122 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1908. 



1907, she went from Paris to Verdun, near the German frontier, a 

 distance of about 175 miles, in about seven hours, carrying four per- 

 sons. This trip was made in a light wind blowing from the north- 

 east. Her course was east, so that the wind was unfavorable. On 

 Friday, November 29, 1907, during a flight near Verdun, the motor 

 stopped clue to difficulty with the carburetor. The airship drifted 

 with the wind to a village about 10 miles away, where she was safely 

 landed. The carburetor was repaired on the 30th. Soon after, a 

 strong wind came up and tore loose some of the iron pickets w^ith 

 which it was anchored. This allowed the air ship to swing broadside 

 to the wind ; it then tilted over on the side far enough to let some of 

 the ballast bags fall out. The 150 or 200 soldiers who were holding 

 the ropes were pulled along the ground until directed by the officer 

 in charge to let go. After beijig released, it rose and was carried by 

 the wind across the north of France, the English Channel, and into 

 the north of Ireland. It struck the earth there, breaking off one of 

 the propellers and then drifted out to sea. 



The Rkpublique. 



This is the latest of the French military dirigible balloons, and 

 differs but slightly from its predecessor, the Patrie. The volume has 

 been increased by about 2,000 cubic feet. The length has been re- 

 duced to 200 feet and the maximum diameter increased to 35^ feet. 

 The shape of the gas bag accounts for the 2,000 additional cubic feet 

 of volume. The motor and propellers are as in the Patrie. The 

 total lifting capacity is 9,000 pounds, of which 2,700 pounds are 

 available for passengers, fuel, ballast, instruments, etc. Its best per- 

 formance was a 125-mile flight made in six and one-half hours against 

 an unfavorable wind. 



The material for the gas bag of the new airship was furnished 

 by the Continental Tire Company. It is made up as follows: 



Weight, ounces 

 per square yard. 



Outer yellow cotton layer 3.25 



Layer of vulcanized rubber 3.25 



Layec of cotton clotb 3.25 



Inner laj^er of rubber .73 



Total weigbt 10. 4S 



It is interesting to note the changes which this type has under- 

 gone since the first one was built. The Jaune, constructed in 1902-3, 

 was pointed at the rear and had no stability plane there ; later it was 

 rounded off at the rear and a fixed horizontal })lane attached. 

 Finally a fixed vertical plane was added. The gas bag has been 

 increased in capacity from 80,670 cubic feet to about 131,000 cubic 

 feet. The manufacturers have been able to increase the strength of 



