The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-07-24
AERoPLANEs FOR VERMONT
And Air Ports for Our Vermont
Towns.

Camp Governor Gates, Fort Ethan Al |
len, on the 9th instant. This is the |
outgrowth of propaganda headed by |
Major Wallace Batchelder in com
mand OF the First Vermont Cavalry. |
The primary object of this scheme is |
to give chance to those who wish |
TO cooperate in doing all that may be |
done to protect our troops by assist
ing in furnishing funds and dissent
mating information regarding aviation
opportunities and needs.
The important of aviation for pre-
parednes for Vermont and the eco
nomic development Of each of its
towns cannot be over-emphasized. 1t
is fully evidenced by the fact that
the meeting was addressed by Cover
nor Gates, Rear Admiral Robert f..
Peary, discoverer Of the North Pole
and now in charge OF developing aero
nautics for coast patrol OF the Uni
ted States: ana Augustus Post who
! has been at the forefront of the de-
yelopment Of aviation. These three
gentlemen addressed the meeting, and
there were also present Adiutant Gen
eral Tillotson, Major Batchelder with
his cavalry regiment, Mrs. Batchel-
der, Mother of the Regiment, General
| Peck and Commodore Wadhams,
many ladies and other distinguished
guests.
The Club starts out with member
ship of 10 and with the following
Board of Directors: Governor Gates,
Col. ira l.. Reeves, Major Wallace
Batchelder, Horace f. Graham, Red
field Proctor, w. o. Schofcld Of Bur
lington Clark c. Fits of Brattlehoro,
james Z. Taylor and James Hardness.
The officers elected were James Hart
ness, President; Adj Gen Tillotson,
Vice President; Dean fl. Il. Roberts
of Norwich University, Treasurer, and
James p. Taylor of Burlington, Sec
rotary.
The way in which this new organ
ization offers an opportunity for Yer
monters to cooperate along the lines
above indicated is through sending
in names applying for membership
in the Club 1t is not necessary to
be an aviator or to be especially in
terested in this subject.
TO those who cannot conveniently
assist in this way there is another
way by which very valuable assist
ance can be rendered along the lines
Of preparedness and protection for
Vermont, and that is by sending in
formation to the Secretary of the
Club that will lead to establishing a
suitable landing place for each town.
To understand this last phase, 1t is
only necessary TO point out that in
case of an invasion of Vermont our
ayiatOrs would be sorcly handicapped
by the cont0rr Of the country. and
the fact hat trees, stone walls, tele.
graph wires. bitches and other things
frequently cross the only natural
places near town on which ma
chine could land and from which it
could fly.
| III AAt oNliNAAA NANAi vi iliA NAA IL
takes very expert aviator to land
on piece of ground that offords less
than run Of a quarter of mile,
and the landing place must be nearly
level, fairly smooth and hard. It
must measure at least a quarter of a
mile in every direction in order ID
! make 1t possible in any wind. for
the acroplane takes flight and lands
2 most fayorably facins the wind. ii
there are two narrow pieces of land
5 In Gown, one afiording landing
places for winds north and south. and
/ another for Winds from east and west
1 these two fields together will con
/ constitute an air harbor for the town
/, The rapid development of the air
, craft makes 1t necessary to Boards
OF Trade and individuals who are
planning for the future growth OF the
town to have IN eye cut to the pre-
paredness, not only along military
lines. but also 20 catch the wave of
prosperity that the air craft is To
bring TO the inland towns our great.
est cities were first established at
seaports, afterwards at railroad juno
tions. and now 1t takes no prophet to
see that II will be but short time
. when towns most favorable for air
craft will have distince advantage
over other towns. This is not an
5 occasion Tor any one 10 buy up all
. such sites u Is not an occasion by
, which a grasping person can make
, any special benefit out OF the stu
! alton. Tho real benefit comes e
the owner of such n landing to dc
D whatever he can, cooperating Will
Y town authorities and Boards OF
4 Trade to eliminate bitches. walls
{ wire fences. telegraph. telephone ant
J. electric wires and those things thai
would prevent a machines landing
A., In event of hostilitics many suci
. things could be quickly removed, hui
there are other things that might b,
4 difficult to change after once estab
- lishcd The Air llarhor or Port vii
. be- the center Of the towns of tn,
future.
, Further Information regarding thi
y Will he put out hv the Club after I
a." has had an opportunity to establish
:, It's committee ON map and landing
= places Of Vermont This work of pre-
- viding landing places is ON a pa
I, with establishing railways and goo
y roads. One OF the greatest boom
y this country has ever seen Is con
" INK in tho development Of the al
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