The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-06-11
they're At WORK EVERY DAY
Many Visitors Go to the Army Aviation
Field Near hyattsvllle, Nd, @
Watch Testing Of Asropianos
and Dropping Of MlssIlso. 4.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

enough. perhaps, to keep this country
In equipment abreast OF other great
countries Of the world, but with their
small appropriation the signal corps
men are doing all that they can, and
even II they have not all the necessary
machinery they intend apparently to
be ready to use it when they do get 1t.
Out on 4 reaching meadow near
Hyattsville, Nd, every afternoon Of.
dcers and enlisted men of the signal
service go soaring skyward In their b.
planes. They not only ny, but they
engage In the practice Of trying to
drop missiles 80 that they will hit the
mark, and in addition to this they
drop weighted envelopes, supposedly
containing messages. In war time
! these envelopes would bedropped from
aloft into outlying posts Of an army
which could not readily be reached
by the couriers Of the commanding
| general.
Scores Of visitors go to the aviation
! ground every day from the city of
Washington Everybody remembers
! that 1t was an American officer who
sacrificed his life as volunteer for
the service in the f1rst attempted trial
OF biplane under government au-
spices with two passengers in the ma
chine. 1t seems almost incredible
to some people that tho officers and en-
listed men OF the signal corps should
90 to their flying work daily in the
face OF the record Of the years casual
ties, and do 1t with such perfect nom
chalance, seemingly giving no more
thought to a flight way up into the
clouds than they would give to a foot
drill on the parade ground.
Testing a New Machine.
On tho aviation field hangers have
been built in which to house the bi.
planes, of which there are several, two
different models being represented.
Whom a visit vvas paid +. -%h> q a.2Ar~~-
od1cer and an enlisted man were seat
cd In an absolutely new machine, and
were going to test it for the first time
They took running start over the
meadow and then went up, neither one !
Of them knowing definitely whether or
not the machine was to develop some
weak spot which might make flying
fatal. They made time test Of it,
staying aloft two hours, most OF tho
time being from 600 to 1000 feet above
the heads OF tho spectators.
A detachment Of enlisted men took
piece Of white canvas 20 feet square
out to the center of tho meadow and
there spread it on tho ground, the
white Of the canvas doubtless showing
forth from alott distinctly from The
surrounding green. The biplane DIR
cled on tho field, which is a huge one,
then gradually narrowed the circle and !
than rather q sharp turn was made
and the aviators passed directly over
the white canvas. dropping a weight
which landed within two or three feet
Of tho target. r-5~--..> s.##
1t must be said that the machine in
which tho soldiers were riding was
travelling at the rate Of nearly so miles
m hour when the weight was dropped,
It may seem that It would bD easy to
drop something from aloft on 4 mark
I'd space, but when moving at rap
ID rate 1t IN much more dimoult 10
gauge the target properly than it is to
pit lying mark with a riflo ball, and
every sportsman knows that this -
pomething Of a job.
! Canvas 10 The Bulls Rye.
OF course tho white canvas which
was spread on the grass was In reality
intended only as the bulls eye Of 4 tar.
get. for II one takes into consideration
the space covered by battlsship. or
py the ordinary land fortidoAtien, *
will bs seen at once that missile
dropped from the clouds striking only.
few feet away from the canvas would
have done the damage duty to any.
phip or fortihcation which 1t was In
Fended to hit. The missile In time Of
war, Of course, would bs dynamite
bomb or something else equally %
deadly.
The aviation field OF the army IL 1
poble meadow. It is a natural place.
and for generations, and probably for
1 centuries It has been the summer home
pf scores Of meadow larks. birds which
delight In such a place as this
IN which to make their nests and to-
bring up their young. When flying
machine was flrst taken TO the sdeid
the meadow larks seemed to be dis.
lturbed by the great soaring thing
which probably they mistook for some.
new kind Of hawk. but familiarity
bow has bred contempt IN the larks,i
minds and hearts, and they sing uncon-
cernedly while the machines are whis.
ping above their heads.
It is now well known that no more
than one case of rheumatism in ten
! requires any internal treatment
I. whatever. All that is nee ded is a free
!. application Of Chamberlain's Lini-
/ ment and massaging the parts at
I each application. Try It and see how
4 quickly it will relieve the pain and
4 soreness. Sold BY Barker's Drug
Istore.