The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-17
The Airship of 1915.


The Airship of 1915.
From the standard of present de-
velopment the airship of 1915 may be
conceived as having a hull of rigid
construction, 1000 feet long and so feet
beam, with accommodations for 125 to
$50 passengers, with crew of AZ men.
The new air liner will resemble a
submarine, or rather a flying fish. AL
its parts will be compactly built into
the hull. Its underbody, 800 feet long,
II feet wide, and 9 feet high, will ex-
tend between the elbows fore and aft,
where the hull begins to curve toward
it's pointed bow and stern. The under
body will hold seven passengers ana
eight operating sections, after the fash
ion of compartment sleeping car. 4
continuous passageway will extend
from end to end.
The Prov, glazed with artificial mica,
will furnish an aerial observatory. It's
interior will be series of grill gal
leries, connected by steps. Here will
be the BRIDGE" the air liners nerve
center, with signal radiation to all
parts of the ship. A narrow gallery
Will reach the extreme nose, where n
small exploring gun, swung on a uni
versa1 joint, can be fired toward most
points in space On it's several plat
forms will be the navigating deck, the
helm, the wireless" the chart room,
and both meteorological and astronomi-
cal "observatories."
Below the bridge" will be a hatch
way to the main passage in the for
ward underbody of the ship, where
there is companion way. which is the
ships portal. Abaft of this will be the
captains cabin. To starboard will be-
gin the main passage and staterooms,
with all doors opening on the passage.
Next to the captains quarters, in
sequence, will be officers and en-
gineers' staterooms; officers wardroorn
nd I,n 1nr cHn hsa fs,--%
motor compartment: the toilet room;
passengers staterooms; passengers,
living quarters, central lounging,
reading and dining saloon, the width Of
the ship.
The saloons, glazed with openings If
artificial mica, can be transformed into
open deck space by sliding side ports.
At the stern will be the stewards
quarters, where all cooking will be by
electricity. Meals will be served in
each saloon, the pantry service being
operated by escaIator, passing through
the hold" which will be attached to
the airship's entire underbody Table
service will be delivered through a trap
in the saloon floor. Telephone and
electric annunciators will connect each
section with the stewards quarters. AS
only rs passengers will be accommo-
dated in each section, but one steward
will be required there.
All bed covering will be of the light
est weight, because elektron heaters
carrying the hot exhaust of the motors
Will kept the temperature automatical-
ly even while flying at frigid attitudes
When flying low in the tropics the air.
ship may be perfectly cooled by venti-
lation. Only hand baggage will be per-
mitted for the quick passage, other
baggage" going by steamer or express
airship.
The sides of the "hold" or tunnel 5
feet high and 8 feet wide, will be lined
with continuous tanking, containing
gasoline f. Ell, to. be forced upward
into the engine rooms as needed. The
outside of the fhold'' will serve as the
the craft to float on water; elastic buff
fers for landing i'll be fixed under
each engine section.
The eight motor compartments will
each be equipped with one 200 horse
power motor, transmitting energy by
short steel belts, in the same side of
the hull, and to auxiliary engines
operating pumps that will control the
gas chambers, without expanding gas
and condensing it into the airship's
tubular frame. They will also drive
powerful fans for ventilating the air
spaces of the hull and the living quar-
tiers. The electric power plants for
lighting, cooking, and operating the
escalator will be in the engine com
partments.
observatory. will become a long -'hurri-
cane deck of thin, light planking. with
side rails. Here will be kept Service"
implements; two slender masts, carry
ing the wireless atennae and the vel
low top lights" observatories for
cloud triangulation and taking the alti-
tude of stars; searchlights, kite winch,
and the airships boats" two small.
swift aeroplane "scouts''-one fore. the
other aft, with ample space for launch
ing and alighting. The deck will he
reached by small, winding openwork
stairs through the hull. The hull will
be divided into 20 gas-tight compart-
ments, for sustaining the airship in
space. Along the port and starboard
sides 5 sets of curved aeroplane sur
faces will help to lift and support the
afrship or steer it up and down. They
will be stepped" to avoid interference.
Between them will be 8 propellers
on each side, at alternating levels along
the hull.
It is believed that within five years
such ar air liner will be capable of
travelling 70 miles an hour, ordinarily.
and often 120 miles, in the upper levels.
Two miles above the equator a plane
tary current encircles the globe at ire
mendous speed. The ashes of the
eruption of Kratoa were carried in this
belt around the world in IA days.
In ten years an airship driven so
miles an hour may perchance make
that trip in 8 days, flying at a speed
of 120 miles an hour, or 5000 a day Is
it all a dream? Ten years ago a pro-
phecy Of the present achievements of
German air navigators would have