davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Benson signal., 1917-04-14
CHARACTER TEST

~ONFIDENcE and good-na.
ture are easy for folks who
are already prosperous and
successful. The true strength Of
a mans character Is revealed,
however, in adversely. Tear the
foundation from beneath one
who has always enjoyed advan-
tages of wealth and position, and
see IL he has the backbone to
conquer evil days-to rise above
circumstances and win. In "Web
of Steel" we have the story Of a
man whose foundation is de-
stroyed. His fight to rebuild it
makes the novel. 1t is not mere-
ly entertaining fiction; it is a
piece of inspiring literature. We
feel sure all Of our readers will
enjoy this Cyrus Towsend Brady
serial.
THE EDITOR.
The Benson signal., 1917-04-14

Young Meade comes out Of
his dream with a terrific bump
the real story begins with the
next instaIIment. Tell your
friends to read "Web Of Steel"
the best serial Of the year.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
Canada's Experience with
Returned Soldiers

TIME Conference of Charities and
Corrections, held in Pittsburgh last
week, developed no more interest.
ing topic than that brought from Canada
by Miss Helen R. Y. Reid, director Of the
Women's Patriotic Fund of Canada, who
told a moving story of the pitfalls that
beset the returned soldier and of how
social agencies were organized to assist
him.
Miss Reid told Of the changed mental at
ttude of the returned soldier from the
trenches, of his new view on life formed by
the months of regular discipline and life in
the army. Often when men return and are
discharged from the ranks they are not physi-
cally ft to take up the old kind Of life, and
rather than learn any new trade they will
loaf and shirk their responsibility to the
family. Many q man finishing his term OF
service would rather reenlist than face the
struggle of supporting his family
These same problems are going TO face this
country. for are in the same geographic
location as Canada. and when our loved ones
60 "over seas" TO fight We are saying good-by
for many weary months.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

the very best possible insurance for Ameri-
can lives and goods on the high seas.
On February had the honor OF making
a recommendation to the President, in com
pany with Senator Morris Sheppard, OF
Texas; former Senator Johnson, OF Maine,
and Representative julius Kahn, to the ef-
feet that 1000 armed and properly equipped
seaplanes would increase our coast protec-
ton f,om 200 to 800 per cent. This recon-
mendation made special reference TO the sub
marine menace and coast patrol
II would also be we'll to add to each armed
merchantmen one or two properly armed
seaplanes large merchantmen could
carry two sesplanes, one on the fore deck
and one aft A smaller merchantmen OF
from two TO four thousand tons could carry
one. These sesplanes could be launched at
intervals, according TO proper conditions Of
wind and wave, and in the danger zone could
cut circles round the merchantmen, scouting
for enemy submarines.
Is Europe More Capable1
Unless we are willing to admit that Euro
peans are more capable than we are, we can
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

guard our coasts with aircraft just as we'll
as they have been able to do
I quote from The Associated Press report
from Paris on May IA to show the relative
importance of aeroplanes in submarine at
tacks
During the last three months French
patrol boats have had twelve engagements
with submarines, French hydro-seroplanes
have fought them thirteen times, and there
have been sixteen engagements between
armed merchantmen and submarines"
Henry Woodhouse, one of the most distin-
guished authorities on aeronautics in the
United States, in his standard Textbook on
Naval Aeronautics," published by the Gen.
fury Company, has assembled the following
data on submarine and aeroplane combats:
On May 4, 1915. the German Admiralty
reported an engagement between q German
dirigible and several British submarines in
the North Sea- The submarines fired on the
dirigible without success, whereas bombs
from the drgible sank one submarine.
On May 81, 1915, the German Admiralty
announced the sinking of Russian sub
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

handed attack bombed and destroyed q c,
man submarine on Ostend.
Lieutenant Whey received the v,t
Cross and Lieutenant de Sinesy ",
commended for the Legion Of Honor "a, \
ing flown over Z German submarine a.
stroyed it with bombs OF the Bslrise q,
on November Is. 1915.
Early in 1915 an Austrian seaplans .
the French submarine Foueault in the N,
ern Adriatic. Lieutenant Csleseny Va
pilot and the observer was Lieutenta,
Klinburg. After Gripping the subuu
they then performed the remarkable iw
calling another Austrian seaplsne and M
ing the entire French crew, two ofhesu
twenty-seven men. in spite Of the fss, ,
a high sea was running at the time.
A few weeks ago Sir Edward Carssn, n
Lord Of the British Admiralty, ofieislly
ported a great many other incidents Il
sinking Of submarines with bombs drs
by sesplanes and the small coast n,
dirigibles.
What the Europeans have been doing !
including the Turks, We certainly outt
be able to do, unless we have grown vi
with easy living and self-sstisfaction "
be hopelessly outelassed in modern var,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

A CCORDING to the Philadelphia eve
"A ming Ledger" there is new agitator
in the field of hydrography-a man who
has devised brand new scheme for the
calendar. The Philadelphia paper gives
this account of the matter:
Within the next two weeks John Clinton
Parker. a Philsdelphian, will present to the
llvdrographic Bureau in Washington new
method for the arrangement of time as now
cxnr,ssed by the calendar. simultaneously
AIR Parker will present his method to Con-
cressmen. engineers, engineering societies
and &c twenty-seven foreign governments.
This calendar is to be dedicated to the
mothers of mankind and to men who have
been loyal TO duty at a great personal sac
r;fce" II is planned TO have the new chro-
noloey commence on Monday, December "a,
1917.
Under the proposed calendar every year
would begin on Monday and end on Sunday
Two days are devoted by it to the Christmas
festival every leap year. According TO the
new arrangement year consists of 1854 days
grouped in ifty-two weeks, distributed over
thirteen months The number of days and
weeks are the same in each month. The same
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

day Of the week has the same date in every
month. Christmas, the 365th day. does not
come in any week or month. 1t is made the
keystone day OF the year. ito celebrate the
final triumph Of the Christmas spirit over
cgotism, wealth and war"
The outer circle in the calendar represents
time divided into 3e4 days the numbers rep
resenting the Sundays. Three hundred and
sixty-fye and 1856 represent the keystone"
days necessary 20 complete the circuit around
the sun for regular and leap years. The next
inner circle represents the ffty-two weeks.
The names Of the original thirteen American
colonies are used 20 represent the thirteen
months Of ,wenty-eight days each. The inner
circle gives the thirteen weeks in each quar-
ter. The seventh month is tn. keystone"
month.
The centre wheel can be considered as
representing the sun and the six wheels as
representing the earth at different times Of
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

Nosou;to SQUADRON in the annual mannuvres
OF the Atlantic feet detected objects smaiier
than the latest type Of German submarines
from fifteen to twenty feet below the sur
face. This unit has since been taken over
bodily by the navy, it's commander r. lruoee
Dawson. having been commissioned a lieu
tenant. Junior grade, in the Naval Flying Re-
serve. and nine others Of the unit have been
made ensigns
A more complete aerial submarine hunt
took place on March IS OF this year. lhis
was the real thing, because the hlers were
looking for German U-boats. 1nssmuch as
tn. NAVY Department is still waiting before
establishing its first and only aeronauticsi
base on the Atlantic seaboard, the honor OF
having conducted the first aerial hunt OF
tn. enemy submarines in American history
went TO the civilian aviators who are soon
to be a part of the Aerial Reserve Squadron
al Governors Island and to the civilian IN
structors and aerial reservists connected
with the Army Aviation School at mineola'
Long Island. Eleven hiers participated IN
the hunt, and two Of them, Briggs and
Acosta. were out three days. landing and
rising from the surface Of the sea at WILL
The hunt began in the teeth OF gale that
was blowing forty miles an hour, in addition
to rain and bad fog. Captain A. W. Briggs
and Lieutenant II. F. Wehrle new ia miles
in driving rainstorm.
These hawks of the air darted up ana
down the coast in search Of the enemy, often
Aying as far as eleven miles out to sea.
Tb. inIets and BAYS were searched, vessels
plotted compass direction and time when To-
Gated were given
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

country on some plateau or hillside, with
the ceaseless murmur of the guns in their
ears, each Of the squadrons rugged its flag
staff, and hoisted the white ensign, set up
the gray painted huts, and the ships bell
that divided the day into ship-watches,
slung their hammocks, and announced that
they were ready to cooperate" with any
body or anything. The Army-That-Flies
laughed at the ships bell, and the rest of
the naval shibboleth, but it took the WISH
tors to its heart With hands deep in the
pockets of its Stacks" and pipe in mouth,
it came over and examined the fighting ma
chimes of the Navy That-F les and the doc
kickies" thereof, and it said things under
its breath
The avy-That-F Flies did not waste much
time looking about it. One fre-eater, set
ting off to explore the country some thirty
miles behind the German lines, came upon
a school of "Quirks.' Quirks, it may be
explained for the benefit of bipeds, are
young Boche aviators in an embryonic
stage.
From the convenient ambush of cloud
he watched their antics for while as they
Topped about above their aerodrome; and
then, descending like a thunderbolt, he
tumbled three over, scattering the remain
der and returned to make his report.
The squadron listened gravely to the
story, and concluded that the Golden Age
had dawned. But sterner work lay ahead,
and fair sample of it is contained in a
report Of another young gentleman who
went scouting single handed over the Ger
man lines what time the Gentlemen Of
England" were, if not abed, cracking the
first of their breakfast eggs.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
of "The Navy-That-Flies
An Account of Thrilling Air Exploits in France as
Chron,cled by 1.-THE London Daily Telegraph

return home at that height. As was to be
expected, his adventures were by no means
terminated by this decision.
An astonished company of German cav,
airy drew rein and peppered him with rifle
shots as he whisked over the top of their
lances. Five minutes later another Alba
tross" attacked him.
He rocked the machine in giddy sweep,
until within fifty yards of his opponent
and side-looped over him (this, remember,
at 200 feet from the ground), fired a short
burst, and drove the Hun off for moment
while he regained equilibrium.
Then once more the enemy swooped upon
him. From this point onward the reader
may be warned against vertigo. The pilots
own version, the bald official report of the
affair. requires no establishment or COM
ment, though the latter is not easy to sup
press. These operations" he states,
were repeated several times with slight
variation in the way Topped over him
flying against head wind.
"When he was about $50 yards behind
me, | looped straight over him, and coming
out of the loop dived at him and fired a
good long burst. / saw nearly all the bull
lets 90 into the pilots back, just on the
edge Of the cockpit.
"He Immediately dived straight into the
ground then went over the German
trenches filled with soldiers, and was fired
on by machine guns, rifles and small field
guns, in or out I'VE gods and little fishes)
of range There were many shells burst
ing in and about the German trenches"
The report concluded with estimates of
the strength of various bodies of infantry
and cavalry, movements of conveys and
artillery, noticed during the intervals be-
tween aerial somersaults. The pilot landed
at the first aerodrome he saw, adding in
explanation of such an irregular proceeding
that his machine was badly shot about.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

The Navy That-F Flies had been in France
some time before the army heard very
much about its doings. This was not so
much the fault of the army as the outcome
of the taciturn silence in which the Navy
That-Flies set to work. 1t had been hidden
to observe the traditions of the silent navy,
and it observed them, forbearing even to
publish the number of Boche machines it
accounted for day by day. But there came
time when its light could no longer be
hid under a bushel. "Hullo" said the
generals and others concerned with the
affairs of the entrenched army, speaking
among themselves, What about it?" They
consulted the Army-That-Flies.
Now, the my-That- Flies had been con-
fronted in the early days of the war with,
perhaps, the toughest proposition that was
ever faced by mortals of even their imper-
turbable courage. In numerical inferiority
to the enemy, it had been called upon to
maintain a ceaseless Photographic recon-
naissance far behind the enemy's trenches /;
to spot for the guns Of the army along a
suddenly extended front; to keep the wind
| up" the Boche so that for every ten of our
machines that crossed the German lines
barely one of his would dare to cross ours.
This is called aerial supremacy, and they
established and maintained it with fewer
and worse machines than they care to talk
about to-day.
"Of course, we know all about these
naval johnnies," said the rmy-That- Flies /;
they'd steal gray paint from their dying
grandmothers, and they fear nothing in
the heavens above nor the earth beneath
nor the waters under the earth. They are
/ complaining that things are getting a bit
dull along the coast. We might
show them thing or two if they cared to
join up with US for while" Let's ask
them" said the army. So the Navy-Thst-
| Flies was invited to cooperate with the
Royal Flying Corps on such portions of
the line where its experience of escort work
and offensive patrols would prove of the
greatest value" Or words to that effect
Sending Of Its Best
The Navy-That-F accepted the invi-
taton with suppressed exultation. and de-
tailed certain squadrons of fighters. 1t
admits having selected picked pilots, be-
cause there was the credit Of the old Navy
TO consider. Each squadron was intrusted
TO the care of a seasoned veteran Of fully
twenty-five summers, and of the flight
leaders there was one that had even turned
twenty-one. In short, the Navy That-F Flies
was sending of its best; and its worst was
very good indeed. They few away from
the coast and the sea, and their motor
transport rumbed through the empty
plains Of France, till they closed upon the
fringe of the entrenched army.
Here, perched above the surrounding
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

No enemy submarines were found II de-
vcloped that the supposed submarines were
two patrol motor boats returning from trial
trip. Nevertheless the incident is illuminat-
ing. and the Official statement of the Navy
Department closed with the words: This in
cident emphasizes the need OF hydro
aeroplanes for naval scouting purposes"
The Case Of Sperry
II is also interesting to note what nap
pened when Lawrence Sperry went out TO
sea one day last summer in his hydroplane
and failed to return. Two seaplanes and
three naval destroyers were sent in search
of him. In forty minutes the seaPlanes re-
turned with the news that they had located
Sperry floating safely on the water. Al the
end of the day, after several hours OF
search. the destroyers came back without
having seen Sperry at all
Those who may still believe that we Amer
leans cannot build aircraft and that all the
EXHIBITS we read so much about in the news
papers taking place on the other side are
being done in foreign aircraft will be sur
prised to know that a large number OF the
big flying boats now in use in the English
navy, harbor and coast defence work are
Curtiss machines, designed and built in this
country by Americans, with American ma
terial and American engines
Great Britain wants all the machines OF
this type that it can get, and sees no reason
why We cannot do the same thing in pro-
teeting our own Atlantic sesboard. I quote
from c. G. Grey. editor Of "The London
Aeroplane":
"Curiously enough, these big flying boats
originated in America, and, il America is
seriously perturbed about the fate Of Ameri-
can shipping and American citizens travel
ling by sea in the vicinity Of Europe, it
should not be a difficult matter for America
to rig up in a very small space Of time quite
a feet of seaplane carriers suitable for the
handling Of these big seaplanes. II each sea
plane ship were armed with guns having
a range of FIVE to ten miles, and il the gun
ners were practsed in cooperating with
aeroplane spoilers, such ships ought to be
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

4 S THE CHASTITY situation on the other
n side become, clearer to US it is evil
dent that the German submarines are
more dangerous to US and to our allies than
even their mighty armies, and 1t has also
become plain, even to lay readers. that arr
craft are at this time the quickest and most
effective means of combating the Teutonic
vultures Of the sea-
We are receiving agreeable reports as 70
the efficiency of the American destroyer
fotilla now operating against submarines IN
the North Sea An unknown naval of1cer,
according to the newspapers Of May 80, calls
for the immediate construction of from loo
TO 200 additional American destroyers.
BY all means let US have this force-when
u can be made ready-but it would take at
least two years to construct, equip and de-
liver such heavy additional naval tonnage.
while 200 lighting seaplanes, with full
complement of machine guns, bombs, micro
phones and aerial cameras, could be put IN
active service in the North Sea within six
months
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

| name and address; otherwise questions u
S. P.-Count Won zeppelin's first air
ship made its first flight July 2, 1900.
F. A. VA machine gun may be fired
through the propeller in two distinct ways.
BY the first method the gun may be fred
at any desired moment irrespective of
the relative position of the propeller. In
order to protect the latter from damage
the portions of the blades which come in
line with the gun are lightly armored and
defect the small percentage of bullets
that strike the propeller. The second
method consists in gearing the trigger
of the machine gun to the engine or pro-
peller shaft by means of a system of cams
and levers in such manner that when a
propeller blade is in line with the gun
the trigger cannot be pulled, thus pre-
venting firing until the blade has passed
the muzzle, when the trigger is released
and the firing continued. 1t should be
understood that in both cases the gun is
mmovably fixed to the aeroplane, sight
ing being accomplished by steering the
machine itself.
w. B.-The usual charge to learn to fly
is 81 per minute in air with or without
pilot. There is a minimum and maximum
charge for the course at each school, which
varies considerably
R. H. W.-What is a spiral spin?
There is minimum speed capable of
holding an aeroplane in the air which
varies inversely with the spread Of the
wings. When projection of the vertical
side areas of seaplane or aeroplane are
incorrectly proportional and the areas
ahead of the centre of gravity are too
great the machine will tend to pivot
around its nose or tail. This spiral insta-
blity may not be revealed until the en-
CINE stalls rounding sharp turn or when
insuficiently banked on a low rate of
speed. The nose then will drop and the
tail start to swing round. describing a
circle larger than tina: of the nose. The
circles described by the nose and the tail
will be apparently concentric. Occurring
near the ground, a loss of speed is GER
tain to result in a smash-up. If high in
the air the machine will come down in a
whirlpool, spinning like a match in the
waste of basin. The machine makes a
pivot of the corner Of one wing and
revolves about it, The first turn is very
slow. but the speed Increases with each
revolution. The only hope for the aviator
is TO make the machine dive into the vor-
tex of the whirlpool. Even then, if the
motor is turned on, the planes will fold
up like a book. Among accidents to be-
ginners this. next to faulty landing, is the
most common.
A. B. C.--Write to the chief signal off,
Ger, Brigadier General George o. Squier,
Washington, D. c. for blanks to join the
Aerial Reserve Corps
R. BID Linen is used for the COW
ering of the wings and the fuselage or
body Of aeroplanes and hydro-aeroplanes
1t is drawn up taut and covered over with
dope or varnish. According to govern
ment Specification 1902 the linen must
have per square yard a tensile strength
Of seventy pounds with the filing and
eighty pounds with the warp.
t2) No substitute for linen has been
found because linen weighs only from ~
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
A Fight Against Odds

He was attacked by two sngle-handed
"Albatross" machines and a Halberstadt
fighter. Into the engine of the latter he
emptied tray Of cartridges. with the re-
suit that it Immediately went spinning
down; to make assurance doubly sure he
fred another fifty rounds into the whirling
wreck as it fell. By this time q veritable
hornets nest appears to have risen about
his ears.
Three more "Albatross" machines
whirred to the attack, and in his subse-
quent report he noted with artistic enjoy
ment that the head of one pilot precisely
filled the ring Of his sight This eye for
detail enabled him to recall the fact that
he saw three bullets actually strike the
pilots head, with the not surprising result
that the would-be avenger heeled over and
spun TO the ground.
By this time he had been driven down to
q height Of 200 feet above German occu-
pied territory, and having lost sight of the
remainder Of his aggressors he decided to
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
More Effective than Chasers

Seaplanes. small dirigibles on the order OF
the English "blimp" type, and kite balloons
b.v. already shown themselves to be more
effective in detecting submarines than are
submarine chasers or armed liners.
Not only have the British, French, German
and Turkish forces destroyed trawlers, patrol
boats and transports by aircraft, put sue
cessful experiments in aeroplane submarine
hunting have also been made in this country.
In September, 1916. our first Aerial Coast
Patrol Unit, in acting an auxiliary TO the