The Washington herald., 1917-01-25
Army and Navy News
Best Service ceIu.,n in City

The first step in the construction of
the Philadelphia Navy Yard for battle
ship building has been made with the
opening eof bids for cranes On Mon
day the Bureau of Yards and Docks OPEN
sd bids for the slip. 1t will cost about
sooo,oO0. Only two firms bid. the Ameri-
can Bridge Company. of New York. and
the McClintic-Marshall Company, Of
Pittsburgh.
The crane runway calls for approx
mately 1000 tons of steel construction. The
bride company was the low bidder. agree
ing to erect the runway at a price of $l2s
the ton. or total of $4,000. The bid
Of the McClintic- Marshall Company was
Sls6'6o per ton. The American Bridge
Company contracts to erect the runway
within $50 days. The crane contract will
soon be awarded.
Introduction Of aviation In the National
Guard and a far-reaching step in the de-
velopment of aviation in the regular
army Is contemplated In the army ap-
preparation bill, which IL to be reported
In the House within the next ten days.
Under the plan. which has virtually
been adopted by the House Committee on
Military Affairs, an appropriation OF from
900 to SO. o00, 900 is to be made for
the establishment of one aero squadron
for every corps of the regular army and
sum Of about $4,000, 900 provided for the
equipment and training of aero squadrons
in the militia
administrative features of the act which
were recommended by the War Depart
ment, the bill will not touch new legis-
lation.
Preparatory to the adoption OF the Yep
pelin type of dirigible balloons for the
| United states Army. the War Depart
ment has announced the establishment OF
a balloon school at Fort Omaha, Neb.
| Twenty officers and fifty enlisted men
| under command of Capt. C. Def. Chand
Ter. one of the most accomplished avia
| tors In the service, have peen detailed
| to the post. The corps of Instructors Ii
composed Of the alblest balIoonists ir
America, the War Department said.
The importance of this character Of all
craft is so great that the army and navy
have combined In the preparatory worl
and as a result a private concern is now
constructing a small Zeppelin type fol
the Joint branches of the services. II the
experiment is practicable, 1t will be pur
| chased, but In the meantime three kit
balloons and two free balloons have beer
ordered by the War Department and Of
ncers and men will be put through pre-
liminary training In these.
The kite balloons will be so feet lont
and have a capacity of 5000 cubic fee
OF gas IN these the men will be taugh
observation, mapping, etc, from a higl
altitude. The. two free balloons will b.
spherical and have capacities OF 1900
and 1900 cubic feet OF gas, respectively
In the latter type the men will study al
currents, plotting, use OF hydrogen. use o
hydrogen tanks, how to initiate, how t
anchor and the general care and mainten
ance of the bags. Students will be com
PEELED to pass a satisfactory examination
in the aforementioned branches befor'
they will be permitted to attempt a fligh
in a dirigible.
It is pointed out that It required ap
proximately twenty years for Germany L
perfect the Zeppelin, but with the knowl
edge gained from that type OF balloon
and with the great advancement made b!
the army with the aeroplane, 1t is be
lieved that the dirigible will be a realit!
in the American army in the immediate
future.