New-York tribune., 1908-08-06
CONDEMNS DIRIGIBLES.
Farman Says They Meier Can
Wthstand q Storm.

All tepfcs aeronautical gave place in this city
laz. night TO the almost weird disappearance of
the gigantic Zeppelin airship. that melted away
before he vision Of thousands Of spectators near
Echterdingen. Germany. Those qualified TO express
strong opinions the subject differed greatly
Henry Farman, aeroplane enthusiast, positive
when al the Hotel Astor last night that any
srigble balloon the size of the Zeppelin presents
such immense surface of resistance to the wind
that it will always be impossible for 1t to with
stand storms.
According 20 Mr. Farman there Will never he any
hope for the dirgible type OF balloon. which, he
says is lost without its shed. II must. he said
either away from the wind If blowing thirty
live miles over, with the result that the airshp
In all likelihood will be able TO its
starting point, go 10 pieces while making at
Tempt TO go against the wind.
Carl Dienstbach, aerial expert Of the Aero Club
OF America, who with Mr. Farman said. on
the other hand that the accident had nothing what
ever to do with the question the success Of that
type OF aerial craft The Zeppelin, he said must
oe regarded as made up Of many isolated masses
OF aluminium. That is he said, better conductor
OF electricity than copper.
NO greater attraction for lightning could be
. anagned than the Zeppelin airehip' he continued.
"A deep anchorage in the earth should have been
enade hold the airship against storms"
Anchorage responded Mr.. Farrnan. 'Inpos-
eibe. You have ten ropes here and ten ropes there
on a bulk bigger than battleship and the strain
sa storm VIII be unequal and the airship will
DE twisted and made useless Success will at
ltained if q stop is made the attempts to
,solve the problem OF aerial fight by the drigble
balloon. To my mind the expense attached TO the
Zeppelin project is a great waste OF money. do
not think that Germany VIII try 10 build another
Hirship on the Zeppelin plans The aeroplene pre-
sents. my mind. the only feasible method of
making successful trips in the air. In the case
of storms. the aeroplane is perfected. it can
easily be tied tree. its canvas cut and with
slight trouble and expense to the aviator the ma
hn sr aerfa nrTe "
sticks may be broken but It is not likely that the
,snotor VIII be damaged. and then. after the storm
es over. the machinery go right along"
II have every confidence" said Mr.. Dienstbach.
sthat the German government Will soon build a
duplicate OF the Zeppelin machine"
The consensus Of opinion at the Aeronautic Soci-
ety rooms in Zst htsreet. that the art OF
aeronau1ics had received setback by the Zeppelin
accident. The following cable message was sent TO
Count Zeppelin, Aero Club OF Berlin, by the
Aeronautic Society last night: "Profoundest sym
xathy MI desperandurn-"
William J. Hammer, consulting electrical engi-
reer a member Of the Aeronautic Society and for
snanv wears Intimately associated with Thomas A.
Edison said he believed the accident would give
an impetus activity in aeronauuc experiments
AT first flush IL may appear that the Zeppelin
accident is not only terrible calamity but one
which will have 8 far reaching effect in checking
the advance in aerial navigation which has been
so raptd of late But on second thought when one
sions made by Count Zeppelin the Wright brothers
Farraan Delagrenge, Santos-Dumont and others
not only 70 the military powers Of the world show
sng as they have the tremendous importance OF
this new engine of warfare but also to the whole
world. showing the tremendous commercial posi-
bilIties Of such apparatus, IL is folly 10 presume
that accident stop active experimentsl
work
The Zeppelin airship struck oy lightning
- when upon the earth. If Count Zeppelin had been
ve- r.ak rhn ina NJ .
storm and had had anchor metal plate Of
some sort suspended by metal chain cable
from his sfrship in perfect metallic connection
with the aluminium frame and outside covering
and said plate or anchor had been submerged in
the waters Of the lake the ai-ship would have out
ridden the storm in perfect safety as far as
Lightning concerned The electrical charge
OF high potentiality in the atmosphere would have
passed ss 9 silent and harmless discharge into
the waters OF the lake
AS illustrating what is well known fact
continued Mr. Hammer. many handsome homes
and buildings have been destroyed by lightning,
rltacnga thoroughly equipped with a lightning
rod tYsten out with imperfecriy designed or badly
scyrAnse1 ground D,sses-4ne buildings tssa ns-