Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-29
Number Should Be Purchased
Board of Ordnance Thinks.
FOR TRAINING OF OFFICERS
Matter Is Discussed at Some Length
in Annual Report.
ASKS $4,000 APPROPRIATION
Sum Wanted to Garry on Expert
ments-Tests of Reinforced Con-
crete Parapets Described.

The urlanimity with which the military
experts of the United States will sup
port Secretary Dickinson in beseeching
Congress to make an appropriation for
the purchase of an adequate number of
airships for the experimental use of the
army is further demonstrated in the an
nual report Of the board of ordnance
and fortification.
Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood is president of
that board. Other members are Gen.
Crozier. chief of ordnance; Gen. Murray.
chief of the Coast Artillery Corps. and
Gen. Bixby. chief Of Engineers.
LAS is well known" says the report.
'.the board has long had an interest in
aerial navigation and early recognized
the possibilities of this auxiliary to war
fare and made allotments for expert
mental work at time when the major
ity Of scientific men considered the sub
ject Of mechanical flight with indiner-
ence, il not contempt. While actual flight
of a man-carrying machine was not then
realized. the basic principles OF me
chanical flight were established. The
lack of success deferred further expert
mentation for a time, but allotments Dy
the board resulted I'm the first pubHc
flights by the Wright brothers.
Aero's Usefulness Established.
LAS was stated in the last report of the
board, these experiments established oe-
yond question the usefulness OF the aero
plane as a military adjunct. which vie"
has been confirmed. and strengthened oy
the marked development in the art or aVi-
alton that the last year has seen. Whiie
further improvements IN the mechanical
features of aeroplanes are certainly to be
looked for. and will continue to receive
the careful consideration and encourage
ment Of the board, it is the opinion OF the
board that the art Of aviation Is no"
developed sufficiently to warrant the pur-
chase by the War Department OF mum
Der of aeroplanes of existing types Iol
the training Of certain selected ofncers
in the art Of flying. from whose expert
ence valuable information may be expect
| ed, both in the development Of suitapie
| types of military aeroplanes and In the
determination Of the proper role OF sucf
| machines In military operations
The most important new experimental
| work undertaken by the board during the
last fiscal year related to tests OF the re-
sisting power of reinforced concrete para.
pets. These tests will have an important
bearing on the defenses of Manila. which
require a form Of parapet occupying az
little SPACE as possible and vet sufficient
ly strong to resist the fire of any guns
that might be brought against 1T. Fur
ther experiments with concrete OF varying
degrees of reinforcement will be made
this year.
The Emery Gun Carriage.
There have been no developments, as
far as the board is informed. the report
says, in connection with the Emery gun
carriage. The board calls attention to
the fact that all work on the Emery de-
sign has been done under direct enact
ment of Congress, and says that the total
amount authorized for the construction
Of the carriage has been a quarter of a
million dollars.
"Of this sum-" the report continues
there remains to be paid Mr.. Emery
S13, 53151. Another year has passed, the
seventeenth since this work was author
ized, and the government has nothing to
show for the expenditure except the
foundations for the carriage. completed
about two years ago.
To carry on it's experimental work dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 30. 1912
the board requests an appropriation OF
$4,000.