Evening star. [volume], April 02, 1937, Page A-9, Image 9

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
BALLOON DENSE
London “Fence” Idea Has
Interesting History,
Geographic Says.
Balloons tethered in the air more
than 30,000 feet above London, and
trailing wires to form aerial "fences”
which will partially inclose the city—
such will be the fantastic picture if
Great Britain carries out one of her
proposed plans for defense against
Invading airplanes. To fly high
enough to surmount these barriers,
reaching almost into the stratosphere,
planes would have to carry oxygen
apparatus and but few bombs.
"In planning to protect London by
a group of balloons, British military
authorities are not entering a wholly
new field,” says a bulletin from head
quarters of the National Geographic
6ociety. "Toward the close of the
World War, air raids on London were
made less effective by balloon aprons.
Sausage-shaped kite balloons, pro
tected by airplanes, were suspended
800 feet apart, at about 10,000 feet
above the city and were anchored to
the ground by long cables. Prom
horizontal cables, Unking each trio of
balloons, hung long weighted stream
ers of piano wire, forming aprons of
vertical strands, somewhat like those
which herald a railroad's approach to
a tunnel. The wires, strong enough
to damage wooden propellers or wings
of attacking planes, forced flyers to
climb above them, or to descend per
ilously low to pass beneath them. Per
haps their greatest value was the psy
chological effect they had on pilots.
Observers Spotted Submarines.
“Great Britain also found kite bal
loons an aid to her navy. Observers in
a balloon, towed along several thou
sand feet above a destroyer, could spot
a periscope or the wake of a subma
rine long before it wras visible from
the bridge. Through a telephone wire
in the cable connecting balloon to
ship, the balloonist could direct the
ship's attack on the underwater men
ace.
“Some balloons, floating like toy
ones above battleships, were effective
deterrents of submarine attack, though
innocuous in themselves. Small dum
mies, carrying crews of dummy men,
they created the illusion of large ob
servation balloons flying at a great
height.
“Hundreds of captive balloons were
Bsed for observation purposes on both
tides all along the Western front. Since
their contents were highly inflamma
ble, airplanes attacked them with sky
rockets instead of bullets.
Propaganda Loosed From Balloons.
“Unmanned, top-shaped balloons
about 8 feet high, and made of paper,
were sent up by the British. These
released over German lines, and to a
distance of 50 miles behind them,
bundles of propaganda leaflets printed
in German, meant to undermine
•nemy morale.
“Balloons were first put to a mili
tary use in France. At the battle of
Fleurus in Belgium on June 26, 1794,
Capt. J. M. Coutelle, the world's first
military balloon observer, floated in
his balloon, L'Entreprenant (.The Ven
turesome), above the cannon flashes
and clouds of smoke of the opposing
French and Austrian armies. By sig
naling with flags to the French artil
lery, Coutelle demoralized the Aus
trians, and was an important factor in
the French victory.
“During the siege of Paris in 1870
1871, balloons played a strategic part.
Cut off from supplies by Germans sur
rounding the city, starving Parisians
were reduced to eating rata and boo
animals. Their only means of con
tact with the outside world was by
balloon. Dozens of them, like great
striped gourds, were hastily made In
railway stations. Between September,
1870, and the following January, about
68 rose from Paris, soared safely over
the circle of German gunfire, and
enabled 164 Parisians to escape. One
of their most famous passengers was
the French statesman, Gambetta, who
took the French government with him
to Tours, where he set up his head
quarters and organized fresh troops
which offered the Germans fierce but
vain resistance. Other passengers were
pigeons which afterwards brought
back news to the besieged city.
Balloon* In Civil War.
“About a decade earlier, balloons
had proved effective in the American
Civil War. Union forces had several
In which observers hovered over the
oountryside, looking down with all
seeing eyes on Confederate forts and
camp fires. News of Confederate evac
uations, bridge-building operations, or
other supposedly secret military ma
neuvers were immediately telegraphed
to Union headquarters over a wire
to the ground. This was the first time
that war dispatches had been tele
graphed from the air.
“Realizing the advantage of an ob
servation balloon, but too poor to buy
one, the Confederate Army collected
the silk dresses of Richmond women
and out of them made a patchwork
balloon, like Joseph's coat, of many
colors, striped, plaid, and flower
sprigged. Southern belles made their
sacrifices in vain, for their ball gowns,
sewed together and oiled and var
nished, made only one ascent before
the balloon was captured by the Fed
erals. A scrap of this balloon, brown
and shredded with age, is preserved in
the aeronautical exhibit of the Smith
sonian Museum.”
Palestine Business Better.
Business men of Palestine declare
that conditions have improved greatly
since the end of the strike in Oc
tober.
DE MOLAY COUNCIL
WEIGHS PROBLEMS
Delegates Representing 32 States
and District Attend Con
ference Here.
Administrative problems of the Or
der of De Molay were considered
yesterday by the Grand Council at
the first meeting of a two-day gath
ering at the Mayflower Hotel. Dele
gates representing 32 States and the
District of Columbia were present.
Communism and other- subjects
are to be discussed today. A pro
gram of events and awards of honor
also are to be considered.
Maj. Gen Amos A. Fries represent
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ed the District, while MaJ.Oen. M. W.
Ireland, former surgeon general of the
Army, was delegate at large.
Ernest A. Reed, supervisor of Essex
County, N. J., presided at the meet
ing in the absence of the grand mas
ter, former Gov. Louis A. Watres of
Pennsylvania, who Is prevented from
attending the sessions because of ill
health, it was said.
The Order of De Molay was organ
ized in Kansas City, Mo., in 1919,
with only nine boys. Its membership
now numbers more than 1,000,000
youths throughout the world.
BIDS OPENED ON SHIP
TO REPLACE LEVIATHAN
Newport News Company Low on
Contract for IT. B. Line*
Cabin Vessel.
By the Associated Press.
The Newport News Shipbiuldlng &
Dry Dock Co. of Newport News yester
day submitted the low bids for con
struction of a proposed cabin liner
for the United States Lines Co. of
New York. The new vessel would re
place the Leviathan, which has been
decommissioned.
Bidding on alternate designs, the
company offered to build the larger
vessel, known as “K. design,” for $15,
455,000, and the smaller vessel for
$14,375,000. .
The New York Shipbuilding Corp.
of Camden, N. the only other com
pany to bid, offered to build the
smaller ship for $14,995,000. but did
not bid on the larger type.
Northern Ireland recently took a
census of the entire country In one
day.
COX STAND ON COURT
UNCHANGED BY RIVALRY
Georgia Representative Refuses
to Withdraw Attack on
President’s Plan.
Representative Cox, Democrat, of
Georgia, threatened with opposition in
the 1938 primary, refused today to
withdraw his attack on President
Roosevelt’s court reorganization plan.
Judge Ira Carlisle of Cairo, Ga., an
nounced he would oppose Cox for the
nomination unless the Representative
changed his position on the court bill.
Answering, Cox said: “Mr. Carlisle
is a good man and my friend, but he is
not the keeper of my conscience and
will not be permitted to do my think
ing or my voting.”
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