Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-31
|D|RIClBLES IN
TIGHT POSITIONS
- st.r.
They Go Where Aeroplanes
Fail, Says Paris News
paper Writer.
(By l.. Percy Noel.)

| \6y Il. JoerCy NOel.)
Paris, France, Dec. 7.-Beforc wal
tions in military aviation circles CIV.
! erywhere concerned the war utility OF
the dirigible balloon, believed by
some to have found its highest devel.
opment in the German Zeppeiins and
by others in the simpler. semi-rigid
French dirigibles of recent construc-
ton. The prompt destruction of sew.
eral of the Zcppelins robbed them OF
a part of their reputation early in
bles nothing was heard until the
French authorities recently issued a
meager communication on the sub.
ject. The English dirigibles are sc
few that they are hardly n factor In
the question.
The French dirigibles operate at
night, and have destroyed at least
several locomotives held by the Ger
mans, large supply station and
some railway lines. 1t has been hint
ed officially that dirigibles. operat-
ing over the German army corps,
have dropped contact bombs contain
ing turpinite-the gas which, when
released, kills instantly those who
| breathe it.
Sit at Dinncr--All Dead.
If one has any doubt about the use
W .oi piH1lc NY tHc FRENCH, one can
| find many English soldiers who have
seen it drop in the lines from French
batteries. 4 soldier told me how,
one morning, in the region of the
User. his company was startled to see
several German soldiers sitting at
dinner IN barn, the big doors OPEN
When they did not move the English
officer explained to the men that the
Germans had been killed by the gas
invented by Turpin.
In their night work the dirigibles
do what the French aeroplanes can
not do. and other things that aero
planes might accomplish, but not
without great risk, for aviation at
night has its serious disadvantages.
Not only is there the danger of STALL
lng, the danger of landing, but the
Gnome rotating motor, with which
most French aeroplanes are equip
, pea. has not been muffled sue
cessfully. This means there must be
not only the noise but also the flame
OF the exhaust which can be seen.
even when the aeroplane is at high
altitude
Dirigiblcs' Motors MufrIed.
me dirig1bles are provided with
automobile type motors, which can
be effectively muffled, leaving only
the slight noise of the transmission
lnu the swish of slowly turning pro-
peliers. and completely hiding the
flash of the exhaust. Without the uso
or the motor the French semi-rigid
dlfigibles can be maneuvered up and
| down by valving-allowing gas to es-
cape-and by dropping a small uuan-
tlty of sand ballast.
BN this method it will he seen. the
approach close to the ground, or to
lhe opJect to lie destroyed can be
uuite noiseless and on a dark night
the dirlgible will be invisible as we'll:
Inere is always the danger however.
OF me dirigible's being picked up by
one OF the powerful searchlights used
IN large numbers on both sides.
Zeppelins Seldom Seen,
Hltho4gh l nave spent much time
pack OF the Frehcli and English lines.
Ill the center and west, and have kent
caretut eye open for things aerial,
i, nave not Vet seen a difigible, least
oi an q zeppelin. And have asked
scores of soldiers, officers and men.
II theE nave ever seen one, and they
nave always answered negatively. So
!, i am or the opinion that recently the
Acnpcllns have not been operating as
widely as they were at the bcpinninp
OF the war.
1t is reported that since the royal
nslhg corps attack on IHriedrichsha-
Ir,;>l,:, oi"loiicc ana the city OF
rlleurlcnshafen are in complete Oh
Sc"rity at night, to protect the Zeppe-
IN IN works there. A few small colored
iights indicate the jetties. In the out.
shirts ,rts or the city powerful search
lights are employed.
put more interesting is the news
lnat Zeppelin caught fire from one
~ 81, the cannon mounted on top of it, so
.,at Ina, system has been abandoned and
the zeppelns. This was the zennn.
ms only defense against aeropIanc
attack from above, ''''
I'M niakng Many More Zeppclins.
The Zeppelin works have been
building their air monsters 1T the rate
OIL one every three weeks since wnr
was declared. This will be reeoenized
d.. as a manufacturing feat by anv one
", |rU r',,; SLOWS ANYTHING about the con-
'oot body of aluminium. enc,os;nn Uoo,
noIeh ,,: to twenty balloons. and three
nsh ense power motors, giving a total Of
ouV 10 1000 horse power.
Whcther the German general ct, r.
olncerS are enthusiastic about the
Heppeiihs, whether they are plea sod
WIN me service they have done in
- .'i' var Is Il problem, but there is no
inc f:ar aooue the German public feel
I,,. pSopiS rule swear
by the Zeppelins. s"eat
German Air Raid Expected.
mat these air leviathans have nor
!e. haG thorough test is, niy onin.
ION; That with them q great raid
VIII be attempted before the end nf
the war is probable. Wv ~
Dlrigtbles are not the only .+yn.
"a balloons being used on both Ga. ~.
Inc captive balloon. which in it's first
crude form played a small role. in the
American civil war; is emploved
some soldiers I have talked with ssv
they nave seen free balloons. and
the latter is not impossible.
. The German captive balloons ,sed
aor @ rec.onnoitering from; camps sew
eral miles back Of the advances
trenches, are frequently sausage shan.
eu ana the car is so suspended that
tne pailon holds the air with its
eiongation at an. angle with the
ground, For the imitation of captive
balloons In the field both sides roc
Cylinders of hydrogen gas and also
portable gas plants. ''
Iapt1ve balloons are extremelv use.
TAI for ebser, alton of the eject of
artiilery fire. being connected with the
batteries by telephone. '|'e
-.e,
knowledge isn't always mower
There Is the football contest, for in.
stance.