The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-05

uealn. silently tney glide through the
air to we'll known destination, grad
ually rising as they approach the
shore to height Of. say, 10000 feet.
Then - breaks loose.
THE first discharge of their bombs
will be light and OF two kinds" is
the superstition. Zone will start to
burn when dropped on the sea, the
other will scatter on the ground and
burn there. Both will light up the
ground for yards around. Neither type
has yet=been perfected. but invention
works fast in war times, and the
news of their perfection may come
at any time.
With the light as of day far be-
meath them" the article declares, a
second fleet armed with incendlary
and high explosive bombs will come.
1t is hard to hit a small fort on the
ground with bomb, but dirigible
can carry seven tons of bombs now,
and with the larger balloons and aero
planes that there will be in few
years, one can afford to miss a few
shots in getting the aim" Then the
dFucle continues:
THE papers said few days ago
that one of the present belllgerent
nations Is building $50 aeroplanes a
week. That is $500 year. II that
nation were about to attack the Unit
cd States, it would strain a point to
do a bit better than that. and in three
years of preparation for the big fight
they would have about 10000 aero
planes. all of great size.
ut seems no exaggeration, then, to
say that the enemy will attack those
forts on Long Island sound with g.
900 aerohlancs. $4,000 remaining at
home f. protection. Each plane then
will carry one ton OF bombs. and they
will start dropping them at Z o'clock
in the evening. as soon as 1t is dark
enough for their purpose.
Aerial attacks will be different
then with n large force, and there
will be n peculiar system of tactics
for that branch Of the service. The
planes will fly over the forts at diff
ferent levels. When the first few in
Ccndlary bombs have started fires, each
squadron can pick particular point
on which TO drop his bombs. so as not
10 risk their hitting each others aero
planes.
''Now. II only half the planes, 1000
are used, and each makes three trips
between Z at night and in the morn
ing. each carrying ton OF explo-
sives, which is moderate estimate,
then 1000 tons of bombs will have
heen dropped on the American forts.
Even If the aim is Door. how much
of General Crozior's sixteen inch guns
viii he loft IN the morning?
What We May be Told.
"Of course. we may be told that
precautions will be taken against such
things. but why not take them now?
London and Paris were never bonn
harded from the air before. but they
have been OF late. and women and
men were killed because the precau-
tons were not taken in time. The
same thing may be said Of submarines
and gas attacks. Why not prepare
for them now?
Aerial bombs do not always hit.
hut when they do with the modern
explosives it is all up with the thing
they hit. Then the only way to do
anything Is to keep them from hitting.
Can this be done with anti-aircraft
guns. which. by tho way. are not mem
toned ny General Crozier? Does no
think that his sixteen inch guns need
no protection?
"Antl-nircraft guns work on the
principle that what goes UP must
come down. If. then, forts near New
York are attacked then the guns will
send their shells into the city streets,
or else they cannot be used. The
guns arc moro dangerous to the fort
when the enemy is directly over head
than TO the enemy himself.
"Well. then. let our forts be pro-
tected by the present aviation fnrce
OF the United States. Is It eighteen
or nineteen aeroplanes that can fly?
American men and officers are as
ready TO tiEe as other nations mon
and officers. but OF what use will our
score of machines be against 1000?
"But. suppose now that instead Of
q score there arc 5000 aeroplanes,
and suppose thnt they have learned
IT. advance OF the fleet OF 200 ships
bringing the invading army. While
this fleet is steaming in the direction
Of the Statue of Liberty. perhaps with
the Intention of putting an end to all
tho things this statue has stood for,
what Is happening?
an swarms and throngs steaminE