Evening star., 1919-06-22
Day of Travel by Dirigible Is Close at Hand

OuIt To-Day, IN Sarety ana achieVe-
ment, will be obsolete in a few years.
Dirigible development will be more
rapid and astounding than motor car
or railway development.
"Dirigibles have risen without diff
Guilty to height Of $4,000 feet. and
can cross the highest even of the
south American mountains in perfect
safety. Their cruising radius is suf-
fcient for any voyage conceivably
necessary. for it already has been
proven to be 5000 miles, with four
days, eight hours and fifty-five min
utes of time spent actively in the air
without stoppage.
THE moment peace comes there will
be absolutely nothing to keep such
airships out Of South America and I
personally am sure that the Germans
areNfguring on going for that market
In exactly that way. They had laid
their plans long before they started
the great war.
"All American airmen are, and all
commercial America should be, seri-
ously interested in the solemnly prac-
tical airship proposition of the vickers
company. 1t is based on conviction
Of the dirigible's superiority over the
plane because of the dirigible's ca
pacity for long nonstop voyages.
The promoters feel sure of 10000
miles in the ships now planning.
This would mean London to New
York, back to London and to New
York again without a stop and with
a margin of safety. 1t would mean
a nonstop voyage of two-fifths of the
circumference of the earth No rail-
way train or ship can coal for such q
journey.
AT this moment Vickers announce
their readiness to begin the con-
struction Of ships of $780, 900 cubic
feet gas capacity. good for $500 nom
stop miles at eighty miles an hour,
carrying fifty tons in all, meaning
fifteen tons Of passengers and mail.
THE lift Of machines already con.
structed reaches sixty-five to seventy
tons, and the speed Of the machines
which have lifted this weight easily
reached seventy eight miles an hour,
loaded The fifteen tons Of average
human beings, which would be the
passenger capacity, il they averaged
$50 pounds each. would allow a list
for each voyage Of 20O-more than
the vessels sleeping quarters could
accommodate by ten. Carrying one
hundred such passengers the ship
would still have lift for seven and q
half tons of mail or quick freight
fnr
OF special or war machines. built in
emergency for emergency use with
out regard to reasonable expense. but
of the machine planned by business
men as business investment.
Personally. I believe the dirigibls
always will be the most practical air
craft for long nonstop voyages, and
that presently it will become the most
practical of all vehicles for such
voyages. The dirigible conveys the
thought Of safety. An accidental
stoppage OF its engines in the air
does not mean death. 1t can hover.
The worst that can happen to it Is
to be driven out Of it's course by the
wind
The plan OF the Vickers company
for the construction and operation of
two such ships to be used between
London and New York provides for
a capital Of $4,000. 900. upon which
1t Is estimated that the company will
earn 10 per cent. This Is based on
figures setting the cost each way for
each passenger at $2i0, which would
be 8 cents for each passenger mile.
II a busy mans time Is worth any
thing his saving OF 1t would far moro
than pay his passage. A $100-a-d day
man would save 5000 or $500 by air
travel. The mail rate has been put
at cents per ounce. and the an
nounced time schedule Of the journey
Is three and a half days. with twelve
hours less when the southerly route
Is possible.
The useful life Of one OF the pro-
posed ships, the solemn prospectus
says. already has been determined to
be at least three years. and when OBJ
solete such a vessel Is worth $4,000
The useful life OF the sheds Is put at
thirty years. and their obsolete value
at 10 per cent.
y
Let us consider the credit side OF
the ledger as the company predicts
1t. With 200 crossings per year the
cost would be 3S shillings, or less
than $40. per mile flown; the charge
for carrying passengers would be
cents each per mile. the rate for mails
,.ould be & cepts mar Otince each wav