The Washington herald., 1908-08-16

tance Of which amounted 20 more than
half a mile. bringing the total number of
miles Travelled in the sixty minutes Up 20
seventeen
speed OF Fifth Trip.
The ff.l rrp was made iu fourteen and
a half minutes. giving an average of
II05 miles an hour After the turn at
Fort AIyer for the beginning Of the sixth
trip. Mr.. Curtiss saw he had the wind
with him and added more speed Leaving
Fort N1yer al $3.50. the dirigibIe crossed
the other end OF the course al --13
O'Clock. Capt Baldwin sailed far beyond
the line and scared over the Virginia
bank Of the Potomac before reversing the
front OF his machine TIE sixth cruise
was finished i- thirteen and a half min
utes. an average speed OF eighteen and
oue-th-rd miles having been maintained.
At 7.I51 Capt BaIdwi. started from
Fort Mye- % the CherrydaIe road. and
arrived az the beginning 1t the course
az T-2S O'Clock The time for the trip
was fifteen and a half minutes. the aver
age speed sixteen z-aes an hour TEis
trip was concluded in the dark. and lt
was with 6l6cglty that the s5m5er-hued
dlrigible could be distinguished ~ the
SKY
M Cu-,lsz frequently consulted his
watch in the fight. and when Capt
Baldwin started hack 90 The CEer-ydaIe
road the engineer shouted thar there was
not sufficient time 10 make another round
trip. As a result Of this talk IL ui6-alr.
Capt Baldwin sailed only a short dis
taoce beyond Clarendon. and then re-
turned % Fort Mye-. The turn az Clar-
endou was made a- 7-E O'Clock Two
minutes later Capt Baldwin crossed the
Fort 1Iyer starting lire.
With nine minutes more 20 remain iu
the air. Capt Baldwin s-eered over Ar
Iiugron Cemetery. sailed over The center
OF the Potomac River. and returned. Il
was So dark while Capt Baldwin was
returning from the river that his balloon
could uoI be seen At 7-s2 o'clock. when
Capt Baldvi-'s Two hours expired. the
spUJteriug 0f the rirelesS engine could
be heard The sharp. rapid strokes ot
the engine brought forth cheer after
cheer and almost everybody IN the crowd
shouted ID .l the air. Come down. come
down, The time is uu-'
CircIed over Parade Ground.
Is the tine up2- asked Capt Baldwin.
as he ci-cIed around the parade field.
Capt. Baldwin has a voice that could
easily be heard above the sPut1er.ng OF
the engine, but a chorus Of voices reply
ing in the affirmative could not be heard
by him He ordered the balloon dropped
further down. and then threw out the
drag rope. shouting 10 everybody near il .
not 70 touch il until he received Official
notification that the time had expired.
Sailing from the center Of the parade
grounds 70 a point near the tent. Capt.
Baldwin again inquired as TO whether the
time was up An enlisted man from the
Signal Corps rushed under the balloon
and shouted. Yes come down.
Maj SqUier ran over near the tent and
waved red Signal Corps flag. meaning
that the time had been consumed and .
the fight was at an end Maj Scuie- .
then announced tEat Capt BaIdWiu's uaa- .
chine had remained in the air five minutes (
more than the required time
sailed About Thirty-five Miles.
Counting seven trips over the four-and- /
one-eighth-ulile course. a round trip Of
Two miles between Fort NIyer and CIaren- :
don the fifteen wide turns. aggrega ting
about seven-e ghths Of a mile. the sail .
over the Potomac, and circles over the .
parade grounds, Capt Baldwin sailed al .
most thirty-five miles in the two hours
and five minutes
The War Department offered 5000 for (
a Girigibls balloon that would carry two
persons be absolutely c0ntroIlabIe by
means of a rudder. be elevated CT low
cred by some means other than by the
passengers moving about the framework
develop a minimum speed Of sixteen
miles an hour. and maintain 20 pei. cent
Of the maximum speed shown in a speed \
test in a two-h0Ur flight All such in
ventions were ordered delivered at Fort
AIyer before August l. and all necessary
tests were TO be concluded before Sep
tember /
Prize for the Inventor.
The War Department agreed TO pav Is /
per cent OF 5000. or sL050. for each mile
above sixteen that the machine developed.
Capt Baldwin's invention made more
than three and d half miles over the
required speed. He will therefore. re-
ceve about Sla750 for the dirigible Al
though this looks to be a large sum. Capt.
Baldwin and Mr.. Curtiss viii realize but
a comparatively small profit at this price.
The balloon. framework. rudder. planes
propeller. engine, gas. and other acces-
s0ries for the machine ran its cost I'd 10
$500 before a test was made In addition
to this. both inventors have been under
heavy expense during their STAY of two
weeks and half in Washington.
Capt Baldwin and Mr.. Curtiss probably
Will go to Fort Myer tomorrow evening
after a contract for the balloon Is signed.
II is understood Capt Baldwin will re-
main at Fort Myer coaching the officers