The Washington herald., 1908-08-17
WORTH $1,000 A MILE
Baldwin Says He Lost by
Disadvantages.
COULD HAVE MADE "a MILES
signal Corps Test Board Meets To-
day 10 set Price on DiriEible Bal
loon, which Fulfilled Contracts at
Fort Myer Last Week and At
tracted Thousands of Spectators.

Members OF the Signal Corps board OF
/ test who witnessed the Official flights OF
( Cant. Thomas = BaIdwin's mammoth
dirigibIe balloon last week VIII meet al
the War Department to-day 10 discuss
( the merits Of the invention and figure out
what the government should pay him for
| the machine.
In view Of the fact that the cirigible
has met all Of the requirements Of the
War Department specifications and sue
/ cessfuIly passed the Official tests. the
members Of the board. OF which Mai.
Squier is chairman. will recommend 10
Gen. Allen. chief of the Signal Corps
that the machine be accepted for service
in the army
Capt Baldwin delivered 10 the govern
ment two gigantic spherical balloons at
the same time he brought the dirigibie 70
Fort Myer. Both are IN the balloon shed
at Fort Myer.
/ Yesterday morning at O'Clock Cap-
| Baldwin went 10 Fort Nlyer and spent
most OF the day adjusting the necSs and
valves on the balloons. and vanishing
and netting them These balloons viii
be tested at Twelfth and n streets
southeast before they are accepted by the
F., government. Lieut. Labm and Capt
I Baldwin probably will be the first persons
10 sail in them.
To stay for other Tests.
Capt. Baldwin probably VII remain in
1 Washington Two CT three weeks longer
as he has 10 instruct the Signal Corps
officers in the art OF sailing his dirisible,
and remain here until the sphericals are
ltested. Engineer Curtiss, The June Bug
Pilot left Washington yesterday morn
ing for his home IN HammondspOrt. y. y
He probably viii not return 10 Washing
ton again until the Wright brothers begin
their tests AZ Fort Nyer-
Speaking Of the price Of the balloon
Capt. Baldwin said. Tt Is regrettabls
that we did not have the speed trial Of
the dlrigible or Saturday instead u Fri
day- We could have made at leas'
tweuty-f0ur miles an hour. In view Of
the fact that each mile over the required
number was worth $3.50 70 us. ! am sorry
Il we could not have had our speed Of sat
urday count as q speed test
PROFITS for the Cause.
Whatever the government pays me
however. wiu so right back into an air.
ship. cannot keep out OF the airshii
business Il is exactly Ike horse racing
/, when you once get the fever you ar,
taggeG FOR life. There IS little OF ut
! danger in g. though 4 man my az,
wouldn't De fying around with them d
there was a great deal Of danger"
Few q the thousands Of persons WHIT
! focked 0ut 20 Fort My,r last week an.
the week before knew or know what e.
. interesting individual he IS. Or how check
cred and daring has been his career.
Capt Baldwin IS a joliT-hcarted. whole
sGuled. genial. smiling. philosophical. da-
ing man Of ffrv-four- Hs = about nv
feet seven inches tall, and has a youthful
COuut5uauce-
Has Ups and Downs.
Capt. Baldwin has made almost Z91
balloon ascezsions and supervised abou
500 others While scores Of men an
women seronauts have met tragic end
following the calling. by some ni-acl
he has escaped with his jolly an dcharme
lie.
D He is today as hale and hearty. ath
Ietic. and vigorous as college chap @
\ twenty-oue fresh from the training table
Having learned much about air cur
rents. balloons. balance. winds. speed
b air pressure. and other things. Cap-
Baldwin decided 20 apply his PRACTICAL
acquired scientific knowledge 10 bette
account
Enjoying the distinction of being u
, first man 70 use the modern parachute
: he added another cluster OF laurels Z
his wreath by making the first success
ful American airship flight on August
? 1894 IN Oakland. Cal He had Worze
5 on his airship. or dirigihle, for severs
% years. and il is a fact that since he per
fected the vessel which was called ''Th
California Arrow" not a single improve
E meut has been made in the liShter-thau
] air machine
81 Capt Baldwin labOred uutiringly on hi
r invention. Many obstacles beset hi
: dfsmayed by failures. After months y
. succeeded in getting the proper sort G
rudder. a motor light enough to be lifte
t by the -blorg gas baS, and a propeIle
S that would carry him against the win
$ as well as with It.
Followed by ThrOnzs.
Frenzied crowds 5ourneyed for mile
D and miles along the Pacific Coast TO Sc
this twentieth century wonder.
In his balloon factory he took severa
bright Young men who could execute M
ideas and be Of assistance TO him Thre
2 are today famous as aer0nauts-
Lincoln Beachy. known TO Washing
J tonians because Of his two flights owe
2 this city. studied under Baldwin. and bea
the captain in a race in St. Louis. HI