THE NEW AIRSHIP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12593, 5 September 1905, Page 5

THE NEW AIRSHIP

On- tho.^nd ofJulyj before a teiylarge ;as&mbly :at the Alexandra Falace>the new Barton-Rawson airship made astrikingly suco&ssful 7 ascent. The chief" "passengers were Dr. F. A. Barton, theinventor; 'Mr fi?.i L.. Ratoson, the engineer; and Mr. A. E. Gaudrpn, theaeronaut; Dr. Barton;- for many years an assiduous 'and successful Student of ' aerial. navigation, originally designed? this airahip for the War Office. It isah elaibonate and imposing-looking ves--sel, composed of tussore silk, and 18OftL long and 40ft. in diameter, with a capacity of 200,000 cubic feet. Minus thecar, •it has the shape of a gigantiecigar. The car, wholly of bamboo, in.-, length measures 127 ft., and in height 18ft. There'is a deck running from one end to the other, and with ropes attached to the silken covering of t'hebottom, has a truly . .nautical appearance. On the deck on either hand are' placed two 50 horse-power Bucket motors, much more potent in force than* any yet in use on an airship .when even the balloon has been double the size. The motors are connected by belts ancT pulleys to four propellors seven feet in> diameter, and capable of 1,000 revolutions a minute, one on either side each'••' motor. A feature is the excellent arrangement by which all the lesser of;: the valves, automatic and mechanical T are laid so as to 'be under (the control" of the aeronaut. Between his deck an6T the sbern_ motor is the helmsman's place,. who, by means of a wheel, manages therudder at the stern. In front of both the bow and stern motors are placed the' movable aeroplanes, and by means of" altering their inclination the.vessel will" rise and fall ' as .required. The anchorssuspended underneath the aeronaut's deck can be made available for holding;" down tihe ship if it be found requisiteto descend to .the earth in a strong windFourteen thousand pounds is about theweight of the air-ship. Four o'clock:: was the time announced for departure, but it did not take place for moce than.' half ian hour later. Great enthusiasm■prevailed as the vessel ascended, which.it did with great ease and steadiness. - After a considerable height had 'been attained it was1 turned completely without the slightest .'hitch or. swerve, andT appeared under perfect control. Theship was taken off east, and as it grew remoter to the eye in the brilliant, sunlight, looked like an oblong cloud. An;hour and a half after rising from Alexandra Park the balloon landed in perfect safety near Romford.. The balloon is inflated by hydrogen gas, 600 car- - boys of concentrated oil.of vitriol and1" 50 tons of iron iborings being used in theprooess. The motors were driven byMr Henry Spencer and Mr Newton. Dr.Barton's son, Master Dudley Barton,,, was likewise on board. All the arrange-:-ments throughout were admirable, andf the first public ascent of the BartonRawson airship must be pronounced »j complete success. •