Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-18
NlXON'S HUGE AlRSHIP.
Expected to Cross Atlantic Ocean in
Two Days.

Two Days.
how would you like to travel across
the Atlantic in an airship the passen-
ger carrying capacity of which is as
great as that of the biggest steamship
afloat:
This is not a mere hypothetical
question. Within u year airShiDS OF
that kind will be actually plying be-
tween New York and London, accord
ing to the plans now being worked
upon by Lewis Nixon, who designed
the warships Oregon, Indiana and
Massachusetts.
The first of the series of airships will
be comparatively small affair. 7O0
feet in length and eighty feet in its
greatest breadth. But the larger yes
sells will have a length of $500 feet
and will be capable of carrying-2 800
passengers, including the crew. as well
as fuel, provisions, etc, necessary for
the trip. And, incidentally. the trip
across the ocean will consume frac-
ton more than two days.
Thurlow Weed Barnes, the president
of navigation company which IS
financing the new venture in aeronau-
tics, said to New York Journal re-
porter the other day that he expected
the first of the great airships to be
launched within the next twelve
months.
He said that there were fifteen di-
rectors of the new company. each of
whom is power in the financial
world. And it is very obvious that
nothing less than the biggest sort of
financiers could undertake so stupen-
dous an enterprise, as the smallest of
the airships-the one which is to be
700 feet in lengths to cost not less
than 100000.
The construction of the airships will
| involve four principles which have
| never been used in combination in any
| other airship ever constructed. These
4! principles are compactness, inasmuch
| as even the passenger carrying part of
| the ship will be within its body in.
| stead of merely attached to 1t In basket
form. Secondly. buoyancy will be Sc
| cured by initiating with hydrogen or
| other lighter than air gas not only
| part of the body of the ship, but even
| the followed out furniture and the
| propellers, which thus also become
lighter than air and will float if tossed
overheard from above the clouds. The
third principle is that Of aereoplanes,
one Of which will protrude on each
side of the body Of the ship. This will
add to the buoyancy given by the gas
the Swimming power which sustains
the heavier than air ships. And, final.
ly, the fourth unique principle Is that
Of the relicopters or propellers on the
sides Of the ship, which, when run
horizontally, raise the ship to any re
quired height and can then be turned
on swivel to a vertical position tc
propel the ship forward.
In connection with the aeroplane, II
is an interesting fact that they viii
serve on the large type of machine as
promenade decks for the passengers.
| The front propeller serves not onl,
the purpose Of drawing the ship for
ward by creating vacuum of air Int
which the ship is sucked, but by the
terrific speed Of its revolutions it alst
acts as q set-o6 to currents of air ant
will, moreover. keep rain and snow
from touching the ship.
i The furnishing Of the passengel
!, quarter will be fully as luxurious al
that of the most up to date Pullman
car or ocean greyhound. The furni
ture will be comfortably large ant
constructed of pulp or aluminium. ]
will be hollow and filed with gas, al
II VIII everything else capable Of holdinl
, the lighter than air fluid.