Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-07-11
AMES A|RSH|P HERE
Bagley Leaves Naval Academy
To Be Fitted Out With Plat.
form
NAVY TO EXPERIMENT HERE
Torpedo Boat And AerOplane Will Race
Down Severn Airshp Is Congress.
mans lnyeniiOu


Representative Butler Ames' aero
plane has been here at the Naval
Academy for several days, and yester-
day the torpedo boat Bagley left here
for Washington TO be fitted out with
platform in order to participate in
the combined airship and torpedo boat
races that are to be conducted here
on the placid waters of the Severn
river and perhaps the Chesapeake Bay,
in the next few weeks.
The races will be under the auspices
of the Navy Department. Secretary
of the Navy Meyer has decided to ex-
pertinent with aerial navigitation to
the extent of trying out an aerial craft
with torDedo boat power, and incident
lly,to assist his friend, Representative
Butler Ames, of Massachusetts, de-
velop an invention which, it is prom
lsed, will revolutionize aerial navi-
cation.
Two or three times since the Wright
brothers began flying at Fort Meyer
nearly two years ago, Lieutenant
Sweet and Commander Davis the
aeronaut and wireless experts of the
Equipment Bureau have endeavored
to have the department take up the
question of aerial navigation in con-
nection with the navy. First, the
scheme was rejected by Mr.. Metcalf.
and within the past year by Secretary
Meyer.
Mr.. Meyer became greatly interested
Ir hn
him in confidence by the inventor
statesman. Mr.. Ames said the ma
chine had been tried out, and he had
made two or three short flights in it
himself in quiet field near Lowell.
The thing has been so carefully
guarded, however, that little publicity
has been given to it. Mr.. Ames
rcenly has BEEN ldevoting his attention
to new type of engine, but he does
not wish to install it until he is GER
tain as to the -practicability of a new
type of p lane also added.
Mr.. Ames wished to have a tor
pedo boat to provide the motor power.
The machine is said to be entirely
plain and kite type. The success of
the machine can be clearly demon
strated, he held by its being towed by
a swiftly moving vessel. With a
line several hundred feet long he pro-
poses to get well up in the air over
the boat.
No definite date has yet been an
nounced, the exact time depending G
upon Representative Ames can get his
machine in readiness. 1t was neces-
sary to take the Bagley to Washing
ton instead of sending her to the Nor
folk navy yard because of the rush of
work on battleships at the latter
yard. Only few days will be re-
quired to install the platform, which
is now under construction at the
Washington navy yard. This platform
will be fastened to the quarterback
of the topedoboat. being about 40 feet
square. The Ames aeroplane wi be
placed on this platform and will be
launched at full speed. This boat is
capable of making % knots an hour,
which is regarded as sufficient speed
to aid materially in launching the ma
chine and at the same time towing it
like kite. The experimental runs
and flights will be made down the
Severn below the Naval Academy
The prospect of aerial navigation at
Annapolis during the latter part of
this month is reminder to the Wash
ington authorities of the then sensa-
tional flights made by Wilbur Wright
in his aeroplane at Fort Myer last
July. In conforming to the demand
to the War Department for endurance
and speed Mr.. Wright broke all pre-
vious worlds records. Since then,
however. these records have been
surpassed by several machines in Eu-
rope and the United States, even in
Guiding his own machine, which has
been making some long flights at
San Antonio, Texas.