Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-08-28
WORKMEN GOT RELIGION
And Religious Duties Interfered
With Aviation Field
Progress
DID NOT RECKON CAMPMEETING
Plans Of Capt. Chambers For Aero
planie Flights Prevented Because
Negroes Got Converted

When the navy located its aviation
field here it reckoned without the col
ored camp-meeting proclivities in
these parts.
An old-fashioned colored camp-meet-
ing, which is being held in the county
near the aviation field, has seriously
interfered with the program of the
Navy Department for the annual tar
get practice off the Virginia Capes in
September. most likely eliminating
elaborate aviation features. which
have been on the schedule up to this
week.
The opening gun of the fall practice
will be fired by the battleship Della
ware today against the remains of the
old battleship San Marcos, in Tangier
sound. The entire fleet Of battleships
and cruisers will be present
Capt. w. l. Chambers, director of
the aeronautic division of the navy.
had planned to give the warships
surprise by sending his three mechan-
ical air-birds over the bay from this
city. HeAad planned to have them
approach the fleet as the firing begins
ships to view the operations.
The aviators We're to proceed on the
theory that the aeronautic defense
guns were already installed on the
ships, so were expected to keep a safe
distance away, but close enough to
bring back a report of the Delaware
firing. This was to determine the
possibilities of the aeroplane for
scouting purposes.
But Captain Chambers reckoned
without the camp-meeting. The con-
tract for the construction of the hang
airs and the dressing of the aviation
| field called for the completion of the
work by the first of the present month
Delays were reported every few days,
and fortnight ago Captain Chambers
| and Lieutenat Ellyson, who will be in
charge of the aeronautic school here,
came over for an inspection.
AS a result there was renewed ac-
tivity for day or two. Declarations
were made that everything would be
in readiness by the middle of the
present week. Accordingly, the avia-
tors were ordered to Annapolis with
their machines, the plan being for
them to make flight or two before
the end of the week, so that they
would be prepared for the trip down
the bay this morning.
When Captain Chambers learned
Saturday that the work was still a
week or more from completion he
caught the first train for Annapolis to
demand a reason for the delay. He
readily got it. Practically all the lab
orers on the work are colored, and few
of them had showed up for the days
work until the afternoon. Inquiry de-
veloped that they had all got relig-
| ion' since beginning on the Govern
ment work at the camp-meeting, and
their religious duties keep them up
practically all night Inasmuch as the
camp-meeting is being conducted off
the Government reservation there APP
pears no redress. The ordinary course
would be to assess a fine upon the con-
tractor for the delay, but that would
not lessen the disappointment of the ma
val authorities at not being able to
witness the work of the aeroplanes in
connection with the battle practice.
1t now appears that the aviation
| field will not be ready for the ma
chimes until the latter part of this
week. BY that time the battleships
will be ready for the open-sea target
practice off the Virginia Capes.
Since the firing grounds are thirty to
sixty miles off the Capes the distance
from Annapolis would be about 200
miles. This, it is held, is too long
distance to be attempted for one days
flying at present, especially since
there would be no place for landing
except upon the water.
However, since the main opportuni-
ty to fly over the fleet during the fir
ing in Tangier Sound, at the mouth of
the Potomac river, today, has been
missed, the naval aviators will make
the most of their work here. After
the work is we'll under way the hydro
aeroplane will be sent over the water
to Baltimore, Washington and Old
Point Comfort, on numerous flights,
following all water courses.