The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-10
GERM AMPS AIRsHIP FLEET.

serviceable sample of each OF the three
types. the rigid, semi-rigid and n%on-rlgld.
but has duplicated each type already and
Is fast building additions. 50 that by next
fall she will have at least three Parsevals,
three Gross balloons and -four or Ave Yep
pelins.
The relative value Of these three types
has been much discussed. but the fact re-
mains that In Germany all three have proved
efficient. and the specimens on hand are
all servlceable and ready for use In war.
although improvements will certainly be
made. and that shortly. The remarks Of
Prince Henry regarding the Zeppelin bal
loon must not be taken too literally: the
Zeppelin balloon ls 9 SUCCESS and viii Be
used In the next war. and Prince Henry
merely intimated that 1t was not yet (as
every military expert or any intelligent
laymsn knows) q perfectly reliable and
Trustworthy war machine. Its develop
ment In the last year or two, however. has
been simply phenomenal. and any one
watching It's flight through the air Is read
lily convinced that 1t represents the manner
Of aerial locomotion Of the future.
The interest In the sub Ject In Germany 10
remarkable. The Zeppelin fund. raised
entirely by voluntary contributions after
the destruction Of the Zeppelin airship at
Echterdingen last summer. now amounts
to over s.0oO.0oo marks, The Reichstag
appropriated 2.i50.0O0 marks for tho pur-
chase Of two airships Of the rigid or Yep
pelin type. and the Government also bought
the Pareeval balloon. The Gross balloons
already belong to the Government.
All over Germany societies are being
formed for the support and encouragement
OF airship construction, Business men
along the Rhine have raised funds for
constructing two flying machines and to
build the Schuette airship at Danzig (which
is to rival Zeppelinis. using wood framing
In place Of a%luminum). At Kiel. Berlin and
elsewhere prizes varying from 5000 TO 10000
marks have been offered by clubs or indi-
viduals for flying machines Of German
construction. At Friedrichshafen q COM
pany foE the construction Of motor balloons
(Zeppelins) has been organized with Z
capital OF 900, 900 marks, and at Bitterfeld
another for building Parsevals. with .
capital OF 500 900 marks. while others for
smaller airships have been formed In Kiel,
Elberfeld and Berlin.
The capital invested In motor balloons in
Germany Is . surer indication OF the peoples
faith in aerial navigation and the value Of
their present types than the remarks Of
Prince Henry.
All three types have proved their ability
W ilt III SiC oE ~ iC8Sk CiCNcu VI "
hours, and the speed attained has exceeded
thirty miles an hour. which IL sufficient
to enable them to remain up and gain ground
against the wind for fully three-fourths OF
the days In the year. The ability to lane on
dry ground In the open has been proved in
all three systems. and their capability OF
rising to great heights, out Of reach OF
artillery FIRE, without sacrificing too much
ballast and thus becoming unservioeable
for further reconnaissance working has also
been shown.
Besides the large balloon hall being
erected at Friedrichshafen on Lake Con-
stance a hall for military airships 10 being
built Of the right bank at Cologne and
another for q private company. capable OF
housing different types OF balloons, On the
left bank. A wireless station for airship
service Is also being erected there as well
as . plant tDellwik- Fleischer) for making
hydrogen for airshipe.
Besidesth III balloon halls at Zegel. nea Ber-
lin, for the old Gross and Parseval balloons.
a new balloon hall for . Gross or military
balloon for the Eighteenth Army Corps IL
being built at Darmstadt. and a new hall
for the new Parseval has already been
erected at Bitterfeld.
The Aeronsutical expedition at Frankfort
on-the-Msin. which opens his summer. will
probably have q Zeppelin airship ss well
as q Parseval on exhibition aud In use for
pleasure trips.
The development of this subject, there.
In Germany, and there Is no doubt but that
In . very short tim Germany will have .
feet Of airships far ahead OF that OF any
other nation.
Besides the larger airships for the field
armies every fort on the lam frontier as
well as on the coast is to be equipped with
q dirigible balloon. mostly Of the Parseval
or Gross pattern. but also in case Of the
most important fortified places OF smaller
Zeppelin types.
The developments in motor balloons in
the last year also indicate the lines along
which future developments will take place.
and it is interesting to note them.
The Zeppelin airship has risen to a height
of 6, 400 feet and has carried as many IS
twenty-six passengers on some of its trips
The tendency Is to increase the carrying
power not 30 much by increasing the capsc-
ity as by diminishing the dead weight
all OF course with a view to using heavier
motors Of greater power and therefore
giving the airship a greater radius OF action.
II the Schuette (Danzig) balloon proves
successful Zeppelin will probably use =
wooden framework OF American pine, which
is now being tested for the purpose. in place
OF aluminium. This will have another ad-
vantage: the great mass Of aluminium in
the present Zeppelin airships tends to make
the whole take an electrostatic state, posi-
tive or negative, opposite to that OF the
clouds above. and 1t Is assumed that this
was the cause OF the disaster at Echter-
dingen. II wood were used no such effect
could result.
At very great heights, to which the re-
cent balloon artillery forces airships to rise.
1t is doubtful IL benzine will explode readily
on account of the diminished air pressure:
consequently some new form of motor will
probably have 10 be invented. This fact Is
already receiving consideration.
1t should be remembered, however. that
the safety OF an airship lies quite as much
in its speed and in the fact that 1t can steer
In any direction. not only right and left
but also up and down. Its cellular con-
struction gives the Zeppelin a great advant-
age, since a single shot can never put 1t
out OF action unless 1t fires or eKplodes tho
gas within, The difficulties Of ranging by
the artillery will be very great.
The question Of navigation OF the air
as a possibility was settled when during
the last eight years the weight Of motors
TO the horsepower was reduced from So
to s.8 pounds. The great question now Is
how TO construct an airship with great en-
for long voyages-that Ia perfectly
reliable to 60 for several days. like the ships
that navigate the sea.
Here again the Zeppelin has q great sd-
yantaga m Account NJ its an-callad dvnan iC