The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-10-25
UTILIZED IN
EUROPEAN COAST

which the America is equipped only
two are intended for propelling pur-
poses. One of these is a four cylinder,
1880 horsepower, heavy duty engine
on which the brunt of propulsion 9TH
er than that afforded by taking adj
vantage of the winds, if they are east
erly In direction, will fall.
One Motor In Reserve.
An eight cylinder 200 horsepower
motor is held in reserve. not to be
used unless the smaller engine is IN
able to cope with the head resistance
that may be occasioned by adverse or
battling breezes. Then there is an
auxiliary ten horsepower motor, which
is intended to drive the air pump and
maintain pressure within the air bag
at constant level. and to this small
engine is attached tiny dynamo in.
tended to supply electric light to the
car and its passengers.
The America is propelled by two
pairs of twin laminated wood screws
eleven feet in diameter, with pitch
Of about five and one-half feet and a
thrust Of $50 pounds. Each pair is
direct-conneeted to the crank shaft of
one of the duty motors, the forward
set being turned by the 1880 horse
power engine. A few feet aft of these
propellers is the second pair of screws,
which will not be used except when
occasion demands it.
AS it is not designed to use these two
sets of propellers at the same time,
except under extraordinary circum-
stances, the breakdown Of one pair
will not disable the ship. Extra crank
shafts, propeller shafts and propellers
are carried, and repairs or substitutes
of broken parts may be made without
stopping one or the other of the mo-
tors.
How Airship Is Stocked.
The America carried food enough to
last for thirty days. water enough for
forty, gas enough in the giant envelope
to keep her in the air for fifty days,
gasoline to run her ten and emergency
rations in her nonsinkable lifeboat to
carry the crew for several weeks in
case of its being forced into the sea,
The lifeboat can be cut away with a
single thrust of a knife.
The experiences of Count Zeppelin
with dirigible balloons had been of
the greatest assistance to Engineer
Vani1nan. The first Zeppelin airship
was blown by a storm from the con
troll of those who held her and was
destroyed. To prevent such catastro-
phe Vaniman placed at two vital spots
of the America sharp ripping knives
connected by cords to the airship's car.
A single pull at either Of the cords
will rip the main seams across the gas
envelope, emptying it, as his tests have
shown, In a single minute. The engi-
neer planned to use the knives on the
first jolt of the airship's keel against
the ground should It be forced. flying
low, into woody or rocky territory.
Such use of the knives In former
experience in Spitzbergen saved the
crew from serious hurt after being
driven aground In a windstorm.
Another Zeppelin was destroyed by
fire originating In her engine compart-
ment. AS soon as Vaniman heard of
the matter he began to make asbestos
tests and in building the America sur
rounded the entire motor section with
asbestos coated canvas. II withstood
the fire of a plumbers blow torch
Even the top of the car was protected
an asbestos sheet being laid between
the roof and the bottom of the gas
envelope.
Profit by French Accident.
The accident which sent a French
dirigible tumbling out of the air, kill
ing its entire crew. happened because
of splintered propeller A flying
wedge Of wood, hurled upward, tore a
long rent through the gas envelope.
Vaniman noted that accident also. and
when he was choosing propellors for
the America be chose model com
posed of finely joined layers of wood.
selected for the perfection of their
grains. and alternating between two
different kinds, French walnut and
French mahogany.
Then. to add still more certainty of
escape from harm from that source. a
strong linen envelope was woven to
fit the whole blade. the envelope being
slipped on like a glove and then glued
down, the glue being forced through
fha .fakh a ffov fks q t.,.a,,4 ~ eS,,,
pressed air.
The explosion Of gas bags in the air
has been a constant source of trouble