LOOKING BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 38, 24 November 1938, Page 4

LOOKING BACK.

FIFTY YEARS SYNE. (From the “Guardian,” Nov. 24, 188 S) Navigating the Air —-.Wblether or not the lines which preclicted the time when men “through the air should fly,” be a part of the celebrated prophecy of Mother Ship ton, or whether they are a part of the apocryphal addition thereto known to have been made by some subsequent writer, the factwemains that the time has long been looked forward to when men shall become a “Prince of power of the air” and anytime during a century or move the ingenuity of inventors has been taxed to the uttermost to solve the difficult problem of aerial navigation. Only very partial success has, however, rewarded these efforts, for while the modern balloon is capable of utilisation for short ascents for military purposes, it has hitherto been found impossible to devise an airship which can be steered in any direction in which it is desired to go, or which is capable of accommodating more than a very limited number of passengers. Whether or not the difficulties which have hitherto proved insuperable will even tuallv be surmounted time only will show, but if not it will certainly not be for lack of patient and persistent experiment.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO (From the “Guardian,” Nov. 24, 1913) Pipes for Lake Coleridge.—A number of large pipes-for the Lake Coleridge water supply scheme have been recently passing through Ashburton from the south. Ashburton River. —The Ashburton River, constantly changing its course, has now confined itself to the centre of the riverbed. There are many small side channels, but the main body of water lias been diverted from the south bank, where with the action of recentfreshes, erosion has taken place to some extent. The .river is at about its usual height,' mltTis clear, ' High-pressure Water. —At the meeting of the Borough Council last evening it was agreed to grant the highpressure' water supply to a number or ratepayers over ihe North-east Belt, in accordance with the terms of the recently drawn-up legal agreement-. Scholarship- Examinations. The Public Services and senior free place scholarship examinations, which have been conducted at the Ashburton High School under the supervision of Mr'C. D. Hardie, were concluded yesterday.