Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-12

lois for this duty. As matter or TACT
both men are now thoroughly acquainted
With the machine and require no further
Instructions. However. the Wrights Will l
remain here long enough to carry out the
full terms OF the contract
II have not determined whether the
aeroplane will be maintained at Fort
Mver or elsewhere. While all the expert
n,ents with aeroplanes have been con-
Quoted at the post. It Is not the CHIEF
headquarters Of the army FOR balloon
work. We have a large station Mt Fort
omaha whore the government has erect
ed one Of the largest balloon houses aHl
hydrogen plants In the world. TIE nal
loon house Is 20 feet long. So foot wide
and 100 feet high. We are rather shy On
balloon equipment. So far we have only |
ono small dirgible balloon. These are
costly affairs. The European balloon of /
good size will cost from 500 600 70 s7ooco /
II made over there. whore these things /
are relatively cheap. The corresponding |
price here would be about 40 per cent.
Ligher."
The price paid by the government FOR |
tre Wright machine, $4,000. represents
considerably more than the value of the !
aeropane. IT includes n big bonus. Civ |
on by the government in order to encour- |
age American genius In the do"elooment |
p, practical flying machines. For the
same amount Of money It IS likely that +
.he Wrghts would gladly furnish three
aeroplanes This sum set aside from |
the appropriation annually handled by
the board of ordnance and fertilization |
If the war department This board tests
military devices submitted by inventors.
such as proiecties. shells and new wrink- |
les in guns. paving the cost of manufac-
,tne In some cases and OF the tests The |
United States government obtains no
fights on the Wright aeroplane. 1t has no |
authority to manufacture additional ma |
chimes. n II should be determined. later
on. that two or three more are needed.
they must be purchased AZ a price fixed |
by the inventors
Secretary Dickinson has not made up |
his mind how much money he will ask |
Congress to provide for military work |
with balloons and aeroplanes. Last year
the secretary OF war submitted a re-
nuest for 500 Oo0 FOR this purpose A, that !
time Congress was not greatly impressed |
with the progress made ia aviation, and |
declined to give a penny. fortunately |
great many members Of both branches Of |
Congress have attended the nights at |
Fort Mycr. Like everyone else who has |
seen the achievements OF the Wright |
brothers they have been profoundly I'm |
pressed by the remarkable exhibition. |
There is little doubt that Congress, next |
December. will ,e willing to appropriate
money enough for the equipment Of the |
army IN this regard.
"It is too early in the game" said Cen |
eral Allen TOR me TO be expressing |
opinions Of the part which balloons and |
aeroplanes will play in future warfares |
We are not in the very n b. c of the I
matter. Wonderful strides have been |
made during the past year. The devel- |
opments Of the next few months may put
an entirely new phase upon the matter
Some one may come along almost any
day with new type Of aeroplane, or m
inproverr ent, or with a dir!glble balloon
which will minimize what has been ac-
complished so far
II nm not prepared to state at this
time what recommendations will make
10 Congress on the subject IN December,
will he governed by the situation at
that time. think that everyone Is will
ing to admit that the science Of aviation
IS now at point where it Is no longer
regarded as purely an experiment, I am
also confident that Congress will not de-
fire the American army to BE behind
those of Europe in the matter of equip
ment IN this particular"
Oficers Of the general staff hive given
the opinion Of our military experts. is
attention 10 the military significance Of
the fight of NJ. Rleriot across the Eng
lish channel They do not hesitate to