Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-08
AERoNAcT SAYS HE
WILL :oNTINcE
Continued from Page ~

recognized as of the highest order,
and this must be comfort to you in
this catastrophe.
Count Zeppelin later replied to EN-
peror William as follows:
Your majesty's telegram has turn
ed my grief to joy. | will gladly de-
vote myself to your wishes and those
of the German people. and continue the
construction of airships."
Count AccompIishes Great Feat.
Count Zeppelin lost the record he
was striving for in his "a hour air
ship test, but in the eyes of the world
he has accomplished the greatest feat
of the age, and has demonstrated the
feasibility of one phase of aerial navi-'
CATION. The count was attempting a
"a hour continuous cruise in his air
ship as a final test of its practicability
been purchased by the German govern
ment as part of its military equipment
The count is sanguine ne car! comply
with this "a hour test as soon as he is
able to again undertake the trip He
was unfortunate in slight mishap
to his propeller and was forced to
alight for repairs early in the voyage.
Again, the airship broke away from
its moorings at Stuttgart and took
fire, destroying it completely. But COM
pared with the phenomenal success OF
its demonstration these are only
incidents which show the imper-
lection of great inventor. Count Yep
pelin has made the balloon type of
airship life study. He is now well
along in years and may never live to
see the fruits of his own invention
perfected, but it is doubtful if any one
has done more in the development of
this phase of air navigation that the
count. His type is similar to that
used by Santos Dumont and others,
but he has gone at it on an enlarged
scale. His airship is able to carry be-
tween five and 10 passengers. and so
easily maintains its equilibrium that
they can walk around on Its decks as
on a steamer
This phase of airship differs radi-
cally from the heavier than air type,
which depends for its support upon
plains driven at high speed through
the air While the others are much
less perfected and in fact scarcely
demonstrated as yet to be successful
it is thought they will eventually be
the mode of flying, for they are less
subject to winds than the balky bal
looms. So far only few hundred
yards have been attained by any
heavier than air flying machine, and
the frequency of mishaps and acct
dents has shown their inefficiency.
Zeppelin G. A. r.. Man.
It is not generally known that Count
Zeppelin is veteran of the Grand
Army of the Republic. He served
through the civil war as cavalry
officer in the army Of the Mississippi
in the brigade commanded by Gen.
Carl Schurz.
At the battle of Fredericksburg the
young German cayalryman owes his
escape from capture to brilliant feat
of horsemanship, which carried him
through the line of bayonets with
which he had been encircled.
1t is said that 1t was in the union
service that the count made his first
balloon ascension which created his
interest in aeronautics. 1t was IN a
captive balloon sent up to observe the
confederate lines.
The count was successful and be-
came enthusiastic over the possibili-
ties of balloons for military service.
Count Zeppelin has demonstrated,
regardless Of his unfortunate mishaps,
the practicability of the balloon type
for war purposes If not for passenger
use, and it Is foregone conclusion
that in the next war airships will play
considerable part.