Evening journal., 1916-11-14
LIGHTER TA!lB AIR
AVIATION BO0NS
War Department Revives-
the Study of Di-
rigibIes
EXPERTS IN CHARGE
OF THE EXPERIMENTS

Renewed interest in a branch Of
aerial defence--a lighter-than-air
section-whch the prominence since
1910 Of the aeroplane has cast into
comparative obscurity. is being taken
by the War Department of the United
States
Within the last few weeks much has
been done. The army has ordered
three kite balloons and two spherical
balloons. The first lighter-than-air
aircraft station is to be established
~ Omaha Major Charles Def. Chan
der has been put in charge Of this
station. Announcement has been
made that A. Leo Stevens. himself an
old ballOouist and manufacturer of
lighter-than-ai craft. has been ap-
pointed An army instructor in the op-
Grafton OF dirigibles. kite and spher-
cal balloons
The United States navy, too has
hccOme interested in balloons, espe-
ciallv in dirgIbles No orders have
as yet been placed, but it was learned
that the Navy Department had under
cons deration several plans for dirigi-
bles of the rigid type.
Only Experiment Failed.
The United States navy's only ex-
pertinent with war dirigibles has so
far been failure The first dirig'ble
war balloon ever acquired by the
Government was built in New Haven,
by the Connecticut Aircraft Company.
It's virgin flight was TO have been
made al Pensacola in September
1915. The craft is in the Connecti-
cut city to this day.
Test after test has been made.
Changes have been wrought in the
gondOla. the engines. the envelope.
The craft is a beautiful affair, with
its great gas bag 175 feet long. and
its shining Sturtevant motors. Il has
Just one fatal defect II will not
fly.
The trouble seems to lie. according
to aerouauts, in the size Of the gas
bag II the craft floated always on
even keel perhaps ii would sail as
smoothly as a bird But when either
end OF the cigar-shaped bag is tilted.
he gas flows 10 the upper end and
the dirigible comes to earth. The de-
siguer Of the craft, Captain Thomas
S. Baldwin. has built successfully
several smaller balloons both
spherical and dirigible. notably in
1908 the first small dirigible ordered
by the Government
Rigid Type Designed.
The defect. however. in the navy's
dirigible-the B N-1--has given rise
10 experiments with ugid type craft
which have apparently met with more
success. The latest envelope is not a
single bag, but number Of smaller
balloons incased within a light frame
Such are the designs which the Navy
Department has now under considera-
ton.
There are several causes for the
stimulus interest in lighter-than-air
craft has received. Foremost per-
haps. is the fact that the recent ap-
propriation of $4,000 600 for aeronau-
ties is TO be spent as the War De-
partment sees ft There are no
strings to IT, And, against, the Eu-
ropean war has shown not only the
usefulness of the Zeppelin. but the
importance Of the kite and spheri-
cal balloon.
At virtually every fortified place i'm
EUROPE lhelt dl' hl'' -"s'ii"''i'' A"N'
are balloons stationed AZ every army
aerodrome abroad, and there are
strings of these floating towers oi
observation four miles behind the
lines Of the conflicting powers Men
stationed in them observe every
movement on the part of the enemy
and report them by wireless to the
aviation commanders and the officers
of the line Almost every European
warship has its kite-balloon
Experts in Army.
Although the department has not
been noticeably active within the last
few ,-oarc tho TTnitcd States ALREADY