The sun., 1908-08-09
GOVERNMENT. AIRSHIp TESTS
BALDWIN DIRIGIBLE HAS A
SEVEN, MILE FLIGHT. z,

Not Ready for Oflcial Trip Because or q
Defective Motor-An Accident Also to
Hsrring Aeroplane Forty Herse-Power
Motor Weighing but Ten Pounds.
WAsHrNoTos. Aug. s-Because Of In
ability to get the engine In smooth running
order the official speed trials OF Capt.
Thomas s. Baldwin's dkigible balloon were
postponed until Monday afternoon. A
trial fight OF thirty minutes was made in
spite Of the fact that the auxiliary exhaust
of the gasolene engine did not work to the
entire satisfaction Of Glen II. Curtiss. en-
gineea' of the airship.. seq.
The balloon rose slowly at an angle Of
about thirty degrees and scared westward
against a ten mile breese.- Well started
and up about 200 feet Mr.. Curtiss set the
horizontal planes 30 as to stop the upward
fight. and the fier sped westward at nine
miles an hour until it disappeared over
the trees west of the fort. For three and a
half miles. to Ballston. Va, this westward
course was held and then. Capt. Baldwin
plotting. the ship ciroled . wide curve and
the return trip was begun. .f!.. - .t.ls4.s..-
A stifening, treezet aided the machine
BACK to the, Starting point, and when il
sailed over the parade ground onoe more
1t was going at an eighteen mile clip. Here
the course was turned toward Warrington,
and a wide sweep was made over the Ar
lington National Cemetery. Turning west
ward gain the balloon was checked by the
westward breeze. and it sailed slowly back
to the tent, where il was let down gently
and without an effort.
The total distance covered was about
seven miles. 1t was the longest continuous
flight that has been made since preliminary
flights were begun several days ago.
A. NJ. Herring OF New York. the aero
plane inventor. to-day notified Brig Gen.
James Allen, Chief Signal Officer. that he
will be unable to comply with the require
ments of his contract with the War Depart
ment for the delivery Of his aeroplane to
the Government on August is. because Of
an accident which occurred several days
ago during tho trial OF his motor at his shop
in New York. A counter weight fell of
and the engine, which was driving the pro-
peller shaft at the rate of about {. 500 revo-
lutions a minute. shook itself into pieces.
Mr.. Herring. got the index finger OF his left
hand caught in the machinery In his shop
and painfully injured it. He requested
that Cen Allen allow him an additional
month in which to build a new engine.
Gen. Allen has recommended to the Score
tary Of War that this postponement be
granted.
The Herring aeroplane and motor has
been the source of much interest among
army officers because Of the important
and unique principles involved in It's oon-
struction. While the details OF his aero.
plane have been kept secret II is said that
he has been able to build an unusually
small engine. which in spite Of It's compact
shape and size can develop a large horse
power.
1t is understood among aeronauts that
his motor weighs about one pound per horse
power. The motor. 1t is said, can attain
a horsepower Of forty at top speed and at
the same time is much smaller and lighter
than the engines used in either the aero
planes Of the Wright brothers or Of Henry
Farman, the French aviator who recently
gave exhibitions at Brighton Beach Mr..
Herring believes that his engine can de-
velop a greater horsepower than any
other engine ever used for airships.
Mr. Herring Is also an exponent OF the
theory that an aeroplane should maintain |
it's equilibrium Automatically. He claims
that he has invented an airship 30 sensitive |
that 1t automatically responds to every |
air current it may meet. His |
method Of attaining this result Ia by oon-
trolling instruments which measure the
: