New-York tribune., 1908-07-17
SEEK MASTERY OF AIR
THE GOVERNMENT TESTS.
Men of Note to See dir Craft En-
perlnents at Fort Uyer.


ments in aeronautics on the Potomac River near
Washington which attracted the attention of the
entire world The theories evolved by Professor
Langley at that time have been the basis for the
construction of several of the most successful
foreign aeroplanes- The trials of several air
ships to be held next month at Fort Myer Viz
ginia within a few miles of where Professor
Langley carried on his experiments, will repre-
sent the first effort on the part of the govern
nent to make use Of the advancement in aerial
navigation.
Since the establishment OF the first army
balloon station at Fort Logan, Colorado. about
a dozen years ago, the work of the Signal Corps
in aeronautics has been confined to captive and
free balloons The value of the gas bags was
demonstrated III the spanisfl-Amercan War and
more recently in the Japanese-Russian War
bur with the establishment of balloon corps and
the building of dirigibIe balloons by the leading
powers of Europe and by Japan, army and navy
officers in this country have been forcibly i'm
pressed with the necessity for keeping pace with
the other powers in aeronautics.
ENCOURAGED by President Roosevelt, whose son
recently made an ascension in an army balloon
Brigadier General Allen. chief signal officer OF
the army undertook to- advertise for bids for
air craft dirigible balloons and heavier-tEar-air
machines Captain Thomas A. Baldwin received
the contract for dirigible balloon which would
carry two men, fly over a course five miles
against and five miles with the wind at rate
of eighteen miles an hour. and remain IN the
air for q period of not less than an hour
In the heavier -than-air type three bidders re-
ceived contracts: The Wright brothers. of Day
ton Ohio: A NJ Herring, of New York and
J. F. Scott. of Chicago. The last named mas
since withdrawn. The Wright brothers are due
for tests at Fort Myer within thirty days after
August 2S. and their flights at that time VIII
probably be the first opportunity offered the
general public to observe their machine
From some Of the numerous letters received
by General Allen 1t is eveident that the Fort
Myer tests will be largely attended by scientists
aeronauts, government officials and others prom
inent in various professions in addition to the
military and naval attaches of foreign govern
ments who will be in the city at the time 1t
was at first supposed that the tests would be
held secretly but storm of protest from the
aeronauts throughout the country evidently had
its effect.
General Allen and the other officers of the sig
nal corps express greater faith in the dirigible
balloon than in the heavier than air machines
while many leading aeronauts place more conf
dence in the ultimate results of the aeroplane
John P Holland. the inventor of the submarine
boat is working the helcoptre or aerial
screw while Professor William II. Pickering. OF
Harvard. and others are endeavoring to conquer
the air by means of tapping wing devices
From the army officers point of view the to-
geography of Fort Myer and the surrounding
country is ideal for the tests of arships, but 1t
does appear advantageous for the inventor
The parade ground from which the aerial craft
will is almost entirely surrounded by trees,
while there is no course five miles In length
leading from the fort that Is free from hills two
IN three hundred feet I'm height. While these
natural obstacles will probably have no effect
on the result of the flight of the drigible balloon,
they will interfere with the tests OF the aero
planes which ascend and descend gradually. The
tests of aeroplanes I'm France and Italy have
been on level ground. and even the Wright
brothers selected the smooth beaches and low
sand dunes of North Carolina from which to
make their flights.
"An airship that cannot fly over trees or rise
several hundred feet IN the air would be of no
value 10 us said General Allen, In speaking of
the conditions under which the flight will be
made ",rhe tests at Fort Myer will not be of
a competitive nature They will be held TO de
terrnine whether the bidders have carried out all
the requirements of the contracts. Each in
yentor will be entitled to make three flights, and
IL will not be necessary for him to fulfil all
the requirements in each of the three fights.
tust so the requirements fulfilled during
those flights. If he makes the required speed
in one flight. he fulfil the endurance test
in another fight'
Two courses which have been laid out by
Lieutenant Fouers, of the signal corps. are con-
sfdered most favorable by General Allen One
lies due south from Fort Myer in the direction
Of Alexandria Va. and the other lies in a west
erly direction toward Falls Church. Va Any OF
the other courses mapped out would require ele
navgators to cross the Potomac River and
part of the city Of Washington
CAPTAIN Baldwin will be the first to test his
machine before the board which will pass upon
the success of the fights. His machine is now
on its way here \ large circus tent will be
pitched on the parade ground in which the
dirigibIe balloon will be kept. Water connec
tions have already been made for the hydrogen
gas pIant which Captain Baldwin will have to
erect in order obtain gas with which to in
fate his balloon. The parade ground from which
the flights will be made is about three quarters
of a mile long and fourth of mile wide An
automobile will be used during the tests TO fol-
low the airships and render assistance in cases
of accident.
The board that will probably be appointed to
determine the speed and that all the condi-
tions are lived up to will consist of Lieutenant
Frank T. Lahm, who won the James Gordon
Rennett international aeronautical cup at Paris
France. in 1906: Lieutenant Thomas E. Seifridge
,yr,. is a member OF the Aerial Experiment As
sociation at Hammondsport ". Y; Captain
charles $ Wallace of the signal corps; Lieu
tenant Benjamin d. Foulers. who recently gradu-
ated from the signal school at Fort Leaven-
worth and either Major George o. Squier or
Major Edgar Russell. of the signal corps The