The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-10-12
AzRoRxAzE cac0Uzzv0r


give them a tremendous advantage.
THE army aeroplane which the United States
expects to depend upon in OF hostile DEM
onstrations will carry $500 rounds OF ammunl-
ton. which it may discharge at the rate OF Soo
minute. 1t can travel 104 miles an hour'
carry enough fuel to go 460 miles. stay up IL u
hours and climb to an altitude of 12,S2e feet
That is what has been done, and what aero
planes have done they can do again.
Then the army, like the navy. expects to
make good use of the hydroaeroplane. which
may alight upon. skim through and fly from the
water as readily it does from land and from
plowed land as well as from level ground It's
use. would be mostly for observation OF the en-
envy at long distances
What models are we now usng?"
Well we have only Wright Curtiss and Bur-
CESS Wright machines at present. but when the
money is forthcoming it is likely that we will
purchase some of the best of the foreign ma
chimes. Should the necessity arise the United
States would certainly acquire the best products
OF modern invention to the complement Of her
own supply.
Our present trouble is we already have
machines than we have officers competent to
handle them. We must have who
are qualified to fill the requirements exacted for
this work
Successful aviation is scientific problem
which, like every other wonderful achievement,
worked out The first great ESSENTIAL in the
practical of aviation in military tactics lies
in the necessity for safety in flying.
What would be the of the government
spending money to train officers and soldiers
to the fine point necessary for successful airmen
only to have them meet mshap and DEATH to
say nothing of the losses through the destruc-
ton Of valuable machines representing the out
lay of thousands OF dollars. Flying may be- viii
be. as safe any other mode of travel.
This is one Of the problems which our gov
eminent experts are working upon now. They
have already settled upon automatic arrange
ments which should materially lessen the num-
Der Of mishaps and fatalities. 1t is the unex-
pected which happens. taking man on his
guard for an instant. which experience and study
will avert" "a s
General Allen believes that the requirements
for army aviator include physical perfection.
Only commissioned officers of the army and MI
litia need apply and before they can be admit
ted to any of the aviation schools they must
pass rigorous physical examination.
To forecast what the war of the future may
mean it is only necessary to look over the field
of modern invention in the production of death
dealing weapons
Battles viii be fought in the clouds with ma
chine rifles which throw out streams OF bullets
aerial torpedoes which may be released by
levers strapped to the feet OF the aviator bombs
of powerful explosive which can tear men and
horses to bits and the German aero guns which
send down brittle bombs containing $50 pounds
Of chemicals that upon exploding I'LL the atmos-
phere with poisonous gases calculated to kill
every living thing within 500 yards.
To overcome the disadvantages of the dark
ness there is electrically controlled search
light which may be suspended hundreds of feet
below the airship and thus illuminate for brief
time the area of attack. Thus the flying arti
leryman may see just where he wants his fire
to strike. while he remains safe in his iron or
steel sheathed ship high above the danger of
being seen or hit. Then there is bomb which
leaves trail of smoke by day and line OF
fire at night to mark its course.
For disabling from the ground there is
the American automobile gun, said to be able
to discharge 100000 bullets an hour. requiring
but two men to handle 1t and performing the
work Of thirty regiments. besides many others
for vertical firing The Japanese have a poi
sonous gas filed bomb which will explode and
fill the air with fumes guaranteed to overcome
any airmen within 100 yards Of it's explosion
According to some strategists the next war
will be thrashed out largely by airships and most
probably In semi-darkness. IN the late twilight
Of evenings and IN the gray dawn the airships
will come forth from their sheds and hangars to
pursue their steaIthy flights of observation and
destruction.
With the twinkng lights of the camuf1res
Of the enemy the solitary signals of approach
ing ships the vague black shapes of the scat.
tered houses in sleeping village all omen
to their observation they can swiftly and silently
steal along overhead and fire their missiles Of
destruction upon the ursuspecting enemy and
soar away out Of reach before there is any pos
sibility Of their being seen damaged
With the accuracy which constant target
practice gives even small feet Of these instru.
ments of war accomplish great destruction
with their dropping shells and bombs When
these winged foes meet in contest II will be To
the feet that IL the swiftest and more darips
that the victory will belong.