The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-02
PREPARING TO
FIGHT AERIAL
WAR ENGINES
The War Department Will Ex
pertinent Soon With Bal
loon Shooting Cannon
WIRELESS TElEGRAPHY FROM An
AER0PLANE TO Be TRIED ALSO
Attempt Will be Made to Muffle the
Motors Of Wright Machine So That
Its Passage Through the Air Will
Be N0iseIcss.

Washington. Nov. ITO devise
some means of defense against aerial
invasion the bureau of ordinance of
the war department, it was learned
today, is about to begin series of ex-
perlments of shooting at aircraft with
cannon.
The experiments will be carried on
at the Sandy Hook proving grounds In
New Jersey. Capt. Charles de F.
Chandler of the signal corps, one of
the two qualified pilots in the army,
left Washington today for New York
to make arrangements for the bal
looms to he used in the tests. He will
he stationed temporarily at Fort
Wood near New York city, for that
purpose.
Three balloons OF comparative
small size will be purchased and it is
for the purpose of inspecting and pre-
pairing for the care of them that Capt.
Chandler was ordered to New York.
AT the beginning of the work only
gas bags will he used, but as informa.
tion is obtained the field of operation
may be expanded. No one will occupy
the baskets of the balloons when fir.
ing is in progress.
NO tests of this nature have ever
been made in America, and, as far as
is known here. the only experiments
of the character have been carried on
by gun manufacturers i'm Germany.
The knowledge gained thereby has re-
suited in the manufacture of balloon
cannon.
The tests at Sandy Hook will be
made with cannon now in use and
such new designs will be drafted as
the experiments show may he wise.
| AT the same time ordinance officials
are endeavoring to devise means to
reduce the effectiveness of an enemy's
balloon and aeroplane. the signal
corps will be engaged in the problems
OF navigating the air with the greater
assurance against successful attacks
from the land. Experiments will
shortly be conducted in muffling the
motors of the Wright aeroplane own
ed by the government so that the
flight of an aeroplane may he made
comparatively noiseless. Attempts to
conAmunicate by wireless telegraphy
from an aeroplane will also be made.
The experiments of firing upon
balloon in flight with cannon made in
Germany have resulted in three types
of balloon cannon, it was stated at
the war department. One is mounted
on wheels. another on a pedestal and
the third on an automobile The work
in Germany has demonstrated, it is
said that ordinary field artillery is
ineffective against airships.
1t has been found that gun to
shoot balloons successfully must inn
part very high velocity to the shot
so as to allow as brief an interval as
possible for the target to change in
location. The mechanism of the gun
must be such as to allow it to move
swiftly and easily in all directions, SO
as to follow the lateral movements of
the target.
The chances of piercing a balloon
with shrapnel by directing thousands
of balls and splinters against the gas
bag so as to cause it's ultimate
collapse make shells more preferable
TO solid projectiles, it is said. On the
other hand it has been argued that
projectile, carrying fire, would be
more effective because the rain Of
balls and fragments might result on
ly in gradual sinking, thus making II
possible for the enemy to escape.