Vliegen 100 jaar geleden

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

America does not get its money.
The American Government seems to have great difficulty in making a final
decision as to the value of aeronautics. After being thrown out by a
sub-committee, the House of representatives passed a Bill on Saturday,
January 30th, adding 500.000 dollars to the Army Appropriation Bill, to be
used in aeronautical experiments. Three days later, however, this decision
was reversed, and the clause struck out of the Bill. At the meeting on
January 30th, the vote aroused almost stormy scenes in Congress, and the
arguments which turned the balance in a favourable direction were, curious
as it may seem, not as to what use aerial navigation might be, but what
use it had been. The story of Gambetta's flight in a balloon from Paris
convinced at least one representative, although, apparently, only
temporarily, of the value of aeronautics.

Anonymous gift of 20,000 Dollars.
Speaking at a dinner given by the New England Aero Club, at Boston, on
Sunday last, Mr. Augustus Post, Secretary of the American Aero Club,
announced that an American, who desired that his name should remain
unknown, had given 20,000 dollars as a prise fund for the encouragement of
aeronautics in America.

Aeroplanes in War.
Asked when, in his opinion, aeroplanes would be utilised for bellicose
purposes, Sir Hiram Maxim recently made the characteristic, and very
emphatic reply, 'In the next war.'

As reported in Flight of February 6, 1909

Vluchten duurden nog maar enkele minuten in februari 1909. De eerste dode
(Army lieutenant Thomas Selfridge) was al gevallen en Orville Wright had 7
weken in het ziekenhuis gelegen (12 jaar later, na het maken van
röntgenopnames, bleek pas hoe ernstig gewond hij toen was geweest).

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