The Washington herald., 1908-08-07
AIRSHIP FAILS TO FLY
Burnt-Out Coil DisappOints
Crowd at Fort Myer.
FLIGHT PROMISED FOR TODAY
Cant. Baldwin says speed Test that
Was TO Have Been Made Yesterday
Will Take Place This Evening, and
Invites Crowd 90 Return-SeVeral
Minor Changes Made in Dirigible.

Several hundred persons who journeyea .
10 Fort Myer Virginia. yesterday after
noon. TO see Capt. Baldwin's dirigiole bal +
loon do stunts in TIE enpyreal blue. were /
disappointed. because the inflated dili
pickle" did not bulge from terra hriria- f
After the nervously ANXIOUS throng had
svarmed around the big tent. in which
the balloon is held captive. for about two
hours. Capt Baldwin announced that
there would be no fight. because the ma
chinerv was not in working order He
said the balloon would ascend every day
for the next week. weather permitting
and he hoped TO see all the spectators on
hand this afternoon. between ; and :. 10
see his pet perform The crowd hur-
riea &c the cars, the majority Of both
men and women promising 20 return to-
/ day.
Spark Coil Burned Out.
1 While testing the four-cylinder engine
/ on the framework OF the dirigible yester-
dav afternoon. about O'Clock. Engineer
/ Glenn Curtiss burnt out the spark coil.
wich he used during the two successful
fights OF the big silk bag. This made II
/ necessary 10 send 70 Washington FOR
[ another. The borrowed spark coil was O.
a different make from the one first used
on the motor. and il was noticed iHmedi-
ateIy after the adjustment that the lg-
nItion was faulty
Mr. Curtiss and his ueUtena1ts worked
With the troublesome coil for more than
an hour. but when darkness began 90
creep over Fort Mysr. Capt Baldwin.
realizing that IL would be 700 late 70
. attempt an ascension. announced 20 the
petuleat populace Jhac the balloon would
not 90 up Long after the crowd els
E persed Engineer Curtiss and his helpers
, worked with the COL. and the engine
! sputtered for more than two hours. but
p the same defect was noticeable To-Day
another coil. similar 10 the one burnt out
will be Installed Mr- Curtiss said every
thing would be IN perfect condition foI
e flight this afternoon. and he and Capt
e Baldwin hoped 10 get some speed out o.
the airship after attaining the proper alti'
{ tude-
Z Minor Changes Are Made.
d number Of minor changes wer'
!. noticeable n the framework Of the dirig
Z ibIe yesterday Capt Baldwin ATTACHES
ID an extra plane on the rudder. This va
q done to make the ruder yield more read
4 ry 10 pulls on the rudder ropes he ais
IS attached long strips OF oregon spruce q
that part Of the framework On which
.e stands 20 steer the vessel Il is Qlannet
10 install another. propeller shaft for II
machine before the Official tests.
le Engineer CurtiSs yesterday attached
le lever 10 the carburaror and fasJeued hi
ot 20 the left side OF the framework n
Ie lever controlling the sparker also ha
been put in position on the same sid'
be This leaves only the lever attached I
10 the forward steering planes 10 be operate
is with the right hand Two strips ct car
a vas. measuring about twelIy-slX ilChe
- have been pl4ced on the ends OF th
= steering planes This was done 70 tak
-9 advantage OF the additional surface O.
fered. and doubtless viii cause the diTli
e fble 10 rise or fail more quickly and VII
ID less fitting than formerly
as Conspicuous among those who JOurne.
&c ed out 10 the post 10 witness TIE inten
of Cd flight were c. B and F. \ Hodgu1a
y. cousins. who made the balloon 10 whi'
Ill the framework Is attached Althoue
nd these men. both OF whom stand mo
n than SIX feet tall. have manufactur
many balloons. they have never seen
sy ascension. Both came from New 10
nj Yesterday morning 10 see the test. IN
n remained in the tent IN which the os
no loon has been housed since Monday Iro
he Il O'Clock IN the morning until 30
the evening. when Capt Baldwin .
ad nounced that the huge gas bag would 7
The fly. They were as much disappointed
elf. any one n the crowd. but may rens
in over until tonight TO see how the b
the loon performs
as Bag Almost ImperViOus.
a.. There are about 2.ooO yards OF ste
r9s japanese silk in that balloon" s.
Ige LAYERS Of silk is q sheet OF rubber. ma
Tas ing it next TO impossible for the hydi
the gen gas 10 leak out. except through
puncture. II is awfully hot in this te
and the gas in the balloon IS expands
re- RAPIDLY. Hydrogen expands one hve-h'
the dredth to every five degrees Of ne
and About noon il became so warm IN
red cent that the gas made the balloon
To- tight as a drum II was necessary 10
and out several hundred cubic feet Of
~. to keep the big bag from bursting
- Later in the evening. however, az
ne the mammoth fan on the front OF
framework had been whiZzed around
Sin few thousand times creating
ir,s- breeze. it was necessary TO lug the au
mi iarv balloon TO the center Of the cirig
was and reinfate Il
MS Speaking Of Count Zeppelin's order
fHca a new balloon to replace the giant
the car which was destroyed Tuesday nis
men Can't. Baldwin said:
,1,ld .@The count Is game. all right T
and gone too far 10 give up. I admire
10 grit. and believe he will make good
the lightning or no lightning. He has q
the A wonderful work. and deserves to
coed"
; in ROADS BUY STEEL RAILS.