Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-08

and accessories. with half a million
more for maintenance. One million
was granted for both construction and
maintenance.
What sort OF a program for navy
will you ask the Secretary
to present to Congress at the next ses-
SION" is question put TO Capt.
Bristol.
Il am not at liberty to answer that"
was the reply
But, inasmuch as Capt. Bristol last
year explained that the actual needs
then, in addition to few dirigibles.
were 200 aeroplanes for the fieet-loo
for duty and 100 in reserve-and pro-
vision for training at least 400 officers.
it is fair to assume that no less will be
asked when Congress meets in Deem
Der.
What has the navv now in the way
of aircraft. personnel and equipment?
was asked.
We have three aeroplane boats and
ten hydroaeroplanes. the distinction
being that the hydroaeroplane ia
equipped merely with floats. or pom
toons. while the aeroplane boat is a
real boat with wings" said Capt Bris-
tol. We have a training station at Pen
sacola. Fla. where officers and men are
being trained; we have the North Car
olina being fitted as an instruction
ship: We have twenty-seven officers in
the service, of whom twelve are navy
air pilots qualified as expert aviators
and We have 100 enlisted men under in
struction, of whom fifty are aeronautIcal
mechanicians, During the past year. in
training and experimental work. our
fiiers have down about $4,000 miles
out of this years appropriation 1t Is
possible that We may get twenty more
aeroplanes. Proposals will be sent out
soon for bids on twenty-seven aeronau-
teal motors with special requirements
that should develop motor of proper
power and reliability for navy use. This
viii represent an outlay of 100000 or
more. OF course the number of these
motors is in excess of the aeroplanes
we now have. but every plane ought to
have an extra motor in reserve.
I'VE have ordered two aeroplanes
from abroad. three from the Burgess
people. three from the Curtis COM
pany and two from the Thomas COM
pany One made by the Wright COM
pany and delivered in July. was COM
pletely wrecked before acceptance
while it was being demonstrated by a
representative Of the manufacturer.
Also we have ordered our first
dirigible. which is now being built and
which will be delivered about October
1t is of the semi-rigid type, some
thing like the Parsifal, with length
OF 115 feet, equipped to carry crew
of eight and to travel two hours at .
speed of twenty-seven miles an hour.
or four hours with crew of only
four. A floating shed and a hydrogen
plant for the dirigible also have been
ordered and are being installed at the
Pensacola station.
I'VE are not going into the dirigibls
construction heavily because there is
a lack of experienced builders of such
craft in this country. We propose to
be conservative, but still open minded.
So far as the dirigible is concerned We
can do, and since the cost of the aero
plane is from $4,000 to $4,000. while
the cost of a dirigible runs from $780,
900 to half a million. it behooves us to
be conservative.
AT the Pensacola station in addition
TO training officers and men. We are
carrying on great deal of expert.
mental and research work.
While we have not built up our
naval air service into a formidable or
ganization. we have at least laid the
foundation for future development. We
know where we are going and in what
direction. We have taken advantage
of every bit of information regarding
aeronauties that has been evolved in
practical account at Pensacola.
-
THE different bureaus Of the Navy
Department that have to do with our
activities are adding much to the store
of knowledge of aeronautics. Naval
H. c. Richardson Of the bu-
reau of construction and repair for .
long time has been making special
study of the design and construction OF
air craft, and has become a highly ex-
pert aeronautical engineer.
Lieut.. w. G. Child Of the bureau of
steam engineering. has gone deeply into
the study of construction and design Of
aeromotors and of aircraft machinery
generally, and has become an author.
lty on the subject.
This Office, that of director of naval
strategy, tactics and operation Of air
craft.
The bureau of navigation, through
the Naval Observatory. is developing in
struments to be used in the handling
of air craft.
The bureau of ordnance is develop
ing air craft guns. those to be used by
flying craft both for offensive and de-
craft guns to be used from ships and
shore. stations against aerial attack.
The bureau of yards and docks has
charge of the construction of the ham
CARS and other structures for the use of
the service. In fact, every bureau OF
the department is cooperating in the
of the aerial arm"
Capt. Bristol himself, this boss of the
navy fliers, in his own career illustrates
he theory on which the navy air serv-
ce is being built: that it is not to con-
stitute specialized corps; but Is to be
made up of officers who have a highly
specialized knowledge of the particu-
ar subject, without being lopsided on
t. In other words, the theory is to
develop good. all-round men.
That is just what Capt. Bristol is, a
good all-round man. In his time he has
been a specialist in sailing ships, in
marine surveying, in gunnery, in ord
rance. in torpedo construction and OPP
ration, in steam navigation, and, above
Ill, in the business of fighting and lead
ng fighting men. And now. although
lot a fiier himself. he is specializing in
leronautics, a subject in which he Is
egarded as a master. Still he declines
o regard himself as a specialist in any
hing. He is a naval officer. And a
laval officer, in his conception, must be
BILE to do skillfully a multitude of
hings.
A native of New Jersey. graduating
rom the Naval Academy in the class Of
8S7, in the days when the new navy
vas just being talked of and when
most of the fighting ships were wooden
elics of the civil war. Capt. Bristol
made his first cruise in the old cruiser
,alena under Admiral Ctenhen a