Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-12

cation OF water. if for no other reasons.
Other pictures there were. showing towns.
villages. roads. railroads and other init
mate details Of the enemy'S country.
such had to be gathered in the old
days afoot or on horseback. from spy o.
friendly native. slowly. laboriously and
With infinite patience and delay.
The successful experiment with tho
camera means that in the future photog-
raphy will take its place means 81
map making OF country in ease Of a
war. With modern methods Of develop
Ing pictures II Is possible for an aviator
now to sail over the enemy'S camp al an
altitude of 500 feet or more. snap pictures
OF their forticat.ons, Of the roads lead
ing up TO the camp. and within an hour
or SO place a finished picture III tic hands
of the commanding officers Of their own
army.
Another new scheme tried out at college
Park is the idea Of attaching wireless
telegraph apparatus - each aeroplane.
IL the tests result successfully i
means that iii case Of war each aero
plane viii he fitted with an instrument in
order that an aviator can receive and
fash messages from the sky relative -
the location Of tho enemy's camp. giving
accurate descriptions Of fcrtitications AMI
keeping his own army We'll posted on
What the enemy is doing The in>tru-
ments to be placed on the machines viii
weigh about l'n pounds. This i Il hit
heavy for a machine t. iif' in addition
to its driver and possibly ono passenger,
but II is Delleted II can ne done without
much trouble and the tests will com
mence within the next week.
The Tarhox automatic stability device
for aeropanes has been tried and has
proved a success. The mechanism =
device bout six inches high and twenty
four inches long, secured in the center If
the aeraplane. lust to one side of the
engine II is made Of aluminium ami
brass. and. together with its connections,
weighs less than twenty-five rounds.
ron wires extend u the hal
ancing rudders. rough small. tie
mechanism is powerful. In ease and az
curacy il rivals the sewing machine
Capt Pau W Beck. one Of Uncle SANS
pioneer fiers. Went into the question OF
the practicability and usefulness of aero
plane photography. map making ana
bomb dropping. He said:
ITO begin with. there arc two general
uses to which an aeroplane can be put
from a military standpoint. Its principal
use. Of course is for the gaining and
transmission of information Its second
use is for aggressive purposes. Under
the head of gaining and transmitting m
formation, we must determine the powers
and limitations of the aeroplane recon
noissance. Right here we are up against
the first obstacle. To get information ac-
c,lrately we must fly low, but II We tiy
low We are in danger from below. there
fore We have to conduct our experiments
at such a height as viii render the aero
and its pilot and passenger at least as
safe from hostile firing as they would be
If thev We're on the firing line RMS
height has been generally taken t. be
about 1000 feet. The height is based on
the fact that the present military rifle is
effective at a height not exceeding 80
feet
Now. for the gaining Of information
We have to rely on the use OF field glasses,
sketching and photography. We have not
vet determined whether or not the aero
will he sufficiently effective by nslnS
these three means to warrant Its use III
that class Of reconnaissance work.
I'VE have demonstrated, however. that
both the pilot and passenger should be
experienced aero men. preferably botil
should he expert reconnaissance officers.
In this way the pilot can he renewed
when he becomes fatgued. and the STRAIN
on the reconnaissance officer viii he les
sened bv a change of occupation. Whether