Army Jokes With a Moral

1901

"During the civil war," said an ex-army officer, "the authorities for some reason were anxious to move troops up the Tombigbee river. Word was sent to the engineer in that district asking what it would cost to run up the Tombigbee. That official got gay and reported that the Tombigbee ran down and not up, a joke that promptly landed his head in the basket, as the matter was serious.

"At the bombardment of Charleston it was extremely desirable to bring to bear on the city an extra heavy gun called by the men the Swamp Angel. The gun took its name from the swamp in which it stood, and to move it through that boggy morass was an engineering feat of extreme difficulty. However, the commanding officers were determined to have the gun brought within range of Charleston and issued orders to that effect. At the same time they sent word to the engineer having the matter in charge of requisition without regard to trouble or expense for anything necessary to accomplish the desired object. His first requisition called for men 26 feet 6 inches in height. Another officer promptly took the matter in charge, from which it can readily be deduced that it is not a paying investment to make jokes in the army at the expense of your superiors." — New York Tribune.

Want To Fly High

1910

Undoubtedly Most Fascinating Form of Air Navigation

London. — The most fascinating form of aviation is undoubtedly the high flight. One watches the machine rise from the ground and climb steadily an invisible stairway, winding round and round in wide spirals. From the size of a monster the vessel diminishes until it looks like an eagle, then a wild duck, then a pigeon, a blackbird, a lark, a bee, a fly, a midge — and so it finally disappears out sight; for men have now flown to over a mile, and it needs a strong glass and a clear atmosphere for a spectator to detect a machine at such stupendous heights.

One waits in amazement asking how the daring aviator will return safely to earth from the clouds. Suddenly the machine darts into sight, and it is seen plunging downward at an alarmingly steep angle. It is the vol plane, or dive, the most sensational of all aerial feats. Having climbed to his maximum, the aviator shuts off his engine and deliberately steers downward by the aid of the elevator.

He plunges through the aerial sea at terrific speed, but not at hundreds of miles an hour as some imaginative writers have put it. As the air resistance underneath the machine increases with the speed and the amount of surface presented to it by the planes, the vessel is automatically led back to its normal gliding angle, and the downward path becomes less steep. In order not to get too far away from his starting point the aviator thereupon makes another spiral at a gentle angle and then starts upon another plunge. Thus by a succession of these maneuvers he comes to a position from which he can make a final glide and reach the ground smoothly and without shock.

The world's record in high flying was broken by Brookins over Atlantic City, when he rose to the height of 6,200 feet. It took him 56 minutes to reach this point, or in other words he had to reach it by traveling over a distance of about 30 miles in a succession of long spirals, for his flight speed can be assumed to have been about 35 miles an hour all through. His descent was made in eight minutes and was composed of several high-speed dives and short spirals. Brookins used a Wright biplane.

The prettiest high flying is done by the monoplane, and at Rheims Latham, when he soared to 5,540 feet, afforded a splendid spectacle. Morane reached a height of 4,107 feet at Bournemouth and also gave a superb display. Captain Dickson is one of the most accomplished men at the vol plane, and he shows masterly skill and judgment. Mr. Drexel is also a very daring air climber, and in his descent from a height of 2,400 feet at Bournemouth he made a steep glide.