The Washington herald., 1908-08-09
UP A HALF HOUR,
AIRSHIP Is SPEEDY
Official Test, However, Is De-
feFred Till Tomorrow.
GOES OVER OFFICIAL COURSE
Capt. Baldwin Takes DiriEibIe on
More Extended Trip Than Hereto
and CrOwd-Experts Doubt He Can
Achieve the Required Speed


negotiating four and half miles az an
altitude Of 500 feet. Capt Thomas Bald
win demonstrated TO the aerouauticsI
board of the Signal Corps and 1900 other
/ spectators at Fort AIyer yesterday that
] his dirigible balloon was absolutely con
l trollable and capable OF tourneying from
place TO place.
Capt Baldwin and Engineer Curtiss
sailed away from Fort Myer at O'Clock
reaching a point between BaIlston and
FANS Church. Va. at SIG O'Clock. and
returning 10 the parade ground at 5:Z3
o'clock The distance Travelled was about
four and a half miles. The rate OF speed
al which the dirigible Travelled was est
mated UnoficialIy at fifteen miles sn
hour
Contrary 10 expectation ard the an
lnCUncement OF the previous evening, the
test made yesterday was not official
/ Capt Baldwin and AIr Curtiss took the
balloon over the course mapped out by
l the aeronautical board. in order 10 see
what the dlrigihIe would be called upon
/ % do in order 10 fulfill the War Depart
meut's requirements Before the flight
capt Baldwin and Mr.. Curtiss informed
Z the members Of the board that the m
v,ut0rs had decided TO equip the motor
with three additional carburetors before
I the Official tests were begun The board
readily consented 20 the posJpoaemen-.
Inventor Addresses Crowd.
/ Upon reaching the ground after the
I haIT-hour trip through the air. Capt.
/ Baldwin addressed the crowd OF men and
women, who clapped their hands and
: shouted 20 him He declared the test un-
0mcial. and said.
I The fight just ended was made solely
/ for scientific effect. The first Official test
/ OF our machine wHI be made fetween the
/ hours Of and O'Clock on next Monday
evening al this same place. We made
/ the ascension for the purpose OF testing
Z the correctness Of the working OF the
motor According 90 the requirements OF
/ the government, We must remain In the
air two hours and develop AT least U
pe- cent Of the actual speed which The
4 government sets as a maximum
In addition To Maj SQlires Mai Rus
sell Capt Wallace. lieut. Ialm. and
/ Lieut. Fouleis. constituting the officis'
I board. many other army officers and rhsir
families witnessed tls trip OF the dIzigi-
ble.
/ Conspicuous among the spectators was
Z Col Baron de- Bo5a. military attache OF
the Russian Emnassy- VINO was most in
gr-isitive and enthusiastic After ths
fight he said The airship IS great
I would like % see % sail all day"
I Although the members OF The board KEPT
no Official figures concerning the flight
Y an enlisted man from Sort Nyer KEEP
tab on the balloon. and timed 81 from tht
! moment IT SCARED from The earth until ii
was taken back % the wall tent for the
night These figures ViH not be- used il
determining the merits Cf The dirigible-
Gen. Allen Is Pleased.
/ Gen. Allen. chief of the signal Corps
witnessed the fight. and was vel pleased
with the performance OF the airship n,
I SAID he Uas impressed with the dirtei
. bIity of the machine. and al that re,
ulaired % be shown in order for ths
I government % accept Capt Baldwin
! invention uas for f. 70 develop the neces
/ sary speed
Monday evening, shortly after 5 O'Clock
weather permitting. the balloon will leav.
\ the tent and sail over the same cours,
as that Of yesterday. Facts and figure.
VIII be kept by the test board. and Il n,
I necessary speed IS not shown Capt Bald
win VIII have Two more trials 70 demon
strate the military adsptabihty Of hi
Invention
Many persons who f1urneyed out Z,
Fort 1Iyer between . and 6 O'Clock faue,
% see the start of the aerial tour. be
cause Capt Baldwin made the ascension
almost an hour and q half earlier thar
any previous flight This was done fl
order % show the test board as soon q.
possible what the Gi-sEibIe could do.
Engineer Curriss. after sleeping in IN.
large tent al Friday night. arose yes
tsrday az daybrezk and began worl1ins
on the engine. which he invented Hi
L iieu1euants Immediately got busy an,
] screwed on 20 the framework a centri
fuEsI blower. which viii keep the bal
ioOuet n the CblouE gas bag filed 10 Il,
( capacity. Eight small strips Of Oregon
spruce were attached to the rear Of IN
framework as a platform for Capt Bald
win the heimsua1. 70 stand on whel
pulling the rUdder ropes a svringin.
canvas seat for Capt. Baldwin was ais
suspended from the top bars Of the frame
work After these improvements the in
ventors declared they were ready for III
army inspectors
Officers Inspect Afrzhfp.
Shortly before O'Clock Gen. Allen
Col. Baron De Bode, and the other boar,
members reached the tent and irnne6i
Z ateIy inspected the machine They founI
that the derigible met al the governmen
specifications. and congratulated the in
ventors On the appearance Of the vessel.
At 4-55 o'clock the balance OF the ma
chine was found 10 be perfect the from
b Of ths tent was opened. and III
machine was toWed out 10 the parad
grounds. Engineer Curtiss started Ii
engine when the machine was twenty-fiv
feet from the tent. the soldiers release
the machine, and IL bounded into the al
at O'Clock.
= Capt Baldwin started directly north
) but after travelling over the stables o
Fort Myer steered 70 the west. crossing
the trolley tracks At Hatfield directl,
over a weIi-hlled car. Sailing 200 fee
I west OF the tracks, Capt Baldwin heade'
his machine 10 the north again. Enginee
! Curtiss. by means Of the forward steer
ing planes. increased the altitude Of III
I dirigible from 10 TO 30 feet ZigzsgEins
! dipping. and rising. the airship sale
/ over Clarendon. and q wildly enthusiast
crowd Of villagers shouted words o
praise to the air sailors
After the machine had been -'on tn
wing eight minutes. Capt. Baldwin
reached Ballston- He then steered to tn
west again and sailed toward Glen Car
ilyn. Va Immediately after heading west
Capt Baldwin disappeared behind a higl
and denseiy wooded hill Although hi
| machine maintained the same altitude a
that at which II travelled over Ballston, i
/ was rot visible TO the strained eyes q
Fort Afyer, because # was sailing over
deep hollow hidden by hills and trees
, Spectators Fear Accident