Evening star., 1923-03-04

modern day Pullman car. Beds and
berths gave one an idea of the ease
and comfort that might be had dur
ing the voyage across the ocean. The
dining room was so constructed as
to give The greatest comfort. one
had coffa~ and rolls in the morning.
| luncheon and dinner at night. Wash
! rooms were provided with the very
! latest appliances. Had one not
! known that the plans We're for the
| cabin of an airshiD he would have
been of the opinion that they were
for the interior of a private car OF
a well appointed yacht.
In addition to these creature
comforts that were provided there
were radio and wireless sets, so that
the business man might never be out
OF touch with his place of business.
| The factors of safety had been car
ried out to far greater degree than
those employed during the early
period cf Zeppelin construction.
1t is known that the idea of build
ing dirigible balloons capable of long
fights was in the mind of Count
LepptIlh uulIHS inc IiIfle ne served
as an officer in the Union forces III
the war of '61'65. but at that time
he was laughed at when he men
toned the idea of flying in any d.
rectfon other than that in which the
! wind would take the gas bag, and
1t was number of years before he
could arouse sufficient interest
among his home people to permit his
Z; being given aid by the government
There is no doubt in the minds of
those who have made a study of the
! question of travel by air that once
the public learns the ease and reIa-
tive safety Of travel by airships, their
: commercial success is assured, and
. that there will be built up in this
country an immense industry in CON
nection therewith.
Three main routes for airships are
suggested. as follows: First. New
York. Chicago, Denver. Seattle cor
Portland); second. New York. 81
Louis. Denver, San Francisco: third
New York, Washington. Atlanta. San
Antonio, Los Angeles Cor san Diego.
These main roadways of air travel
could feed. and be fed by, many lines
| of airplane, motor or rail service.
There are many other uses to which
! the coming dirigbles may be put. For
! instance, they may be used for the in
spection of tracts of country where Il
! railroad desires the right of way, for
by means of aerial photographs
both the general and minute aspects
Df ha in ha Oh |,
time. in comparison with the old
fashioned method of sending scouts"
through the country, is infinitesimal.
! In addition. it would give a far better
idea of the surrounding country.
Another use TO which the diriglble
I will be put in the future is the send
| ing of supplies to those who are sur
rounded by floods. or even to conveIs
! food to men who are working at iIi-'
will be the exploration of Arctic
! regions or the sending of supplies h,e
air to the regions of Alaska that caIf'
| only now be reached by hard. tira2
some journeys over passes that ofte"
| are filled with ice and sna's. q
X x x ; hs
\ IR routes covering practically titey
| [ \ entire country have already beer
mapped out, and it is only d question
| of how soon the government VIII
] show a Willingness to spend thu
money. We shall then see these giants
! of the air speeding from coast to
/ coast, from the great reaches of the
| Canadian border to the sunny shores
| Of the gulf states.
! The United States gave to the world
the start in flying machines. She
| can be the master of the air in every
| form, if those who control the purse
strings will awaken to the great
| necessity of aircraft; if they will Wis
ualize the protection that can be sf-
| forded by mammoth dirigibles. each
| "mothering" a flock of fighters.