Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-24
STORM CAUSES HAVOC CAPT. BALDWIN HERE|
Lightning Kills Three Soldiers Aeronaut Goes to Fort Myer
in Gettysburg Camp. to Put Balloon Together.
FIFTY OTHERS INJURED ENGINE HAS BEEN SHIPPED
Pennsylvania Will Machine Before Trial
Experience Wild Night Is Made
GOVERNORS WRECKED HERRING MYSTERIOUS AIRSHIP
Under Canvas-Women Confess SINH
Go Into to Prof.Lan
Aeronaut Goes to Fort Myer
to Put Balloon Together.
ENGINE HAS BEEN SHIPPED
Will Test His Machine Before Trial
Is Made.
HERRING MYSTERIOUS AIRSHIP
Will Compete in Heavier-Than-Air
Contests, With Ideas SINH
lar to Prof. Langley's.

|
Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin. whose
dirigible balloon is to receive the
first test in the airship trials at
Fort Myer. arrived in Washington
this morning and went to the War
Department. where he had talk
with Gen. Allen. the chief signal officer
| Then, in company with Lieut. Frank
Lahm. one Of the leading aeronautical
experts Of the department, he went to
Fort Myer to superintend unpacking
and assembling the airship bag and
framework which had arrived at Ros-
lyn.
Capt. Baldwin, or "Tom." as he is
known among the members Of the Signal
corps balloon squad. is an old Snowman
as well as an aeronaut, having made In
Vulnerable exhibition flights in both dirig-
ibles and free balloons Capt Baldwin
| can now be counted as a veteran naviga-
tor OF dlr1g1ble balloons, his most impor-
tant rivals, including Lincoln Beachey.
having received their first lessons in aero
nautics under his instruction.
Among the ten men who form the bal
loon squad Of the Signal Corps and who
will assist at the trials to be held at Fort
Myer, several have worked with Capt.
Baldwin before Six members of the squad
had experience with ballooning before en-
tering the military service. The entire
squad was stationed at the jamestown
| exposition last summer and gained con-
siderable experience.
| It is probable that Capt. Baldwin will
use one Of the members OF the balloon
squad as an assistant during his flights. II
permission is granted by Cen Allen. the
chief signal officer. who will direct the
| tests.
The gasbag. framework and gas-mak-
ing plant are all here. The engine.
| ;oh m.
mondsport. N. Y. has not yet arrived
It will take several days to put the
| airship together. 1t will then have to
| be tested out
There is no telling just how soon it
will be ready. But official trials before
the War Department board will have
| to be held some time between July p
and August p.
Will Test Balloon.
| Gen. Allen has stated that there will
be no preliminary or unofficial trials.
Capt. Baldwin proposes. nevertheless. to
send the balloon up and give it work.
ing test before it goes officially before
the board of the War Department.
There was not much done at Fort Myer
| this afternoon except to open the boxes
containing the silk gas bags. This is
double thickness Of silk. with India rub
| Der between and tested to sixtyf1ve
pounds breaking impressure on one-inch
tstrip. Capt. Baldwin says that he has
come within the weight limit set by the
| War Department with margin of sixty
five pounds safety. The motor which he
| will use is thirty horsepower, weighing
175 pounds with water and fuel on. The
] propeller is ten feet In diameter and
speeded up to 40 revolutions.
/ Capt. Baldwin would not make any pre-
| diction as to the speed beyond saying
that 1t would be between fifteen and thirty
miles per hour. He says the question of
control in the air bothers him great deal
more than speed. 1t will take between
eight and ten days to assemble the ma
chine after which as many trials as pos
sible will be made within the month al
lowed by the contract.
While in Washington Capt Baldwin
will be the guest of one Of his old
friends here
| There is considerable mystery over the
| entrance of A. NJ. Herring, one of the COM
petitors in the heavier-than- air machines
Herring has not been advertised as ex-
tensively as the Wright brothers, but
| he has been working on the problem of
| aerial flight quite as long and was an
associate of the same constructor who
gave the Wrights their first start, Mr..
Chanute Of Chicago
| Mr.. Herring used to live in Washing
| ton He began his practical work with
model machines driven by twisted rubber
| bands something as did Prof. Langley.
! AS far back as 1895 he has models
| that would fly and balance we'll even in
| high wind.
| He was one Of the first experimenters
! to adopt the tandem planes such as have
| characterized all the successful machines.
| He knew and worked in confidence with
! Prof. Langley during the latter's earlier
experiments, and afterward went to Chi
| cago. where he joined with Chanute in
gliding experiments on the shores of Lake
| Michigan.
| This was before the days of the gasoline
engines. Herring rugged up a compress
| ed air motor and made short flight with
| it in 1898. This was recorded in the news
papers at the time, although but little at
| tention was paid to 1t.
Fire Defeats Results.
He then went to work on a man-carry-
ing machine. About the time he was
ready for flight his shop caught fire All
his machinery and models were destroyed
and he was left practically without re-
sources.
At this time he went to New York and
started a technical paper devoted to gas
and oil motors. 1t was a success. and
before long it was bringing him an in
come of about 10000 a year. This being
well established, he sold out the paper
for competency and devoted himself
again to experimental work.
He has built a big model machine.
something like the Langley quarter-sized
model That preceded the unfortunate
| 'BuZZarQ. HIS Has eStdDllSneO d record
of fifteen miles. stopped only by exhaus-
| ton Of fuel
Mr.. Herring has never built man
carrying machine since his Illinois ex-
pertinent till the present contract was
given. He says he is confident of meet
| ing all the requirements of the War De-
partment when the trials are held at Fort
Myer
| Tentative Courses Reported.
Lieut.. Benjamin D. Foulois. command
| ing the balloon squad at Fort Myer has
submitted his report on the preliminary
| arrangements for the tests to Brig Cen
| Allen, chief signal officer. Lieut.. Eau
| lois has laid out three courses. over any
| OF which trials may be held.
These courses lie within a quarter circle
| southwest of Fort Myer. If laid out in