The Washington herald., 1908-08-19

Eight successful flights We're made in
Capt BaIdwin-s dirigible balloon by
LieuJs- Lahm. Foulols. and SeIfridge at
Fort 8Iyer yesterday afternoon
The ease with which the army officers.
who had never before been in the ma
chine. operated the motor and rudder.
proved the military adaptability Of the
dirigibIe, and before the second flight was
made II was manifest that the Signal
Corps had acted wisely in selecting Capt
Baldwin 10 build the air navigating ma
chine.
Lieut. FouIois covered himself with
glory He operated the engine invented
BY Glen Curtiss with the utmost ease and
confidence. and manipulated the planes
by which the machine is elevated with
The skin OF an expert airship man The
planes worked perfectly. responding 10
The slightest touch on the lever. and
Capt Baldwin declared the smiling lieu
tenant was the goods
Manipulated the Rudder.
Lieut. Lahm sat in the rear Of the air
ship on several occasions. and manipu-
lated The rudder almost as weu as Capt
Baldwin Al three Of the ueutenants had
a turn at the motor and rudder. Each
filed the Office Ike a veteran
While the Signal Corps officers showed
The greatest aptitude and proved concIl-
sively they had kept their eyes and ears
open al The preliminary trials and Official
tests. there were several narrow escapes
from injury 10 the ship
IN order 20 bring the dfriElbIe 70 earth
with the least possible danger Of break
ing either the rudder or propeller. il is
necessary ID stop the propeller about 50
or 115 feet IL the air and direct the for
ward steering planes downward On sew
eral trips yesterday the engine was not
stopped until the machine was within ten
OF fifteen feet of the ground Had the
propeller struck the ground IT u1doubt-
edIy would have been broken The frau
rUdd5r also would have been damaged
Neither the propeller nor ru5der was
injured. however. because the enlisted
men from the signal Corps. VINO were
about tee only persons 10 witness the
successful flights. kept directly under the
dlrigih-e and prevented IL from striking
The ground
In one instance the propeller was re-
volvirg ar rate II about fifty times
minute when the machine was six feet
II The air Several enlisted men in the
Signal C1-7s rushed ou- and caught hold
of IT, They were jerked on their feet
by the revolving propeller. but they
swung on dagsediy- and prevented dam
age % the machine While they arrested
The propeller other men looked after the
canvas rgdder and its bamboo frame and
prevented injury
Best Flights of All
All in all however. yesterday was the
banner day for the Baldwin dirigIbIe- On
the d-zr th-ee trips. Capt Baldwin was
a. the ruGder. 5lt the ether dve ascen-
si1rs we've made by army officers. who
had never been n d5r5sibIe before. The
ease with which the I=uteuauts handled
the sky yacht. ard the perfect control
they had over the machine. was con
vinc51E evidence cEa- almost any man
could handle the Baldwin machine after
q few lessons The officers did whatever
they wished 70 with the vessel They rose
and fell in the air az win increased and
diminished the speed OF The engine. and
steered the 6i-igtbie wherever they wished
10 90
Several times the machine SCARED close
70 go feet above the earth A 2l0-foot
drag rope was attached and the end Of
this cleared the ground on almost every
trip None OF the trips was beyond the
parade ground. although Ldeuts Foulois
and SeIfrldge on the final flight sailed
along The outer edge and probably COW
cred a mile
Capt Baldwin said last night that he
had three very smart pupils" He de-
ciared the three Isutenants were "'as
sharp as tacks-" and he saw no good rea-
son for giving them any more lessons
The "aerolaucicaI schooI'- was 70 have
been opened yesterday morning. but the
weather was not pr0piti0us. and the
scholars were given a recess
Shortly after 8 O'Clock Capt Baldwin
discovered favorable weather conditions
and called his c.ass 10 order. All the
pupils answered present and Capt
Baldwin Proceeded uz ordered the bal
loon taken from the tent AZ $50 O'Clock
Lieut.. FcUIO.s. lightest' IN weight. was
placed al the engine He was instructed
II the ait Of operating the motor and
planes, and was given 100 because Of his
reacy answers wnen asked. what he
would Go ia this or that emergency
Three Flights Made.
Three successful flights were made with
Lieut. FouIcis at the engine and Can't.
Baldwin az the rUdder- Capt Baldwin
sHosted instructions 10 Lieut. FouIoIs
through a Gegaphone-
After these flights. Capt Baldwin
placed Lieut. Selfridge at the engine.
while he operated the rudder.
Lieut. Lahm was the first oficer 10
take charge OF the rudder- He sreered
the inflated dill pickle while Lieut. Sell
fridge controlled the motor and planes on
Two trips
The officers were as enthusiastic over
their flights as Capt Baldwin. and COM
nleHted or the simplicity Of The machine
Capt Baldwin. probably VIII give the
Eeule1ants their second lesson to-day.
although Gen Allen informed him that
his WORK vas done and the airshIp had
been placed IN The service Of the United
States Gen Allen witnessed several OF
the flights and was most enthusiastic.
Capt Baldwin may leave Washington
as soon as he has the TWO spherical hal
looms IN condition 20 be turned over 10 the
Signal Corps. Il is probable he viii give
the officers other lessons before denarrf-r
Capt Baldwin probably viii receive a
check for S7-757, as pay for his dirigibIe
within the present week
Gen Allen said yesterday he had re-
ceived word from OrviIIe Wright that the
Wright Brothers ae-opIane would arrive
at Fort Myer or Thursday afternoon
Woman Charged with Theft.
Fancy Daily. thirty-tvO years old char
woman. living al SO z street northwest
was arrested Yesterday q of+a--o-- - -,