Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-07-07
USE OF AEROPLANES
IN ACTUAL WARE ARE
Critics Believe Will Soon
Put War Ships to Bad.
New York World.)


Of Glenn H. Curtiss for the World in
dropping Quaker bombs upon an out
lined battleship, dwells upon the diff
fculties the flying marksman must
meet.
The Sun says that "a platoon of
either (marines or bluejackets) armed
with the United States army rife
would be able to destroy whole flock
of aeroplanes at 300 yards. Mr.. Glenn
H. Curtiss' highest flight; or, for that
matter. at a thousand yards. Our men
hit bulls eyes st the latter distance
and have little difficulty in doing it,
either"
The Tribune desires to know what
the men on the battleship will be do
ing when assaulted from above.
There is not in the United States
navy man trained to shoot at fly
ing target in midair, or piece Of
ordnance capable of doing it. Military
expert sknow how craftsmanship suf-
fers when men in battle fire ~ and
down a steep hill. The targe;s "a
which, blue Jackets shoot are at d
known level stance and direction
every moment. Until vertical-aiming
ordnance is perfected We may remem-
Der Hiram Making remark that
thousand rifle bullets may pass
through an aeroplane's wings without
disabling it.
The Times urges that mo aerOplane
can be poised in air" to take careful
aim, and mo formidable bomb can be
made to detonate by contact" AS to
the former objection, the aeroplane
will, of course, continue the waste Of
ammunition which is ahe rule of
war AS to the latter, bigger planes
will carry more powerful bombs. Mr..
Curtiss has only made a beginning.
Elaborate experiments may develop an
aeroplane Offense more rapidly than
aeroplane defense, since it involves
conditions so strange in a field so
new.
A million bullets, according to Mir.
Maxim, may strike a thousand ae o.
planes and bring down only so many
as may have pilot or motor dtsa'
bled. The aerOplanes may not ply
in full day or high sunlight. There
are dark nights; fogs at times lie low
on the water, leaving the uppear air
clear, permitting an aeroplane to
swoop unseen almost to what the Sun
calls brickbat range of its mark.
Military experts are less doubtful
of the value of the aeroplane than the
critics of the press. Admiral Won
Frankenburg says that by much
practice" a ship may be bombarded
by an aerOplane. Capt. Capenharu
thinks the faults found in the aero
plane can be oversome.' Admiral
Montecuccoli warns dreadnaught build
ers to bear in mind the new danger.
Rear Admiral Sigsbee calls Curtiss
experiments "a first step toward MAX
ing the aerOplane an instrument OF
naval warfare"
Admiral Sigsbee continues:
ut is only a question of develop
ing more perfect instruments for
hurting shells from the sky with
greater accuracy. Then it will be
possible for the aerial destroyer to do
its damage from an altitude of mile
in the air.
Mr.. Brookins, an amateur with lit
tie practice, has shown how the I'M
developed aeroplane Of today can be
urged up to heights of 5000 and 1000
feet
Another amateur, Mr.. Harmon, on
Saturday made a blight record of more
than two hours, x'iIG Linety-nl =
radius Of act IN. What would Ia! e
been the SENSATIONS in SIMPSONS fl 9e.
at Santiago if. besides the torpedo
boats to watch. there had been a
thousand aeroplanes over the hills,
capable of flying ninety miles or more,
waiting for darkness or a faYoring
mist to sally forth?
The Boston Herald concludes from
the Curtiss experiments that 'by ele
time cur new 30,O00-ton battleshins
are N commission it is not ct al UNI
likely that an aeroplane will have been
perfected that will be able to put
them out of business. Surely not
unlikely. The aerOplane as war de"
vice will not remain what it is 1t
will be developed. The nations Of
The world must take it into account as
they burden themselves with their
load Of battleshfps.