The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1912-01-02
May Make
Miles an Hour
Thinks We Soon Shall Have
Airships Crossing the
Seven Seas.

game there must be development of
the same sort. We must have the air
lanes mapped out, and that's coming
next season.
What do you think was the best
air accomplishment of 1912" BroOkins
was asked
The fight of Rodgers" the aviator
responded. 'and for this reason: 1t
put the whole exhibition game out of
business at once and took the thrill
from cross country flying at single
dash. People had been wondering If
the aeroplane could really go some
place. His really went and went so
far that even trip across the CONT
nent. made subsequently, made less
stir than did his journey.
And that was needed. The bust
ness needed to be hauled out of its
level as a seven day wonder and cir
Gus sideshow and brought down to the
question of utility.
Il know a lot of men with money
who are at work for 1912, but for the
most part they are misguided lot.
hear of aluminium wings with metal
supports. That's the silliest thing
imaginable. wooden support that
hasn't actually snapped is always as
strong as it was at first, but metal
support may be SO Jared that it is
ready to go TO pieces on your next
time. and you never know it is getting
ready to do so until it does it. Auto
mobile rims are of wood for exactly
the same reason that aeroplane sup
ports will be of wood.
For my part. l am following the re-
suits of experimentation. | have let
the motorboat builders do my work.
All l have done is to seek out the best
in motorbeats and adapt it to the task
of alighting out Of the air and have
incorporated into it a pair of planes
large enough and with engine power
enough to lift the required weight.
Wilbur Wright forecasted the idea
when he few up the Hudson with a
canoe under his planes.
MY combination craft will have 100
horsepower and margin of 700
pounds of lifting capacity over the net
weight of 1.50O pounds of the COM
pleted craft The planes will be so
attached that in case of forced land.
ing in a stormy sea. where the waves
would wash up over the planes. they
caif be quickly cut away. The pilot will
he ut sea with 100 horsepower mo-
torboat. with air tight compartments.
and he will have as much chance To
survive as any motorboat man could
have.
Luncheon on the Ocean Wave.
''If he has landed in calm water he
can ride along at fifteen knots an .iour
while he makes necessary repairs. re-
fills the gasoline tank, has his luncheon
or sleeps bit
The railroad train doesn't haul the
load of the steamship. Yet. as between
steamships and railroads. we prefer the
latter where speed is requisite. We
are now facing Il chance to go between
fixed points at from IS to 100 miles an
hour over the shortest possible route
and we must not belittle the aero
planes capacity. Picture fleet of
them, like Il train of cars. starting two
minutes apart from New York bound
for Atlantic City or Philadelphia. The
cargo of one boat you carry in ten
trains. say What does it matter, then,
if you carry the cargo of one train in
100 aeroplanes when the number you
can send off is limitlesS?
When we can see these things ahead
of US it amaZes us to find an aero club
Boosting because it's clubhouse is the
finest in the land and yet find its mem
berslip composed of men who ask us
if parachute attachments wouldn't be
good for us. Yes. they would be gooa-
as good as strawstacks all the way
along the rights of way of railroads. SO
that if train should run off the track
it would have something soft to drop
into. Aeroplane effort has to aim right
and the freaks Just now are in the verE
last stages of their opportunities Saol
we will have aero clubs as proud Of
aeroplanes as they are today of club
houses. and then great things Will
come"