This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
construction the discoveries of the Wright Brothers, of Dayton, Ohio. These aeronauts have been subjected to considerable criticism of late, and their alleged achievements have been scoffed at by European aeronauts, but this announce- ment tends to show that they have succeeded in impressing the army authorities. WASHINGTON, Nov. 30. General Crozier has admitted that Govern- ment experts have invented the most powerful explosive known, and that it has been designed especially for use in the airships for which the Government is negotiating.-Laffan. [We must remind our reader in this connection that the use of high explosives thrown from balloons and airships is forbidden by the Hague Convention. We doubt whether the United States Government is seriously disposed to ignore so emphatic a declaration made in the interests of civilization.-Ed. D.N.] [[?]] Atlanta Ga. 1 Dec 1906 He Will Construct An Aerial Navy For French Government M. LEBAUDY, The inventor of a dirigible air- ship, bought by the French gov- ernment, whiich is now going to build the first aerial navy. appraisers at first classified it as an art importation, and when Aero Club members claimed it there was a protest immediately over any payment of duty. "Any trophy won by an American athlete shall be ad- mitted duty free" is the way the club mem- bers constructed the law, and the chances are that this interpretation will hold, al- though a balloon pilot may hardly the term- ed an athlete. The famous cup should be released from customs by to-day and be on exhibition during the Automobile Show, which opens to-night, and after that it will be out away in some safety deposit vault until the international contest next year, on which the American committee is already hard at work. ELIMINATION RACES FOR CUP. A plan for elimination must necessarily be agreed upon in account of the large number of entries which are bound to come in, and the board of directors of the Aero Club of America will probably have to take into consideration the past records of the pilots as one qualification. About the only decision reached, however, is that Lieut. Lahm, the present holder of the cup, will be exempt from any and ll qualifying rules whatever they may be, and that all contes- tants must forward certified checks cover- ing their entrance fees before February 1, 1907. The committee is resolved that all records for distance in this contest must be broken next year in order that America in the future shall be the popular racing course for all aerial contests. Cortlandt Field Bishop, president of the Aero Club, said to-day that the importance of the com- ing contest as a sporting event could not be exaggerated, and that the eyes of Eng- land and Europe were already focused upon us, anxious to see how Americans were go- ing to handle something they knew so lit- tle about. "We cannot afforrd to fail," said Mr. Bish- op. "From Washington to 'Frisco America has a sweep of country that is magnificent for ballooning. Either side of the this line ther is plenty of room to swing north or south at any angle, and even if the start should be made from the centre, distance would not be lacking to break all European records now standing. One problem will be gas quality, and the city that can show us the best facilities for filling the bal- loons will stand the best chances of getting the start!" FLYING MACHINE MEN ACTIVE. But before the Aero CLub enters fully upon work for nest year's race meet, the exhibit at the automobile show, which opens Saturday night, must be carried out. The work here this season has largely been put upon the "flying machine men," and the balloon experts will have very little to say. "Flying machine" inventors are in a class all by themselves. They are as different from balloon pilots as the skipper of a sailboat is from a machinist. In the first place, all of them are inventors and each has some particular machine that can beat anything else. Consequently, there will not be very many balloons shown at the ex- hibit this winter. Air ships, aeroplanes, kites, and wind wagons will have the call. It is the belief of the Aero CLub that bal- looning as a sport has been pushed far enough for the present, and the outside of the cup contest all the club's extra ef- forts should be spent in developing aerial machines that can be navigated. To this end there has been a technical committee appointed, and during the first of next year the members will begin a canvass of the inventors. It will be the duty of this com- mittee to correspond with all inventors, report back to the club on all meritorious work discovered, and try and arrange with club members for funds with which to per- fect inventions that my be deemed worth the money. An inkling of this movement has no doubt got abroad, for every day the ex- hibition committee is notified of some ma- chine having been forwarded to New York, for the show. "Between here and Chicago," said a club member, to-day, " the path is strewn with products of inventive genius, and if every- thing arrives that has been promised, we will suffer a deluge. From present indi- cations every inventor seems possessed with a wild desire to fly. I hope some of them will be disappointed, for we haven't room at the show to put a fraction of them. And still they come!" The last word before closing time yes- terday was a telephone message from an East River pier. "Hello, is that the Hair O Club?" shout- ed a Celtic voice. "I'm after finin' ye foive if ye don't sind after phawt Oi've got fer yez! Phwat is it? It's a phony thing with wings on it-an' the sign reads f-r-a-g-i-l-e! That's phwat it is-but come after it. Faith, it's worth it."