16 president's address. 



With the same proportion of weight of hull to displacement, the 

 larger airship would stand double the wind pressure, and would weather 

 storms of greater violence and hailstones of greater size. It would be 

 more durable, the proportional upkeep would be less, and the propor- 

 tional loss of gas considerably less. In other words, it would lose a 

 less proportion of its buoyancy per day. It is a development in which 

 success depends upon the project being well thought out and the job 

 being thoroughly well done. The equipment of the airsheds with 

 numerous electric haulage winches, and all other appliances to make 

 egress and ingress to the sheds safe from danger and accident, must 

 be ample and efficient. 



The airship appears to have a great future for special commerce 

 where time is a dominant factor and the demand is sufficient to justify 

 a large airship. It has also a great field in the opening up of new 

 countries where other means of communication are difficult. The only 

 limitation to size will be the cost of the airship and its sheds, just as in 

 steam vessels it is the cost of the vessels and the cost of deepening the 

 harbours that limit the size of Atlantic liners. 



Such developments generally take place slowly, otherwise failures 

 occur — as in the case of the Great Easiern — and it may be many years 

 before the airship is increased from the present maximum of 750 feet 

 to 1,500 feet with success, but it will assuredly come. If, however, 

 the development is subsidised or assisted by Government, incidental 

 failures may be faced with equanimity and very rapid development 

 accomplished.^ In peace time the seaplane, aeroplane, and airship 

 will most certainly have their uses. But, except for special services 

 of high utility, it is questionable whether they will play more than a 

 minor part as compared with the steamship, railway, and motor 

 transport. 



Electricity. — The supply and use of electricity has developed rapidly 

 in recent yeai'S. For lighting it is the rival of gas, though each has 

 its advantages. As a means of transmitting power over long 

 distances it has no rival, and its efficiency is so high that when generated 

 on a large scale and distributed over large areas it is a cheap and 

 reliable source of power for working factories, tramways, suburban 

 railways, and innumerable other purposes, including metallurgical and 

 chemical processes. It is rapidly superseding locally generated steam- 

 power, and is a rival to the small and moderate-sized gas and oil engine. 

 It has made practicable the use of wat-er-power through the generation 

 of electricity in bulk at the natural falls, from which the power is trans- 

 mitted to the consumers, sometimes at great distances. 



^ The literature on this subject includes an article which appeared in 

 Engineering on January 3, 1919. 



i 



