Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09
BALDWIN SHIP PASSED
Army Board Finds Balloon Up
to Specifications.
SPEED TRIAL POSTPONED
Curtiss Wants to Make Improve
AERONAUT HERRING WITNESS
Looks Over Experiments at Fort
Myer and Discusses Marvels Of
Own Solution of Air Travel.
Curtiss Wants to Make Improve
AERONAUT HERRING WITNESS

Capt. Baldwin has succeeded in fulfill
ing the first requirement of his contract
with the government for supplying d
dirigible balloon for the Signal Corps OF
the army. The board of officers who in
spected the big airship yesterday at Fort
Myer accepted it. as far as the construc-
ton of the machine is concerned: the
other requirements remaining to be full
filled are the speed and endurance quail
ties of the aerial craft.
An ascent was made. AS Capt. Baldwin
was not satisfied with the working of the
engine. no attempt at speed or an en-
durance test was made.
The balloon. which Capt Baldwin has
unofficially christened 1.-The California
five miles at the rate of seventeen miles
an hour.
No Attempt at Speed.
The ascent was made exactly at )
o'clock. The course was first laid toward
Washington. it being the intention to
circle the Monument and return. Engi-
neer Curtiss said he did not have gasoline
enough OH board for the fight. After
circling the parade ground again the bal
loon bore away to the west and went as
far as Bailston Oh the Falls Church rail-
road.
The ship was out of sight of the crowd
at the balloon tent for nine minutes and
then came back down the wind. making
fast time The landing was made as
easily as any that have preceded it.
The army officers present expressed
themselves pleased with the control of
the airship. 1t was matter of general
regret that the engine was not in condi-
ton for a speed trial.
The members of the board present were
Gen. James Allen. Maj. Squires. Capt.
Wallace. Lieut.. Lahm and Lieut.. FouloiA
The only one of the foreign embassies
represented was Russia. The Russian
military attache, Col. Baron de Bode,
was present and took great deal of In
terest in the fight. Russia has two Of
fetal observers watching the Wright
trials outside Of Paris and is reported to
have bought one of Farman's machines.
The British government has made a
number of inquiries about the Fort Myer
trials. Col James Temple, chief expert
menter with dirigibles in the British
army. landed in New York yesterday.
After seeing some of the Farman flights
he is expected in Washington.
The Multi Secundus, the British dirigfble
wrecked in storm at the Crystal Palace,
was modelled closely on the lines of the
California Arrow.
The exact cause OF tne engine trouble
with the Baldwin ship today was in the
carburetor and ports. The engine is one
of four cylinders. and has a single car
buretor supplying explosive mixtures to
all Of them.
When running the engine with wide
open ports the power Is increased 70 per
cent But in this case the piston in each
cylinder carries back little air with 1t
and changes the quality of the mixture so
that one carburetOr will not supply the
best mixture for all four cylinders
To obviate this difficulty Mr. Curtiss
has decided to put a separate carburetor
on each cylinder. This will be done by
tomorrow afternoon. when the official
flight will be attempted.
Curtiss OF to New Yorw.
Curtiss went back to New York last
night and will return the first Of next
week.
Lieut.. Selfridge. who has been working
with DR.. Alexander Graham Bell and other
members of the Aeronautical Experiment
Association at Hammondsport, N Y. is
coming to Washington to witness the
flight OF the Baldwin ship tomorrow.
The inspection of the airship made by
the board of Signal Corps officers was ex-
acting. The only condition imposed by the