The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-05-07

tuV BrOunu lueTe may DO OlE vino
aloft at 5000 feet or so. and though
II may be calm in England It may be
blowing hard on the other side OF the
North Sea. contrariwise, It may be
calm in Germany and blowing hard
In Great Britain-which is more often
the case than not.
II was taken for granted in the early
days that when Zeppcllns attacked
England they would cross tho North
Sen against a west wind. so that II
they woro damaged, or II their engines
broke down. they would be driftod
safely back to Germany. This theory
did not work out in practice. for when
the British feet cut OF Germany from
contact with tho Atlantic IL deprived
the German air fleet OF weather fore
casts from the West; consequently,
tho Germans could not toll what wealth.
or was coming up behind west wind.
Several alrships were wrecked In
sudden changes In westerly winds and
80 the Germans have fought shy OF
raids in west winds ever since. On
the other hand, the Germans have at
their disposal continual weather In
formation ranging from Ireland right
around the Arctic Circle 10 tho RUS
sian frontier and for thousand miles
east from the Black Sea and the Adri-
attic. AS result they can always tell
for at least ten or twelve hours ahead
" any change is coming In from the
northwest. northeast or southwest
A wind OF over 100 miles an hour
would be vast hurricane and II
would take ton hours for such wind
to get from the limits of the German
area OF Information TO the North Sea,
SO that II violent change is signalled,
It is always possible for the meteoro-
logical bureau on shore to recall the
alrships by wiroless before they are
surprised by storm.
That is why practically oil tho Inn
portant Zeppelin raids have been made
when the weather has been setting
steadily from the east. few single
ships have risked dash ut the En-
glish coast In west wind, but they
have only been homeland ventures.
Speed and Altitude.
The ton speed of q modern Zeppelin
is supposed to be about seventy miles
an hour. though some aeroplane pilots
who have chased them unsuccessfuliy |
say II is more, and others who have
caught them say II is less. In any case,
the best Zeppelin is always slower
than any really good aeroplane. Also
Il is well to remember that while tho
worlds record for altitude is held by
a German aeroplane, with 25,275 feet, J
the best on record for Zeppelin is
10000 feet Any respectable aeroplane
should be able to reach, a height OF
$4,000 feet, and II iB calculated that
a Zeppelin could reach q height OF
only by jettlsoning all Its ballast, all
its guns and about half Its crew as |
we'll. So that. II chased up TO such a
height by aeroplanes or by anti-air-
craft guns Zeppelin becomes innoc-
uous. ESt only so, but when II gets
to such a height by such means, 1t
will lose mach gas by expansion In the
rarified atmosphere, and when 1t wants
to come down again the remaining gas
Will contract as II reaches the heavier
air below. There will then be Insult
ficient displacement OF air to keep the
ship afioat unless something else can
be jettisoned to Tighten the ship, the
descent will become an uncomfortable
fan.
A fully loaded Zeppelin approaching
the British coast could hardly get
above 1000 or 5000 feet. But after
using ton or so OF fuel and drop
ping all Its bombs 1t might perhaps
rise to 1900 feet or so. At that
height 1t should still be an easy mark
for clever anti-aircraft gunners. and
q still easier one for a pilot on first
class aeroplane fitted with q search
light, which would enable him to keep
the ship in view. when II was lost by
the searchlight on the ground-for one
assumes In these days that no airship
will ever be so foolish as to cross an
lines in daylight.
Taking 1t all around the Germans
have every reason to be satisfied with
the work their airships have done; but
they have to thank British conserva-
tism as much as their own ingenuity
for that success. II the government
OF the past had realized the import
ance OF adequate aerial defense
Great Britain would have had its own
super-Zeppelins to meet German air
ships in fair fight and It would have
had aeropianes properly equipped as
"destroyers" to attack airships at
night q @
Defense and Counter.Attack
Mr.. Churchills promised Swarm OF
hornets" was no empty boast. He used
the phrase to indicate what would
happen II airships came to England in
daylight-doubtles remembering that
all the best hornets go to bed at dusk.
II his policy had been
properly backed up by his technical
advisers there would have been flock
of night-hawks ready for Zeppelins at
night. 4t'.rH"t
That no such machines exist IS one
of the matters still to be put right by
those ofsus who are agitating for aer-
ial reform. The right machines and the
right men can be got In the British
empire, and they will be got before
present agitations cease. Meantime,
no doubt other airship raids will be
made from Germany, and they will
strengthen very materially the sup
port accorded by the British public
to the reform party.
When those reforms are carried
and when the supply and con-
struction OF British aircraft are put
in the hands Of practical men who
know their business German airships
ora IiLaIty IN And short ahiff nm tha