New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-13
LIGHTER THAN AIR
AVIATION BOOMS
War Department Revives
the Study of d.
rigibles

Renewed interest in branch III
aerial defence lighter-than-sir sec
tion-which the prominence since l9lO
of the aeroplane has cast into COM
parative obscurity, is being taken D.
the War Department Of the Unitel
States.
Within the last few weeks much has
been done. The army has ordered
three kite balloons and two spherleal
balloons. The first lighter-than-air
aircraft station is to be establisheS at
Omaha. Major Charles Def Chandler
has been put in charge Of this station
Announcement has been made that A.
Leo Stevens, himself an old balloonis'
and manufacturer of lighter-than-alr
craft, had been appointed an army IN
structor in the operation OF dirigioies'
kite and spherical balloons.
The United States navy, too, has De-
come interested in balloons, especialIy
in dirigibles. No orders have as yes
beer placed, but il was learned thas
the Navy Department had under CON
alteration several plans for dlrigioleS
Of the rigid type.
Only Experiment Failed
The United States navy's only ex-
neriment with war dirigibles has so Tar
been a failure. The first dirigiole war
balloon ever acquired by the govern
ment was built in New Haven by tne
Connecticut Aircraft Company. us
virgin flight was to nave been maze ~
Pensacola in September. lelo' ne
craft is in the Connecticut cry I" 'rS
day. -. do
Changes have been wrought III rnc
gondola, the engines, the envelope; ne
craft is beautiful AFFAIR, WIN i.s
great gas bag, 175 feet long ana Us
shining Sturtevant motors. ~ mas JUST
one fatal defect. 1t will not ny. -
The trouble seems to ne; aceordins
10 aeronauts, in the size OF the gas pay
II the craft fioated always on even even
keel perhaps it would sail as smoetnIy
as a bird. But when either end OF .nc
cigar-shaped bag is tilted the gas no u,
to the upper end and the dirisipie
comes to earth. The designer OF tho
craft, Captain Thomas 5; BALDWIN, mas
built successfully smaller palIGon -;
both spherical and dirigipie, noSapIy III
1908 the first small dirigible ordered py
the government.
Rigid Type Designed
The defect, however, in the navy
d;rivible-the B N-1-has given rise 70
experiments ,xith rigid type craft, when
have anparently met with more sue
cess. The latest envelope IS not d
single bag but number OF smailer
balloons incased within light frame.
such are the designs which the navy
Department has now under considera-
ton. IT, .ha
There are several causes for tne
stimulus interest in lighter than ar
craft has received. Foremost, perhaps
ia the fact that the recent appropfia-
tion of $4,000, 900 for aeronautics Is 10
be spent as the War Department sees
fit. There are no strings 70 IT, anu
again. the European war has shown nov
onIv the usefulness of the Zeppelin, but
the Importance Of the kite ana spherl-
AT virtually every fortified place IN
Europe there are kite-balloons. Ihere
are balloons stationed at every army
serodrome abroad, and there are strings
of these floating towers OF observation
four miles behind the lines OF the con-
NictinV mowers. Men stationed IN them
observe every movement on the par, OF
the enemy, and report them py wi,e'eSs
10 the aviation commanders and ~, Ihe
officers of the line. Almost every hu =
,opean warship has its klte-Dallooh'
Experts in Army
Although the department has nor
been noticeably active within the last
few years, the United States airsaus
has the Aerostatie Section, when deals
with lighter than air craft. The army
contains such aeronauts as Malor
Chandler. who raced in the interna-
tional Balloon Races; Major Frank I.
Lahm. who organized the balloon
Classic. the Lahm Trophy, held an
nuaIlv from 1907 to 1910, and stevens
who. with the late Lincoln beachey'
bnilt small dirigibles before the aero
plane was known. ,.-L.
II is purposed to develop the lighter
than air section hand in hand with aVia-
ton. Kite balloons are particularly
effective in coast guard work. aero,
nauts helieve that this country snould
have some forty or fifty small balloons
stationed along its sea coasts, such
craft would cost about $4,000 each' ana
would last. il weather conditions were
NOT extraordinary. from two TO three
wears. Balloons OF this type can re-
main in the air without rehlling LOT
L 10