light construction be completely at the mercy OF
gale of wind.
Here in America an effort has been made to
stimulate aerial navigation by the offer OF the Sci
entifc American So 500 trophy for the heavler-tha1
air hvine machines Although the offer was MADE
early in 1907 there successful competitors
which may be taken evidence that the d1ftcues III
the way of the production OF successful mac1ne
are we'll understood by the practical aeronau JUST
before Christmas the United States army called tor
bids for practical machine of this type and ofered
some attractive inducements. The inventors now
ever have been hampered by the very severe telilo
of the contract and notably by the one requiring
on the part of each bidder deposit OF ten per cent
of the cost of the machine Successful results Wltn
the heavier-thar-ar machines or aeroplaneS nave
been confined chiefly to France, where Farman has
made FIGHT in closed circuit of half mile, COM
ing successfully back to the starting point; ana
where Bleriot using a machine of the Langley type,
has also done some commendable work. The Wright
brothers seem to have been too busy enQeaVornS
to sell their invention to foreign governments TO
find time for any practical work with their aeroplane