The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-14
NEW Potatoes Peck 35c
AERIAL CRAFT IN HARFAI RE. 2
Balloon Made First Successful Tight
 ing Appearances 12e Years Ago.

One hundred and twenty-six years ago, the balloon made it's first sue cessful appearance as an engine o1 war. It was at the battle of Fleurus during the French revolution It was this balloon that enabled the revo- Iutiontsts to win the battle and subse- ouentIy establish the French republic.
 At sunrise of this day the huge silk en bag, inflated with hydrogens, was tuggfng at it's anchor ropes in the French republican camp. The opening of the battle was a signaI for Gen. dorlot to climb Into the basket- The soldiers slowly let out the cable un- til the bal1ocn and aeronaut rose high above the battlefield. Beneath him lay the enenayss lines in full view While the balloon gently eddied in the breeze MaElot drew a. sketch or the eneTny's strategic position and then tossed it overheard in a heavy flag bedecked package
 Thus every move of the foe was reported to the command chief on the ground below during the 10 hours in which the balloon remained aloft The commanders questions, written out and attached to cord that hung from the balloon, were hauled up by the aeronaut and quickly. am swered
 Tfae idea of using balloon in war fare had been conceived, but not used; 412 years before, at the siege of Gibraltar. At that time Joseph Mont golfer, who later made the worlds s first successful passenger carrying ba- loon, proposed Ito introduce in Gib- raltar an entire army, which borne by the wind and a gas, will enter right above the heads of the enemy But the siege was raised before his idea could be demo nstrated.
 Today airships constitute one of the most important factors in modern warfare All the great world powers have equipped their armies with fleets of aeroplanes and dirigfble balloons. end tscientists are bending every en- ergy toward inventing new explosives and perfecting means of hurlf'lg them from the clouds with greater accur- acy Some authorities even predict that the next great war will be fought in the clouds by squadrons of air ships.
 Today American aviators are scout ing over the Mexican lines around Vera Cruz, and are demonstrating their marvellous utility Equipped with the latest devices the ultra-mod- ern army scout can fly over the en- euny's country, sketch or photograph the topography of the land below, the forts, cities and troop positions. By wireless telegraph he can send back the information to his headquarters miles away.
 With the modern rapid-f1re gun he can defend himself with a stream of bullets Or he can drop high explos- i've bombs from his lofty craft. scat tering death wherever it strikes-a year ago it was reported a. Mexican rebel aeronaut dropped a bomb that killed 52 soldiers instantly. If it is night, the aeronaut can drop a. star bomb that expIodes and sheds a last ing and radiant light on the spot he is lowering over.
 To escape from the new aerial guns designed to fight airships, the modern aeronaut can drop the new German bomb that spreads a. dense, heavy pail of smoke between earth and akrship and thus permit the aviator to escape Or he can drop another kind which gives off a poisonous gas capable of killing every living thing within 100 yards