Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-05


not land in way cities. but win make
through trips" 1t is to be built OF
steel rather than aluminium. and with
girders supporting the roof. As this
ship neared a city a wireless message
would be sent out regarding the time
at which it would pass over the city.
Then an aeroplane with six or eight
passengers would rise to the proper
altitude and circle over the city until
the big dfrigible Stacked up. The aero
plane would then come to rest on the
back of the big gas ship, the passen-
gers would descend in an elevator to
the cabin and any passengers wishing
to alight in that city would be taken
off similarly. The engineers say that
safe and practicable.
Would Cost Little.
It has cost the railroads OF this
country $150.0o0 per mile capitalize
ton, and the engineers working in
cooperation with the Army air serv-
ice say that rigid airship transpor-
tation of the utmost refinement and
service can be provided for $4,000 per
mile of road. The initial capitalization
of the project is s5.0o0.o00.
While transportation of passengers
and express is the big feature of this
corporations program, all possible
uses Of aviation are being developed
cordinately. There is a special bureau
of aerial photography for use in lay
ing out a new city or subdivision, for
great engineering projects, for street
railway construction or for taking
pictures of estates. There is an i'm
mediate demand for the services of
such a bureau.
Arrangements are now being made
for every city and town in the coun-
and for sending messages by dicta-
phone records by airship. This
service, 1t is argued. will give the
force of the spoken word to such mes
sages. which can be sent at greater
length and at rates corresponding to
those now charged by the existing
telephone and telegraph companies.
Iadvertising-with the slogan Paint
your name in the sky" The first adj
Hertising airship in the world is now
| being built for use in the National
Capital. and is to be operated here
| in about month. through cooper
alton with Washington merchants
Advertising Plans Failure.
Aeroplanes have not proved good
for advertising purposes because any
sign printed on them must adQrn
the underside Of the wings. or upside
down. Then me plane has to ny so
read the inscription.
The airship for advertising purposes
that is now being built for use in
Washington Is ninety.five feet long.
stands forty-five feet high. the car is
twelve feet long and carries three
persons. 1t has a sixty horsepower
motor and can travel about forty
miles an hour.
Handbills will be distributed from
this craft by coiored paper parachutes
about one and one,half feet in diam
eter, which will descend gracefully
to the crowd of onlookers, thus get
ting 100 per cent efficiency in distrib-
uation. and will not litter up the
streets or yards, as handbills thrown
from an aeroplane.
These parachutes are capable of de-
livering anything up to a pound in
weight. SO that an ice cream manu-
facturer could distribute from this
product, with a spoon thrown in. He
might thus on a hot day. win the
good will Of thousands Of govern
ment workers Or a candy man could
give away samples In the same way.
And Telegrams. Too.
This advertising airship can travel
low, and attached to the car win be
a loud-speaking telephone device with
a demonstration. SO that it can float
along, about ten feet from the
ground. near q street car. while the
announcer delivers his message" to
the people: It is expected that this
airship advertising will be extern
sively used during the present politt-
cal campaign
It viii be employed by Washington
business men to advertise their wares
through the suburban territory OF
Maryland and Virginia The advertis-
ing airship will jazz its way about to
every farmhouse and attract attention
more forcibly than any other sort OF
advertising. Those who are behind the
proposition say that the cost is not
prohibitive. as it will be not more
than $50 an hour for actual time I'm
the air. Advertising experts say this
is very reasonable. particularly for
covering otherwise inaccessible coun
try territory. The airship can cut
across farms and woodlands In a way
that no automobile or other vehicle
could.