The Washington bee., 1908-09-19
AMY BALLOON SQUAD
TESTING ARSH|PS. 5.
Trying Out Craft of Vari-
Gus Make and Master
ing Aerial Problems.
PICKED BODY OF MEN
Slow TO Recognize the Utility of Air
Navigation, the Lost Time is Now
Rapidly Made Up-WeII Equipped
Works for the Purpose Installed
at Fort Myer, Near Washington.

at Fort Myer, Near Washington.
Washington, D. C.-The present
Government tests of airships of va
rious types will serve TO bring promi-
nently before the public the functions
and personnel of the newest and one
OF the most interesting branches OF
the United States army-the Balloon
Squad. The little group of men who
within the past few months have
qualified as experts in the handling
OF sky craft will serve as the nucleus
OF what will ultimately become one
OF the most important organizations
IN Uncle Sans military establish
ment-a trained body such as is es-
sential, If this nation is to overcome
the long lead already gained by
France, Germany and Great Britain
IN military aeronautics.
The Balloon Squad is a branch of
the United States Signal Corps. For a
number of years balloOning has been
regarded in military circles, as an
essential adjunct to the signal work
OF the army, but Americans have
been unaccountably tardy in exploit
ing its possibilities.
Picturesque indeed, were the cir
cumstances which finally aroused
the Yankee officers to action. The
spark that set interest and energy
ahame IN this direction was the win
ming OF the first international hall
loon race by Lieut.. Frank P. Lahm.
Ihat young American army officer.
barely twenty-eight years of age and
almost novice in tie work, should
defeat the most experienced aero
nauts OF Europe and win a decisive
victory in what was, up to that time
the greatest areial sporting event the
word had ever seen, could not helm
out KlndIe the patriotism and the
aerOnaut!c interest of his fellow Of
nceTs at home and abroad.
The outcome of the sentiment TINS
aroused was the issuance of an or
der creating the AerOnautical Divis-
ion OF the Signal Corps. II was ar
ranged to get out of storage the sew
eTal balloons of foreign make which
had been bought by the United States
during the Spanish war and had
been in storage ever since, and il
was decided that the headquarters Of
the new activities should be at bal
loon house" at Fort Myer. Va. Just
across the Potomac from Washing
ton, and where the progress could be
closely watched by the administra-
tive officials of the War Department
1t is the expectation that ere many
months elapse a second detachment
OF the AeTOnautic division will be or
gantZed at Fort Omaha, Neb.. where
the government is now building
model balloon house and is Install
Ing what it is 1oped to be the most
up-to-date plant in the world for the
manufacture of the hydrogen gas
used for the imitation of balloons.
Ehe baloonists at Fort Myer have
the care or all the balloons owned by
the War Department. These include
French balloon of 5000 cubic feet
capacity, which was bought during
the Spanish War; a balloon, 10000
cubic feet capacity, OF German man
utactuTe, which was acquired at the
same time; the famous Balloon No.
10, of $4,000 cubic feet capacity,
which was built especially for the
Signal Corps by Lee Stevens and
three small balloons of German man
ufacture, 400 cubic feet capacity
each, which are intended primarily
for signal work but which are prov
ing very useful at Fort Myer as re-
serve reservoirs for the storage of a
surplus supply OIL hydrogen during
the imitation of the big balloons.
Uncle Sans establishment Is pret-
ty well equipped, in addition to a
vast array of such standard adiuncts
as ballast bags, anchors, baskets and
the like, there are instruments for
registering the lifting power of a gas
bag and for testing the quality
OF the gas in use. One ingenius me-
chanical assistant is an apparatus,
operated by turning a crank, which
initiates a balloon with air so that it
may NC lSHNNO AOl lCdhS OI u
tate repair work
For the time being the hydrogen
gas used as the lifting medium in
the dirigible and all other balloons
is manufactured at temporary plant
st Fort Myer, but ultimately all the
Cas required for army balloon opera
tions anywhere in this country viii
be manufactured at the Fort Omaha
plant and will be shipped wherever
needed in tanks somewhat resem-
bling, save for their larger size, the
gas tanks used in connection with
soda water fountains.
The balloon squad has its regular
drills just as do other branches Of
the military service. The most i'm
Dortant OF these has for its object
the imitation Of balloon.
10000 Wed from One School.