Show I I. I In the the Empire of the Air BY llY coro COLONEL EL GA Germany has bus lost the military championshIp championship cham chain of or the time world and especially in regard to technical inventions France has repeatedly and distinctly passed us France constructed the first t real rapid rapid- lire gun lun while wo In Germany spent an arm enormous amount of or money to tp Introduce Intro Intro- Introduce duce In out our ai alm army my an antiquated system In Iii Franco th time the first sn submarines were built bunt In the lie French army tho the automobile automo bib bile was first u used cd and tnt made practical n and amid ld in lii n France Fiance the they thie first mastered red the time problem ot of o naI navigating navigating- nt tho the air nil with dir dir- dirigible airships That Germany has also been left heft behind on runny many other 1 points which are arc not necessary to mention hero heio Is Js a well known fact nn and I 1 shall on only ly men mention tho time problem of ot adopting a practical modern un uniform If hut wo have ahead ut at all Is not huo to an any efforts b by the tho g gOvern gOvern- jin- jin but rather lather O u tOe x b dt g WI ht T Luard work o of men inert I of tile Also in n regard to private i have shown the tho way and at last ast ma made a It possible for or us Ui to o overLake or over- rako r- r Lake ako Fra Franco ct anI and unil probably to slice inco that country only very little b by the government nt o nt and lu helped alun filon uly ul- ul I 1 y only by br a n lottery letters COWl Count t worked worle for 01 years eare upon the time great greut problem problem lem horn which he lie has after aLer man runny many attempts nn amid many mallY failures succeeded Jn In n solving According to all that Is known at the the- present time his gigantic airship Is s the best the most r reliable most dir dirigible I ble und fastest of or all airships which attempted d to navigate na th tha air al In th the meantime another syndicate for tho time manufacture of or airships driven en b by motors has hiss been formed partly because because be be- cause of or the success of or the French anti and parl partly because bec the slowness of or our oui gov gov- government government aeronauts worried the nation In th the m interest of this company compan Major von VAIl Pars al oval worked diligently and he ho I also succeeded jec last fall tuU l In constructing an airship which is at least practical even c If it is doubtful whether his com coin small ship may be bc compared to that owne owned by the time French govern- govern mont The airships mentioned here may may be beof beof beof of three different systems and aull all un three have solved the time problem rob bm of navigating the air all theoretically and practically All have certain advantages s an anil una ii certainly it is at this time impossible to say sa which wilhelm system will make the tho best t showing show show show- ing lug It Is lB more than like likely that all three will continue to exist quite luiL sortie some sometime time tune and to Improve their mo models ele In various wa ways sIn s In the balloons bunt built after Count Zeppelins Zeppelin's Zep Zep- helm's system the time balloon Itself consists con con- sLits of or an aluminum skeleton covered ered with sill silk Inside this there are numerous numer- numer ous CUB small balloons tilled filled with gas The Tho loss of or gas SUB during navigating na has titus thus been brought down don to a minimum and the balloon proper will keep Its form and stability even e when the tho wind hiery is hi very ery strong To different ren L corners the time bud bod body is hi connected with tho tue balloon Ina in inI ina I so that thiat a very t solid and rigid mannel manner I it Is possible to place In the ship very Cn ht motors A Against the ship lp com cornea comes 9 the time fact act that be cannot the iho balloon when not tilled transported and that It is necessary to where it a as- as special docks somo have 1 L e e tends as well as here It descends This evil ovll is lessened somewhat b by the th that 1 this balloon J goes better against the thc wind than an any other and that It U can cnn stay up lit very long aim and t of or aso- aso tarry earn a aery tery t. t ery very large quantity gasoI gaso- gaso of or I line Ine It thus gains a R. large radius I I action and it will ill nearly always us ol f bo be A i IOSI IOS- IOS s- s bible sibie for or It to 10 return to tho Lie intended I place Count Zeppelin has made trial trips I air ah eight hoUrS hoUrS- through l time time than any other considerably longer longet hours I K I balloon Cud hopes with certain mut mu- mu for forT to be able to nto 01 Ol OlIO pro t would tier tier- he be I hours In this way T IO win l great cal Imle o of action I IU ot of aerial forts Carts are U us SOOn oon ns mis Ll a hues constructed cd along alon the boundary bordered by strong ii fort fort- n of nt the ihu u C country ablE he has bus hasto not boen time or of leaders to follow and assist the thc I In their operations army balloon has ha a en- en Count aim aull the cubic metr metres s 1300 ot of considerably length l iss S metres-Is metres that of the time 7 i. i largest nat than greater aro mail mun is high high- or Of Its construction TIme The cost airship other that or of nn any than I 1 marls or Of course about amount It Is re- re ts is oni only ft the J that battleships at al pros pros- Um time cost about marks cut will their cost cod In the tho future and probably b be m inUre e than airshiP constructed by y Major von volt i The different It is hi not time the great that rigid anti amI tins hns easily ali au without any It mu may anti aud that It weights risk h. h at any place Itcan it itcan taken apart opall considerablY less OS When fan easilY be bc in a n single can railroad car Time The basket baskot i is hs In tact fac part of It which is made maae from the only small bohl being hard material hut hilt It Is 16 only UI IS incItes long and with fl a gas galS a It cubic metres of only horse 90 1 the rr unit motor only four peoPle Ol Count ship carries nine antI and the tho Zeppelins Zeppelin's larK larger ono Omits that he is bout about to build bulIa s carry carr about thirty The inc uis- uis probably y of or the tho Pars eval balloon ale c advantages seB Us its Is rather that Liat and wily gets gels 9 put t of ot order und and t r I the thc ropes from flom time tho balloon easily t g-t d tangled taH In time the propeller und arid stop It I The Thc French airships witch which are arC a admittedly ad at- alien of any others s are conStructed constructed con con- after the tho semi rigid system stem The ba bag containing tho gas bas Is IK shaped n a n torpedo O an and carries un underneath H n platform made mado from froni rom aluminum pipes pleS upon which It rests The Time basket Is suspend sus- sus pend d. d from this platform Thin airship has been boen tested un under oJ varying conditions condi lions an and amud has given u absolute satisfaction satisfaction tion so that the time French o has halo Jot hot he tell In or ordering 11 five C more Airships of ot this kind are arc to be stationed at the fortresses of or Verdun Toul roul Epi- Epi mini All dirigible bl airships I fl and have Lyon so far ben n tried only In o not nut ex- ex C live hundred a metres h th the French Kronen military authorities that the they have hac tho air t-eive t a ovo t I It I 1 I i believed t balloons balloons' 1 i it high will be bc out of ot th tim range of or guns gUliS but although this may bo ho so 60 at present special Sun guns arc nto being being- constructed which may bo hO mired HieU at an un angle of or CO GO U anti and It Is tJ theoretically possible to reach them ut at any height It appears front this that thoro there lire are great r at possibilities In dirigible airships whon y shah have hn perfect their Im Importance la 11 1 not nut ver very great It ca cannot even e bo be said salti that thata lint linta a besieged fortress c can n n be cut oft off from all aJl communications with the lie outside time the willbo will willbo world orld on time the contrary enemy bo ho a able lo to blockade It with Hh a fleet of airship as effectively and ho lie cart can blockade a fort will far tar as 1 I Ican Military balloons as useful as scouts can se Ke seo only onh become anti ami probably as a means of transport transport- t- t small bodies bodle of troops but as us a n J lug InS weapon of attack attach they thoy will probably r never nc amount to very er much I s rn-s W I |