The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-25
(Wall Street JournaD

The Curtiss aeroplane factory al
Buffalo is about as accessible ~ tbe
average visitor as Nihilist meet.
ing is to a Russian nobleman. IN.
less the visitor has definite mission
approved by the management. NJ
Santos Dumont recently inspected
the plant.
NJ. Dumont says that in a period
of ten years the aeroplane has do
veloped faster than did the automo.
bile. II. who am myself somewhat
Of dreamer" he continued "naver
anticipated what 1 beheld in the
Curtis factory. There l saw hum
dreds of skilled mechanics engaged
in the building of aeroplanes, of
which from twelve to eighteen are
completed daily. To me the scene
looked more like a dream than a
reality. for among the aeroplanes be-
ing constructed there is one capable
of flying 900 miles, and carving
thirty people.
This machine can carry enough
gasoline to give it cruising radius
of 600 miles at Is miles an hour
1t is driven by seven motors, six of
100 horsepower each, and one of
4O-horse-power. With but eight mas
sengers this machine can carry 700
extra gallons of gasoline, 60 GAL
Ions of oil, and a useful load of
600 pounds. 1t has three planes
spreading 1913 feet, and length of
IS feet. The weight of the hull
and planes is 5000 pounds, and the
kotors 1000 pounds, Including
crew of eight, gasoline, oil and 5000
pounds of explosives, there is a total
weight of over $1,000 pounds to be
propelled through the air. This is
unprecedented.
Less than a decade ago, my aero
plane was considered marvel. In
this machine, in which there was
room for only one person. | used
20-hourse-power motor, and at first
was able to fly only a few meters.
then few kilometers. My record
fight was twelve miles. could carry
only enough gasoline to fly three
quarters of an hour.
To-day the aeroplane can carry
thirty passengers. can make 1000
miles without coming to earth. has
gone 1920 feet up in the air, and
has flown "a hours and ~ minutes
without alighting, and between sun
rise and sunset has travelled 1900
miles. We no longer fear wind or
weather. The modern machine can
brave any gale. and fly through
storm of any velocity.
"a new non-recoiling gun has
been invented along with other war
requirements for the aeroplane. The
gun consists of tube in which two
shots are simultaneously discharged
by a single explosion. At the mo-
ment Of firing. the steel shot speeds
toward the enemy; while the other
shot. which Is made OF sand, is dis
charged backward. The two dis
charges are made at the same time,
with the result that there is no re-
coil to the gun.
The aeroplane has proved of su-
preme Importance in warfare. Caval-
~ has given way to it in making
reconnoisances and in locating and
observing the movements of the
enemy. But II the aeroplane has
proven so useful in warfare, how
much more useful should it not be in
times Of peace? Is the possibility Of
aerial navigation between the Unit
ed States and South America merely
a fantastic speculation? 1 believe
that aerial navigation will be used
Tor the transportation of mail, and
passengers as we'll, and very soon.
let, twelve years ago, when I said
mat aeroplanes would take an i'm
portant part in the waging of fu-
lure wars, people shook their heads
and smiled.
Developed by the needs and ext
sencies of warfare. this same ma
thine diverted from purposes of de-
|aruction, will prove of incalculable
'alue as an instrument in the use
lai pursuits of the race. The mod
I'm plane. as now developed, could
|'asily make the trip between New
FORK and Washington and valpar-
lso or Rio Janeiro. They can un-