Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-23
ANNAPOLIS, Md. FRIDAY. JUNE 90. 1916
THE EARLY BIRD
AT THE Army BASE
May Not Catch Amy Worms--lhere
Aren't Any--Only Lizards.
MOVIE MAN CANNING PICTURES.
The Overhead Birds of Aviation---
National Guards Machine Looks
Seedy.


Seedy.
Especial TO Evening Capital. by Jean
Cabell O'Neill, Columbus, N. NJ.
The early bird at an army base may
not catch any worms, for there aren't
any wormsonly lizards and sech. but
he certainly gets some birds eye pic
lures of preparedness as exercises in
every direction about and around the
camp. The clarity of the air seems to
make for dramitic effect and even
long thin line of ambulances take on
the charm of movie" picture wind
ing over the hills the whirling dust
cloucs half revealing and half con-
the grim and business looking
vehicles for the conveyance of the
wounded and the dead.
The artillery is passing not far be-
yond the camp right into the eye of the
rising sun it trails gun carriages and
ammunition wagons and gun crews.
and everything very business-like and
this is national Guard. not regular, and
very business-like they seemthis crack
company of Roswell, N NJ.
Overhead the birds from various
fields are shatterng the morning peace
with the whirr of their powerful mo-
tors. Three are up at once, and Co
iumbus holds its breath and SAYS its
prayers until it is red in its collective
face, for there are thirteen machines
in the aero squadron now, counting
the recent arrival from New, York of
the twin tractor machine gwen to the
National Guard of New Mexico largely
through the Aero Club of America.
An hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars are represented by twelve power
ful Curtiss machines lying in the field
here, and this is exclusive of the Ma
tonal Guard machine, which keeps
them company. And still with vital
need for machines in New Mexico none
can be gotten over the border even.
What is wrong? 1t is not delicate to
say-my information is first hand and
from my own observation, as / have
seen the wonderful and effective work
of the biplanes in the western war
zone, and my heart aches that with
such dire need for avition in Mexico
and with such good fiiers as the FIRST
Squadron possesses the squadron is a
rankfailure as far as any work in
Mexico is concerned.
If Washington wants your CORES
pondent to tell what she has seen here.
she will gladly do so, but as the Off
GERS have been warned that any con-
versation with newspaper people will
lead to dismissal from the serviceshe
is not quoting anyone or anything at
present. except the bare statement of
facts as they rise up and smite the
average observer between the eyes.
The twin tractor was up this morn
ing for all of ten minutes. We breathe
more freely when she is tricky enough
to be a she. She came home without
leaving any of her fragile parts in the
air. The twin motors were very much
all right and they could lift table or
small house if attached securely but
the fusilarge. / do not know how to
spell the frame of the bird and the
dictionary does not know, either, but
it means ribs and things that support
the pilot observer,wings, tail and whole
works of the aeroplane. This entire
structure has been over-driven and
will have to be reinforced entirely be-
fore any real service is gotten from
this machine.
The floor of the machine is so frai
the workmen have to be careful not tc
drop any tool for it would break
through The steer post is new, oil
was replaced just before leaving the
East, but it sets in old timber and al
will have to be renewed. The outer
| covering of the machine it patched in
many places and the wires loosel,
bound together with plumbers tape
but the sides of the glistening bird!
from the Curtiss factory the Nationa
| Guard machine looks rather seedy, al
| though her motors act in business
| like way during the one and only ans
very brief flight it was thought wis,
| TO give her
We had a near accident yesterday
| when Captain Dodd, trying to get of
| to Mexico, detected motor trouble ant
came down as quickly as possible, bu
crumbled up his radiator. The ma
| chine is now sulking behind the new
| white tent. which. with three others
have been set up to protect the ma
| chimes from the wild sands storm
| which whirl over the fields during
many of the twenty-four hours.
Captain Dodd is supposedly amonl
the best of the fiiers. and he is great,
peaved, as there vii be further della.
in getting into affairs in Mexico. H
was almost the last to leave Mexico
having given fine account of himsel
in the work there, as long as the ma
chine held out, but it has been nearl
five weeks since the last of the dis
patch carriers retired from business i
the American war zone.