Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25


evitable destruction.
MOT long ago | went to town in New
~ York State which | will be merciful
enough not to name. They were planning
their big annual "Home Coming week, and
| thought | saw a chance to book an aviator
there for flights. So found out when and
where the committee was to meet, and went
there ready to make them enthusiastic over
the idea of having an aeroplane.
They were a progressive and prosperous
looking lot of business men, with the Mayor
presiding, and rose to talk to them, feeling
that they were exactly the class of men who
would want something up to date for their
celebration. So | wayed as eloquent as
could, describing the wonders of aviation
and telling what unbounded enthusiasm it
aroused wherever it was seen. | thought
was doing very WELL until found that they
were not warming up as | hoped they would;
so | made the best of it and sat down IN
chilling silence. Finally one of the commit
tee rose.
any friends he said, ave have listened
to what this gentleman had to say. | will
only remind you that last year we had one
of these airships here, and it was a fizzle that
we can't afford to repeat. Therefore | move
that we dismiss the subject and proceed with
our other business
Ard proceed they did.
When the meeting was over | button
holed the Mayor and asked him who had
given them such a bad impression Of avia-
ton. He mentioned the name of young
man who tried to fly home made dirigi-
BILE.
"Whv," | exclaimed, "that man never
flew an aeroplane in his life! He uses diri-
gible.'
WELL" said his Honor easily but con-
clusively, at doesn't matter. Airships are
airships."
WHEN the aviation meet was held at
~ Atlantic CITY, we who were officials
heard mary instances of this same 1gnor-
ance | was standing one afternoon beside
a Curtiss ;.lachine near the ropes that kept
the crowds back. A man escorting two
women was standing near enough to me tor
me to overhear the conversation, and 1t was
decidedly funny. The man assumed to
know all about the subject, and not ques-
ton was asked by the women but his re-
Spouse was ready and, SO far as they knew,
Illuminating Finally | heard one OF the
women ask:
whats the difference between the Cur
tiss and the Zeppein?'
"Oh," answered the man, "the Zeppelin is
a great deal larger
And that was all the explanation he con-
sidered it necessary to make.
A S for the question, whats the difference
between a bplane and an aeroplane,
wish had dolar for every time have
heard it asked. Nor can | understand the
ignorance that allows such query to be pos
sibe should think that everyone who has
had an ordinary school education would rea-
son it out that, as "aero" means air and
plane means plane, the word aeroplane
means plane'that flies through the air, re-
gardless of other distinctions that, as "mono"
means one, monoplane must be an aero
plane with only one plane; and, as obi
means two, biplane must be an aeroplane
with two planes.
Yet at the Belmont Park meet | was as
tonished to find that ignorance of these fun
damental definitions extended even to those
who pretend to be deeply versed in the lore
of aviation.
The new Wright Baby biplane was being
brought out upon the field for its first speed
test. 1t was expected to develop ninety
miles an hour, and was certainly freaklsh
looking craft, though Enthusiastically still
biplane.
Standing in the judges pavilion was one