The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
PROMISE BETTER AIRSHIPS
Aer0nauts Believe the Chief Prob.
lens Are Solved.
Wright Brothers Make Great Ad-
vanceS with AerOpIane and
Zeppelin with DirlEibIe.

Before the end OF the present year the
world is promised some remarkable
achievements in aerial navigation. All
the prominent aeronauts who have be-
come famous As air navigators are study
ing the problem, and several Of them
make somewhat extravagant claims as to
what they viii be able TO accomplish
within the next few months.
Henry Farman. who recently won the
Observation-Disclosures prize Of $1,000 by
covering 1,o9S yards at twenty-five miles
an hour in his aeroplane. is sure that
within twelve months seroplanes viii be
perfected which viii be able TO fly from
so to 100 miles quite easily. and he fore
sees the day when seroplane omnibuses
viii travel from London to Paris in i've
hours.
Count Zeppelin, ''the king Of aeronauts,
who has built several military air ships
for Germany, intends shortly 10 construct
an air ship capable Of carrying 100 pas
sengeTs- He has also propounded a
scheme showing how an air-ship passen-
ger service could be carried on between
the German capital and Copenhagen at
profit Of 10 per cent on the outlay,
This estimate is based on an average
of twenty-five passengers per trip. Then,
again. the mysterious Wright brothers
are said 10 be ready 10 guarantee to any
government which buys their plans that
they VIII fly their aeroplane at & height
beyond the reach OF any projectIe, 10
carry two men on 1t. to fly IN any wealth
eT, provided the winds speed IS less than
twenty-five miles an hour, and TO make
a complete circuit OF twenty miles In their
flying machine
The Wright brothers are the sons Of a
clergyman living al Dayton, Ohio. and
they have been termed "mysterious" be
cause up to the present they have given
no public demonstration in Europe Of the
powers OF their aeroplane There are a
number OF witnesses connected with the
Aero Club or America, however, TO prove
that the Wright aeroplane, with one Of
the brothers on board, has accomplished
a voyage OF twenty-four and one-half
miles in Just over thirty-eight minutes,
at height Of from 70 10 100 feet. The
machine, with its engine, fuel. and op-
orator, weighed s25 pounds.
It is claimed for she Wright brothers
that they have reached a higher state of
pei AENAAOiA AU HllHiiAD 4HNEHl4Dn IMAM any
other aeronaut. Mr.. Farman however.
has done 2,25o yards in just under two
minutes.
Distance is nothing to me now" he
says.
The initial problem has been solved,
and he only requires 10 perfect his ma
chine, so as 20 carry the necessary guam
tity of fuel and water for feeding the
IN, Nd - -F- l..
flight II any one could get the Wright
brothers and Mr. Farman 70 race from
London to Manchester for the $50 600 prize
offered by London newspaper the con-
test would certainly provide the sensation
of the year.
England is far behind France and Ger
many in regard to airships for military
purposes. Before the end OF 1905 France
hopes to have completed a fleet of FIVE
new airships. each of which will be bet
ter than La Patrie. which in July last
carried four officers and attained a speed
OF eighteen miles an hour against the
wind It may be remembered that the
speed Of the Null Secundus, Englands
first aerial war ship. was only from FIVE
to eight miles against the wind.
The finest records, however, are held
by Count Zeppelin. His rigid aluminium
air ship cannot only go thirty miles an
hour against the wind, but it Is the most
terrible engine Of aerial warfare yet con-
structed being able TO rain thirty tor
pedoes cf twenty-five pounds each upon
an enemy. This airship. which is 4,171
feet in length, has travelled for seven.
hours round Lake Constance at a speed
Of thirty-one miles an hour, and a news
paper man who was on board said that he
felt as IL he were on the bridge of an
ocean liner The count sat at his post,
quite unmoved, giving directions to the
crew by means OF bells and telegraph
signals. This airship, ny the way, Is
Tilted with an instrument for receiving
wireless telegraphie messages.
Signor Tarovini, however, claims TO
have invented a hydroplane which can
rise in the air and attain over 100 miles
In hour. although it weighs nearly one
md three-duarters tons. Tarovini's in-
sention is of an amphibious character. II
resembles an enormous mosquito, with
is legs perpendicular to the plane Of the
water. and having two wings, which beat
The air with such rapidity that they are
Driven by a 75-horsepower mo-
Tor, the hydroplane has been taken over
Lake Maggiore at speed of forty-four
miles an hour. skimming the water and
rising sheve it TO a height Of three feet
It the win Of the operator.