The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-12
THINKS ZEPPELIN
HAS SUPERIOR SHIP
j. L. Case, South Chicago
Expert on Air Navigation
Gives His Opinion.
SAYS PRINCIPALS ARE OLD
Believes That While Wright Brothers
May Accomplish Flights, Their
Craft Is Impractical.

Wright Brothers sensational fight in
France with their aeroplane. which
so closely followed the success of
Count Zeppelin of Germany. is caus-
ing much comment in this country, es-
peciaIly in Chicago, where a number of
expert balloonists and aeronauts have
their headquarters.
]. L. Case of South Chicago, who re-
Gently won the international balloon
race. is probably the best qualified to
speak with authority on the subject
and was Immediately interested in the
subject when seen at his shop by a
TIMES reporter.
| Mr.. Case had evidently been follow
| ing the varying successes of the air
pilots with close study and while he
had never seen the builders of the air.
ships themselves, he was we'll ac-
quainted with their air crafts and the
principles that they involve.
| Two Principles Involved.
The demonstrations that Count Yep
pelin and the Wright Brothers have
been giving across the Atlantic, are
certainly worth more than passing no.
tice. The two machines embody two
principles in air navigation. Count
Zeppelin employs the gas method
while the principle employed by the
Wright Brothers is that of an arec
plane, a device sailing the air without
the use of gas.
Personally, I support the gas bal
loon principle. 1t is the one tina
Wellman has employed and it is the
one that I have employed.
The construction of Count Zeppe
Inns airship has no new principles fo
me. They are old and may have beer
old to other scientists, but Count Yep
pelin had the main thing. He had TIL
money with which to carry out hi
IDEAS In the long fight that l mad
in the international balloon race il
which I did not land for sixteen hours
I had ample time to study the prablen
of gas as an aid to air navigation.
Unreliable Motive Power.
Zeppelin has proved conclusivel
that gas will support an airship with
; out trouble. It has supported zeppeli
twenty-four hours, enabling him t
stop in the air and make repairs How
ever, he had TO depend upon gasolin
engine for his motive power and an
mechanic knows how unreliable gaso
pine is a motive power. If this faul
can be overcome, and the native pow
r er be made reliable, big step in ad
q vance will have been gained in al
navigation. A gas bag with motiv
power attached to it is the only solu
y ton of the problem that L can see.
e 1 could have had the least motive pow
> err under my balloon in the interna
ton race, we could have tackled an
added few more hundred miles
our record.
Yes, there is much jealousy an
competition among the air navigator
Each one has an idea and attempts t
{ carry it out and overthrows all otht
e theories.
The Day VIII Come.
9 ct am positive that the day will CON
e when we can fly. In fact 1 am SUI
q prised that Count Zeppelins princip
II had not been demonstrated long befor
The Wright Brothers may be alb
to sail the air. but as far as l can 81
now. I cannot understand how an ael
y plane will ever be of practical use.
y does not enable the navigator to ca
& ry much weight, despite sensation
le flights that may be made.
'e Mr. Case was busy working on h
10 own airship which is a gas bag a
1t tached with propelling power and ru'
a ders. OF all the men who are watchir
the results of the test, none in Sou
lie Chicago or in Chicago for that ma
4 ter, is more interested in 1t than he