Len IFI£ MERI£AN

lEN IFI£ MERI£AN (Entered at the Post Oftlce of New York, N. Y., as Second Class Matter. Co»yrlght, 1909, by Mnnn & Co.] Vol. C.-No. 10 CEN'rs A CO.'Y ESTABLISHED 1845.15'J . NEW YORK, APRIL 10, 1909. [ $3.00 A YEAIl. Totallengt;h, 8,800 feet. Total weight of eantUever., 52,000 ton •• (Jont.ln. two main lipan. or 1,182 and 984 feet. (JOR, 820,000.000. The Queensboro cantilever bridge, opened for service March 80th, 1909. The upward curveof thecompleted roadway is due to thepartIal loadiDgof the cables, which are depressednear thetowers raisedand at the center. When th� door 18 completed It will lieIII a truecurve. Building the suspended roadway of the Banbattan bridge. 'fD QODIIOBO Al'D JlAI'BATTAI' IlUDGl1 ACBOU 'fD BAIT BIVIB;-[See page 181.) 2'74 Scientific Americ8.1\ APRIl to, I9Cl9. SCIENTIFIC AMEIl.1CAN The Spanish authorities are to be congratulated upon kinds with their first rigid-type airship; while the securing so much fighting power on so relatively small Count has been pushing the construction of his fifth ESTABLISHED 1845 an expenditure of money, for these three ships will vessel, which is also being· built for the government mount among them no less than twenty-four 12-inch and which, when completed this month, will be called MVNN & CO. Editors and Proprietors guns, of the most modern type, every one of which will the "Zeppelin II." be available on either broadside. Moreover, in an During the first Published Weekly at day's tests by the military authori engagement these guns will be contained within a ba.t ties, three No. l6J Broadway. New York fiights were made. In the second fiight, tle line not over two-thirds of a mile in length ; and which was a speed test, the airship went from its CHARLES ALLEN MUNN, Preridlmt these three,Iittle battleships will thus secure those ad shed to Lindau and back, a distance of about 24 S6l Broadway, New York. vantages of big-gun concentration, which our own miles, in 40 minutes, which is equivalent to a speed FREDBRlCK CONVERSE B1IlA.OH, See'vand n-eas. , Capt. Simms has showll. to be such an important factor .of some 36 miles 36.1 Broadway. New York. an hour, thus demonstrating that in winning the line-of-battle engagements of the it has lost none of its former speed through the use TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS. future. of 2-bladed propellers in place of the 3-bladed ones One oopy,one year, for tile States or :Mexico . $3.00 lJiiited •• •.... ••••. that have always been used heretofore; During the One copy,one year,for Canada .. • • . ..• . ... •• ••...... .... S. 75 CENTER VERSUS SIDE DOOR CARS. greater part of last month experiments and fiights One copy, one year, to any foreign country, postage prepaid,1Ss. 611. 4.50 THE SOIENTIFIO AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS. It is surprising that so much conservatism ,should were made almost daily, and on March 16th it for the exist in the" Scientiftc American (established 1845). ... .. ... ........ .... $8.00 a year planning and operation of great public first time made a s.uccessful landing upon the ground Scieptific American Supplement (established •••••••• J ••• 1876) 5.00 .. utilities, and particularly those having to do with instead of upon the surface of the lake. This success American Homes and Gardens ..... .. ........ ..... ........ 3.00 .. city and suburban transportation. Although it has ful demonstration of ability to land on terra firmar--a Scientific American Export Edition (established 187!l). .••. • 8.00 .. long been recognized that the speed with which large feat which critics of the Zeppelin type of rigid The combined subscription rates ana rates to foreign' countries, includ- airship ing Canada, will be fumished upon application. bodies of people can be kept moving is' determined have always claimed it ,could not accomplish:-encour RemItby postal or express money order, or by batik draft or check. by the least area of the passageways, entrances, and aged the omeers in charge, and a few days later, on :MUNN 'Broadway, New York. &> CO., 361 exits, through which they must pass, it is only reo March 20th, the airship is reported to have made a cently that the railroads have begun to act upon this 150-mile NEW YORK, SATURDAY,' APRIL 10th, 1909. fiight in 4 hours with 26 men on board� On principle, which so vitally alIects the passenger-carry the 29th ultimo a record for height of 6, 000 feet was The Editor is always glad to receive for examination illustrated articles ing capacity of their systems. If we but take a com· made. on subjects of timely interest. If the photographs are sharp, the articles prehensive view of the problem of city transportation, On April 1st, at 4 A. M., the airship, with Count and the facts the contributions will i'ecelve special at short, authentic. it appears nothing less than amazing that our railroad Zeppelin at the helm, left Friedrichshafen for Munich, tention. Accepted'articles will be paid for at regular space rates. 'men should have been satisfied for so many years, to a distance of a little over 100 miles. Shortly before cut down the capacity on certain congested roads, fully 9 it appeared over the city, and afterward attempted TRE NEW HUDSON RIVER STEAKER "ROBERT FULTON." twenty-five to thirty per cent, by the foolish expe to land in a nearby field. The wind against which The year 1909 being the centennial celebration of dient of providing only a single narrow door at each it had battled all the morning increased in velocity, the inauguration of passenger steamboat service on end of the cars for loading and unloading passengers. however, and it was found dangerous to attempt to the Hudson River, and also the three hundredth anni It has been known for years that the total tramc land in it. The rear motor gave out, ,and with but versary of the discovery of the river, it is fitting that that can be carried over a given stretch of road is half power available, the airship could no longer make the name "Robert Fulton" should be given to the determined by the number 'of trains that can pass headway. It drifted about 70 miles, and was finally handsome steamer, illustrated in the current issue of over that road in a given time. It has also been well brought to earth successfully at Dingolfing, where the SUPPLEMENT, which will form the latest addition understood that It is not so much the speed of the it was moored in a field over niiht. The motor was to the fieet of the Hudson River Day Line. There is train, as the length of the stops at stations, which repaired, and the next morning, at 11: 15, the huge considerable interest, moreover, in the historical coin determines the frequency of the trains ; and lastl'y, vessel reascended in a moderate wind, and returned cidence that, while the new "Robert Fulton" is under it is well known that the length of the stops at sta quickly to Munich in 2� hours. A successful land construction, work should also be' progressing upon tions is determined by the length of time which it ing was maae on the parade ground outside of the a facsimile of the "Claremont," the first boat to make takes to get people into and out of the cars. city. Count Zeppelin was decorated with a gold meda:I the I1assage under steam up the Hudson. After Cltre The quickest and cheapest way to loosen up con by the Prince Regent of Bavaria and was given an ful search, sumcient data have been secured to make gestion on a railroad is to remove obstructions to ovation. At 3: 30 P. M. a start was made for Fried it possible to build a close facsimile of Robert Ful the transfer of passengers between the station plat richshafen, and the 100 miles were covered without ton's famous craft, and the contract for its construc forms and the cars. We have known this for years. incident in 4� hours. tion has been let to the Staten Island Shipbuilding The Illinois Central Railroad, during the World's This long-distance trip of Germany's first aerial Company. The .original "Claremont" was 150 feet Fair at Chicago, introduced the European practice of cruiser gives one an idea of what is yet to come in long; 13 feet wide� and had 7 feet depth of hold. She providing a.. side door at the end of every pair of the line of aerial transport for pleasure and business was able to make from 4 to 6 miles an hour. In the seats ; and they proved that the quick and easy hand purposes. The main point brought out was the un forthcoming celebration, the 1909 reproduction of the ling of vast crowds at stations is, other things be certainty of the gasoline motor. The 4-cylinder 85- "Claremont," in company with a fa csimile of Henry ing equal" directly proportional to the number of side horse-power engines used are the best that the Daim Hudson's "Half Moon," which is being built by the entrances provided on the' cars. Conservatism, how· ler Company can prodl!.ce ; they are fitted with three Dutch in Holland, will form the most interesting ever, proved to possess an inertia which not even this separate ignition systems, to make them perfectly feature of the great naval parade up the historic river. notable lesson of the Chicago Fair could overcome ; reliable ; and yet, at a crucial moment, one of them and the absolutely stupid practice of building big failed to operate, thus leaving the airship at the THE RENAISSANCE OF THE SPANISH NAVY.

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