AERONAUTICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 283, 24 August 1908, Page 7

AERONAUTICS.

TRIAL OF FRENCH DIRIGIBLE BALLOON. PARIS TO ROUEN. ZEPPELIN FUND REACHES £100,000. (lis TELEaitArU—riIESS ASSOCIATION—COI'IiItIGHT.) Paris, August 21. General Picquarfc, French Minister for War, travelled in a stcorablo balloon, tho "Excelsior," from St. Cloud (six. miles from Notro Dame, Paris) to Rouen, a distanco of about soventy miles. ' Berlin, August 21. The fund that is being raised to aid Count Zeppelin, whoso military airship recently met with disaster, has reached £100,000. A CROSS-CHANNEL TRIP. Erail Sandt, an author of airship novels, who was in the airship Zeppelin No. 4 when it made its twelve hours' flight early in July, writes:—"Count Zoppelin has proved that, with his gigantic craft, ho rules tho air even under difficult and contrary conditions such as he was on this occasion particular to seek out. It' is. not' only the victory of man ovor tho air. On closor examination it proves to be also tho triumph of his bitterly combated 'rigid' system. Aftor "Wednesday's trip, which can bo described as eminently successful in all respects, the future can only magnify his success in details—speed and perhaps comfort." In response to an inquiry on July 7 whether he was prepared to undertnko a trip across the North Sea with Zeppelin No. 4 and sail over London, Count Zeppelin tolegraplied :— "My airships will presumably bo transferred to the military authorities, and will therefore no longer romain at' my disposition." Amid an avalancho of congratulatory telegrams from all corners of Europo, tho inventor colobrated on July 8 his seventieth birthday. King William of Wurttemberg and the Govornmonts of Wurttemberg and Baden sent special deputations, and tho cities of Stuttgart and Constanco conferred upon him their freedom. A torchlight procession took place in Constance."