The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1921-04-01

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by steam generated from the engines,
and air will be admitted at the forward
end Of the car, where it will be warmed
over radiators.
Zone is struck by the absence of
noise or vibration in large airshfp,
and the absence of smoke or dirt is
great asset. The complete absence OF
seasickness is also an important con-
sideration."
Craft Of the type described by Brig
adler General Maitland already have
been used in Germany on. short pas
senger routes. The German Air Travel
company, formed in 1910 and financed
and managed by the Hamburg America
Steamship line, ran regular passenger
excursions and town to town services
from 1910 to 1914. During this period
these airships made 800 flights, carry
Ing $4,000 passengers without single
mishap involving personal injury. One
of the airshlps, the yittoria Louise.
made 200 trips in $50 consecutive days.
The company was able to make a
profit, although the passenger rates
were reasonable. Since the armistice,
despite the unsettled conditions in
Germany, airships have been built for
special mail and passenger service
between Berlin, Munich and Switzer-
land. The first of these ships, the Bo-
densee, ran regularly from June to
October last year, carrying 80 passen-
gers a trip. 1t is said that the Yep
pelin company is now negotiating with
American interests fOrSthe Organiza-
ton Of an ~air service from Spain to
the United States and South Amer
lea, and is designing giant ships with
a speed of 80 miles an hour for
this run. The ships will carry 100
passengers and their baggage, as we'll
as six or seven tons of mail.
Valuable War Reserve Force.
The knowledge of handling the light
er-than-air craft greatly increased
during the war. The ships were used
under all weather and atmospheric
conditions and did valuable service as
escort and convoy craft and also in
combat against submarines. Small
rigids were used to locate and
pursue the submarines and were able
to detect U-bOat far below the sur
face. The new ships, in addition to
their dutiesAls passenger vessels, can
easily be converted to purposes of war
and will thus form valuable air re-
serve force.
One of the developments recently
made in airship landing stations is the
mOOrng mast, which enables the air.
ship to come to the ground and be
moOred even during bad weather. The
mast is tall structure, with swivel
mOoring device at the top, from which
the airship swings.
Plans are now being prepared for a
mOOring tower especially arranged for
use with passenger-carrying airships.
The revolving head Of the mast will be
provided with a powerful winch for
hauling i'm and shock absorbing buffer
will enable the ship to be coupled I'D
without difficulty even in winds up to
80 miles an hour. Within the mast
there will be passenger elevator by
which the passengers will ascend to an
upper platform, where they will cross
a gangway and enter the ship.
Pipe lines to carry hydrogen, gaso-
line and water to the ship also will be
run up the mast, and the vessel can
thus refuel at her mOorings.
Inventions Increase Safety.
Many war discoveries aid in increas-
ing the safety of airship travel. The
wireless direction finder makes it pos
sible for the ship to find her location
at all times and so navigate success
fully in fOgs.- The increasing range
and sources Of information of the
meteorological service aids in giving
weather forecasts that will warn air.
craft Of approaching storms, which can
be avoided by change Of course.
Laboratory Investigations are now
being made of the nature of the parti-
cles Of moisture that forms fOgs, and
it is hoped that some way will be
found Of dispensing fog, SO that local
clear area may be maintained about
the landing places. All landing places
are marked with brilliant electric bea-
cons and lighthouses are being erected
to guide night flying ships along aerial
routes.
+ Alrships are even now a safe form
Of travel. When rain, high winds or
electric storms approach they can seek
the higher air levels and so avoid dan
ser. The risks from fire have been.
reduced to q minimum, and the dan
ger Of engine trouble ever present in
the airplane, is nullifed by the fact
that repairs always can be made with
OUT descending. Rigid airships never
have less than four, engines, and it is
improbable that all engines will break
down at one time. Even if half the
engines broke down the ship could
travel at fOur-fifths of her normal
speed.
Public Demands Speed.
The airship has the advantage over