Charlevoix county herald., 1912-10-19
AERORLAZKE cSCOLI1Z2V@

maintain and the heights to which they ascend
give them tremendous advantage.
1.-The army aeroplane which the United States
expects TO depend upon in OF hostile dem
onstrations will carry $500 rounds OF ammuni-
ton, which it may discharge at the rate OF 800
minute. 1t can travel 1O4 miles an hour
carry enough fuel to go 400 miles. stay up 11A
hours and climb to an altitude OF 12S2S 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 Of the hydro-aeropane. which
may alight upon skim through and fly from the
water readily it does from land, and from
piowed land as well as from level ground. It's
use wsuld be mostly for observation of the en-
envy a. long distances.
What models are we now using?'
We'll we lave only Wright, Curtiss and Bur
CESS Wright maohtnes at present, but when the
money is Forthcoming 1t is likely that we will
purchase of tSs best OF the foreign ma
chimes Should the necessity arise the United
States would certainly acGaire the best products
OF modern invention to the complement Of her
own supply.
"Our present trouble is already have more
machines than have officers competent to
handle them. We must have more who
are qualified TO fill the requirements exacted for
this work.
Successful aviation is scientific problem
is only a success after each detail is perfectly
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 use of the government
spending money TO train officers and soldiers
to the fine point necessary for successful air1nen
only to have them meet mishap and death to
say nothing of the losses through the destruc-
tion OF valuable machines representing the out
lay OF thousands OF dollars Flying may be- will
be, safe any other mode of travel
This is one of the problems which our gov
eminent experts 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 off his
guard for an instant which experience and study
will avert"
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 Il rigorous physical examination.
To forecast what the war of the future may
mean 1t is only necessary to look 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 10 bits and the German aero guns which
send down brittle bombs containing $50 pounds
OF chemicals that upon exploding FIJI 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 an 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 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 rs 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. sad to be able
to discharge 100000 bullets an hour, requiring
but two to handle It and performing tho
work Of thirty regiments. besides many others
for vertical firing The Japanese have poi.
sonous gas filled bomb which will explode and
fill the air with fumes guaranteed 10 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 semi-darkness. In the late twilight
Of evenings and In the gray dawn the airships
will come forth from their sheds and hangers to
pursue their stealthy flights OF observation and
destruction
With the twinkling lights of the campfres
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 swiftly and silently
steal along overhead and fire their missiles of
destruction upon the unsuspecting enemy and
away out of reach before there is any pos.
sibility of their being seen or damaged
With the accuracy which constant target
practice gives even a small fleet of these instru.
ments of war accomplish great destruction
with their dropping shells and bombs When
these winged fSes meet in contest 1t will be to
the feet that is the swiftest and more DARING
that the victory will belong