Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-11-15
MR.. DOUW'S IMPRESSION
Annapolis Man And Only Mary
lander Who Made Flight
Talks
THE USE OF AEROPLANES
Mr.. Douw Believes They viii Be Adopted
For Scout Use As Engines OF War

fOr SCOUT Use AS Engines vi war
Capt. j. dePeyster Douw, of the
General Staff, Maryland National
Guard. and a citizen of Annapolis,
has been, so far, the only Marylander
to make an ascent in an aeroplane
during Baltimore's aviation meet.
Captain Douw believes that the
aeroplane will soon be adopted for
scout use during time of war, but he
doubts whether 1t will ever be feas-
ible to use the airships in a pitched
battle. Captain Douw made trip last
week with Count de Lesseps in the
latter's passenger-carrying Bleirot,
and while aloft the military officer
took several pot shots at target ly-
| ing on the course.
Captain Douw failed to hit the tar
get, and on alighting he explained
that he had no room to move his gun
without risking some of the aero
planes delicate wires. At greater
altitude, Captain Douw said, he be-
lieved be could have struck the tar
get, especially if he had been able to
avail himself of greater angle of
firing.
Though this was the first time that
the Annapolis officer had ever tackled
a trip in an aeroplane, he was most
enthusiastic after he had ended his
five-minute fligt. The Captain was
truthful enough to admit. when press
ed, that he experienced slight feel
ing of dread as the powerful French
flier was first leaving the ground.
When we got into the air. how
ever" Captain Douw said, Il had
no feeling of fear. That had al dis
appeared when the machine righted
itself at a height of about thirty
feet. / felt no fear when taking the
flight, but l had slight dread when
the machine was leaving the ground,
as the sensation was a new one and
l did not know what was coming
next"
"Would you make a second trip?"
Captain Douw was asked.
"Indeed / would" he replied,
land as soon as possible. l think
it is a great sensation, and, be-
sides, flights are most useful for
military men," Captain Douw's
wife did not accompany him to Bal
timore for the flights, and as soon
as the officer descended from. his
aerial trip his first thought was for
his better-half. my wife is wait
ing to hear whether landed safely
he explained, land / know t:at she
is bit nervous. ] must send word
to her at once" The Captain then
made arrangements to have tele-
phone message sent to his wife from
friends in Baltimore announcing that
he was safely back on terra firma.
Captain Douw was not in the least
nonplused at his failure to hit the
target. Il hardly expected" he
said, that could shoot accurately
as such an angle or on my first trip.
| believe that if l assembled higher
on the next trip l could reach the
mark, however.
''Do you think the aeroplane is
feasible for army work." the officer
was asked.
ooh, yes" he replied, 'but only
practical ct present for scout work.
Sharpshooters would have hard
time reaching the middle of camp or
other places were men were massed
in enough safety to warrant the at
tempts. l believe that the men on
the ground could spy the machine
and have drop on it before its armed
occupant could get close enough to do
any damage.
For scout work, howe ver,' con-
tinued Captain Douw. q believe that
the aeroplane will soon be universally
used in times of war. With a cap
able pilot a scout could reach a site
near enough to a seat of operations
to spy out the movements of the
opposing army with the aid of
glasses and still be too far away to
be an accurate mark for the
enemy guns.
Bomb throwing from an sereplane
l believe will also be practical, how
ever, and bombthrowers on land
may take to some extent the place
of the sharpshooters. An aeroplane
at an altitude higher than guns
sky range could reach a point over
camp and drop bombs that many
times would work more havoc than
small army of sharpshooters. All
together, believe the aeroplane in
years to come will be universally rec
ognized as a great instrument of war.
/ only hope, however, that the
friendliness of nations will prevent
the mead of actual demonstrations nf