MILITARY AIRSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 53, 26 November 1907, Page 5

MILITARY AIRSHIPS.

LA PATRIE. ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL "FLY." BY TELEGRAM—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Paris, Novombor 24. Tho Fronch airship La Pntrio made a six and three-quarter hours' ascent, covering 269 kilometres. She steered back to Paris after a record run. Sometimes she attained a speed of thirty miles an hour. FROM CAPITAL TO FRONTIER* ARRIVAL AT VERDUN. AVERAGE SPEED ABOUT TWENTY MILES AN HOUR. (Rcc. Nov. 25, 9.35 p.m.) Paris, November 25. La Patrio, with a crew of five, left Meudon (a village fivo miles west of Paris) a little before 9 a.m., and at 3.45 p.m., without replenishing her hydrogen, arrived at Vordun (a French frontier fortress, 35 miles west by rail of tho German stronghold, Metz). The distance is about 140 miles. There is immense enthusiasm at tho success of tho airship. "The superiority of La Patrio or If!'its twin sister, T,e Lebaudy, lies," ■ writes a Paris correspondent, "in its perfect proportions. There is no particular secret about tnc manner in which it is built '«p. The motor, the screws, and the envolopo arc visible to everybody with discerning eyes, but the machine is something: more than that. Ilach part is so carefully adjusted, the balance :s so perfect, that there is none of the pitching and rollinfr that accompany other airships built, apparently, on tho same lines. This perfect cohesion of all tho parts is the real secret rf La Patrie, which German money will not purchase. Neither can the plans be stolen, because tho calculations remain in tho brain of the constructor, M. Julliot." In her July "fly"—with tho Premier, M. Clemenceau, and the Minister for War, General Picquart, on board—La Patrio was credited with a maximum speed with the wind of 31 miles an hour, and a minimum speed against tho wind of IS miles an hour. In a subsequent interview, M. Clemenceau said that ho was .very favourably impressed by the wonderful sense of stability ho cxpccted during the trip. "One could, not have felt more safe on the dcck of a great liner," ho said. "We descended at the exact spot from which wo had ascended, and so gently did the marvellous machino alight that wo did not know we had touched earth again until wo wero told so." It is stated that La Patrio will be permanently attached to tho fortress of Verdun, and that the French War Office intends to form a corps of 20 military airships, which will be attached to various fortresses in the East of France. Tor following tho movements of armies, and observing the position of an enemy. ijt is believed, that the new airship will bo of enormous >■ or vice. Numerous applications are being made from tho various engineor regiments to be allowed to form part of the new airship corps, hut the military authorities will select men with the utmost care. i The later message indicates that La Patrie has travelled from the Capital to Verdun, a distance of about 140 miles as tho crow (lies, in about seven hours. 'Verdun watches Metz, the former French stronghold. In 1870 Vordun capitulated to the Germans after six weeks' siege. Metz, and the othfer stronghold taken fiom France, Strasburg. aro to bo mado Gorman airship stations. The longest "fly" of the ill-fated British military airship Nulli Secundus, was 33 miles. Tho longest recorded voyage of a balloon is said to-bo that of Count tie la Vaulx in 1900, from Vincennes to Korosticheff, 1190' miles.