Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-09-26
AE.PQRLAZKE G5GQLIILY6D

maintain and the heights to which they ascend
give them tremendous advantage.
The army aeroplane which the United States
expects to depend upon in case of hostile dem
onstrations will carry $500 rounds Of ammuni-
ton, which it may discharge at the rate Of 500
a minute. It travel 104 miles an hour
carry enough fuel to go 460 miles, stay up Tx
hours and climb to an altitude of 12,82S feet.
That is what has been done, and what aero
planes have done they do again.
Then the army, like the navy, expects to
make good use of the hydro-aeroplane which
may alight upon, skim through and fly from the
water as readily it does from land, and from
plowed land well from level ground. It's
would be mostly for observation of the
envy at long distances.
What models are we now using?"
Well We have only Wright, Curtiss and Bur
CESS Wright machines at present, but when the
money is forthcoming it is likely that will
purchase some of the best of the foreign
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 more
machines than we have officers competent to
handle them We must have more men who
are qualified to fill the requirements exacted for
this work
Successful aviation is a scientific problem
which, like every other wonderful achievement,
worked out The first great ESSENTIAL in the
practical use 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, will
be, as safe as any other mode of travel.
This is one of the problems which our gov.
eminent experts working upon W. They
have already settled upon automatic arrange
ments which should materially lessen the
Der of mishaps and fatalities. 1t is the unex
pected which happens, taking a man off his
guard for instant, which experience and study
will avert"
General Allen believes that the requirements
for an army aviator include physical perfection
Only commissioned officers of the army and mi
lita 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 will 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 fill 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 artil
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 a bomb which
leaves a trail of smoke by day and a line of
fire at night to mark its course.
For disabling aeros 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 it and performing the
work of thirty regiments, besides MANY others
for vertical firing. The Japanese have a poi
sonous gas filled bomb which will explode and
I'LL the air with fumes guaranteed to overcome
any airmen within 100 yards Of its explosion
According to some strategists the next war
will be thrashed out largely by airships and most
probably IN semldaTkness. In the late twilight
Of evenings and in the gray dawn the airgbips
will come forth from their sheds and hangers to
pursue their steaIthy flights of observation and
destruction.
With the twinkfng lights of the campnres
of the enemy the solitary signals Of approach.
ing ships the vague black shapes of the scat.
tered houses in some sleeping village all open
to their observation they can swiftly and silently
steal along overhead and fire their missiles Of
destruction upon the unsuspecting enemy and
soar away out of reach before there is any DOS.
sibility of their being seen damaged
With the accuracy which constant target
practice gives even a small feet of these instr1.
ments Of war can accomplish great destruction
with their dropping shells and bombs When
these winged foes meet in contest it will be to
the feet that is the swiftest and more daring
that the victory viii belong.