, 1908-06-10

last night at their club rooms, No II East
Forty-second street, and reports OF SUE
cessful aeroplane flights in various quarters
formed the basis of enthusiastic preolcCohs
that aerial conquests by means OF heaVlet-
tban-air machines is at hand. Those IN at
tandance included several men who have
practically demonstrated their ablllty Al
the constructive field, among those being
CAPTAIN Thomas Scott Baldwin. who 10
building the first dirigible ever construct
ed for the United States Government
This craft probably will be ready for trial
tests at Fort Myer, Va, within torty-hVe
days.
REPORTS of the results attained by the
Wright brothers in their recent aeroplane
flights at Manteo, N. c., were enthusiastic
ally greeted. No formal statement for pre-
sentation was received from these inventors,
however, as they hold to the position that
they are not yet ready to publicly speak OF
their achievements and plans. A telegram
from Augustus Post, who has been making
an extended visit to the testing grounds at
Hammondsport, N. Y. brought the news
that the aeroplane, White Wing, designed
by f. W. Baldwin and built by the Aerial
Experiment Association. of which Professor
Alexander Graham Bell is president. made
a successful flight there during the day OF
279 feet, at q height of ten feet from the
ground, and was landed without injury.
This machine is built much on the lines OF
that of the Wrights', except that the sur
faces are curved and there is q variation @
in the steering gear.
That recent accidents to these avlatory
machines is due to causes which may be
promptly correctly was attested by A. 9.
Triaca, who had received a letter from
NJ. Besancon, secretary of the Aero Club
de France, stating that the recent acct
deEt to the aeroplane of M. Delagrange was
due solely to a fault in handling the steer
ing gear, or because, in making o sharp
turn, the pressure required in the gaso-
line tank was momentarily checked. At
least twenty members of the club now
are experimenting with machines of this
type. That difficulties in handling such
flying craft will be over come quickly was
builder, who, pointing out that IN 1898 a
steam driven model was made which main
tanned equilibrium, while in 1908 a g~asolene
model remained in the air for hours in per-
feet balance, added
81 believe mans inventive ability soon
will provide a machine that will automati-
cally follow a steady course and require
that the operator deal only with details Of
management"
Captain Baldwin had expected to have
the government dirigible ready for tests
by tune Is, but a shortage of fifty feet of
silk for the gas bag will necessitate two
weeks delay. The motor and framework
have practically been completed at Ham
mondsport.
A. Holland Forbes presented a graphic
description of the ten balloon ascensions
he has made within the last six months,
these resulting in his obtaining a pilots
license. He will not take his balloon, "The
Conqueror," the largest in the United States,
to st. Louis to contest for the Lahm
Cup until next fall.
The clubs committee has inspected tracts
of land for permanent testing grounds,
but no decision has yet been made in this
problem,-New York Herald, May Is.