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BUILT AT WEST POINT.
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Lieutenant F. P. Lahm Will Have Charge of Department.
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At Present in France But Will Soon Come to America.
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Leavenworth, Kan, April 10.—Fort Leavenworth will be the biggest balloon station in this country if the present plans of the war department are carried out. Major Squier, assistant commandant of the Signal school at the post who is greatly interested in the establishment of a big balloon station at the post, has returned from New York state where he made an inspection of the big war balloon which is in the course of construction and which the war department is preparing to send to Fort Leavenworth. Major Squier went east for the purpose of delivering a lecture to one of the classes at West Point. The commandant was so pleased with his talk to the students that a second one was held. He spoke on "The Signal Corps in Campaign."
After completing his two lectures at West Point, Major Squier made an examination of the balloon. He found that the work on it was being rushed in order to have it sent to Fort Leavenworth as soon as possible. Major Squier state yesterday that he hopes to have the balloon at the post some time next month.
It is the intention of the war department to make Fort Leavenworth a big balloon headquarters and besides the big war balloon others are to be sent here by the war department, and other parties who have taken a great deal of interest in aeronautics. Balloon races will be held at the post as soon as the station is established. These will be participated in by some of the most prominent aeronauts of this country and of Europe. The fact that the academic board of the service schools at the post has recommended to the war department that Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm of the United States army be sent here to have charge of the balloon station shows that the officers are determined to make Fort Leavenworth the center of the ballooning of the army. Lieutenant Lahm is well known throughout this country and Europe, having won the famous balloon race in France last year.
Although no order has been issued by the war department it is generally understood that Lieutenant Lahm will be detailed for duty at the post to have charge of the aeronautic station. He is at present in France, but expects to come to this country to take part in the balloon contest in St. Louis in October and after participating in that event will come to Fort Leavenworth.
Many famous aeronauts will take part in the balloon race to start from St. Louis and it is expected that a number of these will come to the fort later.
The big balloon to be sent her by the war department will also be used by the Signal school at the post for signal work during the college field work.

ST. LOUIS GIVES PRIZES FOR AIRSHIP CONTESTS.
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Aeroplanes and Dirigibles to Compete for Awards Aggregating Five Thousand Dollars.
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[BY COMMERCIAL CABLE TO THE HERALD.]
NEW YORK, Tuesday.—Word has been received by the Aero Club of America that prizes aggregating $5,000 have been offered by the Aero Club of St. Louis for aeroplanes and dirigible balloons. Contests will be arranged for the days immediately preceding and following the race for the International Challenge Cup, which is scheduled to take place on October 19 from St. Louis.
The announcement created much interest among members of the club who had gathered to hear Captain T. T. Lovelace describe Kingston as seen from a balloon a few days after the earthquake in an ascension made by Captain Lovelace with Messrs. Alan R. Hawley and A. N. Chanderl. Messrs. Hawley and Chandler are planning to make a joint ascension from Philadelphia next

Tribune New York
10 Apr - 1907

TO FLY LANGLEY AIRSHIP.
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C. M. Manley Will Undertake Task This Summer.
Before the summer is over another attempt, which aeronauts and scientists believe will prove successful, will be made by C. M. Manley to fly with Professor Langley's airship, which was nicknamed the Buzzard. Professor Bell and other scientists who watched the construction of the aeroplane with interest, have declared that it was  perfect mathematically, and would have flown successful had not accidents happened each time to the launching apparatus. The ridicule following the tripping of the machine as it left the ways is said by his friends to have hastened Dr. Langley's death, although those who knew most about his work rallied to his support.
C. M. Manley, the engineer, who did the mechanical designing of the Buzzard, still believes in the big airship. Mr. Manley is now in business in this city, and is anxious to take up the work where Professor Langley dropped it.
"The situation is this," he said yesterday; "I am exceedingly busy, but at the first opportunity I shall resume that work. Sufficient funds have been assured for further work, and this time the machine will fly. The framework and other parts are intact, and the only work which will have to be done is to provide the aeroplanes with new supporting surfaces. This will take very little time or money. The machine as it stands to-day can be made ready for flight in two or three days. It is the joint property of the War Department and the Smithsonian Institution, but the War Department has turned the full control of it over to the institute."
The government probably will not appropriate any more money for the aeroplane, particularly since the success of the Wright brothers, has been greatly stimulated and popular knowledge of such subjects greatly increased in the last year. On the other hand, scientific men, most of whom have had faith in the machine or in others of similar type, and those who have taken up aeronautics as a sport, have shown interest in such work by offering various prizes for flights and contests.
When Professor Langley was seeking a practical lightweight machine he went personally to all the famous builders here and abroad, but found no one ready to build a machine to his specifications until he went to Mr. Manley, who was then in his employ. Mr. Manley did all the work in the machine himself, finally producing one of 52 horsepower with a weight considerably less than five pounds for each horsepower. He asked in return for his work only that he might make the first flight in the machine. He did so, and now wants to do it again.