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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1110.PDF
OCTOBER 21, 1920 FRGK) TfoE FGUR WITHOUT figures it is difficult for the man in the street to really appreciate happenings in events which, appealing to him very directly, yet leave but a very hazy idea of results. One void in this respect is partially filled by information just issued by the London County Council in which the air raids during the War are dealt with. According to this, 524 persons were killed, 1,264 injured, and direct damage was done to property to the amount of £2,042,000. In the metropolitan area 2 70 incendiary bombs were dropped and 52 fires caused in the county. Whilst the firemen were at work following a raid on December 18, 1917, the Germans dropped bombs again and killed two firemen. Attending calls during the air raid period the firemen travelled 12,320 miles. One bomb in 1917 demolished the greater part cf four four-storey dwellings in -Albany Road, Camberwell, and seriously damaged 12 others. This brief summary is sufficiently convincing to suggest further details being made available. AN old idea appears to have been tried by the Pretoria Government, to judge by a message from Johannesburg. This states that with a view to producing rain by dropping dust on clouds an Avro aeroplane ascended to a height of 5,000 ft., but the dust failed to cause a downpotrr. Further experiments are to be tried. IN France aviation has undoubtedly taken held of the i magination of the people far beyond anything that the public here can visualise. The Buc meeting the other day was quite an object lesson in marking the popularity to which flying has attained across the Channel. That we are not biassed in this view the following short pen picture from a lay writer dealing with events in France will witness : " Everybody nocked out during the days on which the fete was held to witness the marvellous exploits—machines flying through the air at nearly 200 miles an hour, circling, gliding, falling, looping the loop, performing unimaginable feats which demonstrated the perfect control of the pilots. We knew in a vague way of the progress of aviation, but the contrast between this show and the pre-War meetings, when the machines might or might not go up, according to whether the conditions were favourable or not, was amazing. Special motor-'buses took out the crowds to the racecourse, and on one day alone 100,000 francs was taken at the gates. Aviation promises to become as popular a sport in France as horse racing—or as football in England." WOULD it were so here-—but that will come in due course. Further, those " behind " aviation with our neighbours are not slow in laying hold of current doings to put in a good word for the great new art. During the Buc meeting the ugly railway smash at Houilles occurred, and at once a French journalist pounced upon the smash to point out the safety of aviation, as exemplified in the faultless flying during the whole of the Buc meeting, when contrasted with this railway calamity with its frightful loss of life. And there's a great deal in it, moreover. THAT " new giant aeroplane " emanating from the Zeppelin Airship Company's works, which according to the daily press is to carry on a regular service between Germany and America almost immediately, is giving rise to all sorts of possible complications. Berlin reports to the Paris New York Herald state that the handing over of this craft has been demanded by the representatives of the Inter-Allied Dis- armament Committee and refused by the Zep. Co. The latter's contention is that Germany is allowed to retain all aircraft built six months after the signing of the Peace Treaty and that this new plane fills the bill in that respect. So that one wonders what will be the next move. Anyway, if the Zep. Co. have achieved what is claimed for them, why in the interests of the great cause all we can say is more power to their elbow and may they prove it or enable our people to do it for them. IT was a happy idea to bring over from Paris by aeroplane the other day the replica of the colours of the 61 st French Regiment—42nd Infantry Division—of the French Army, for exhibition with the 75 mm. gun which was already, through THE BUC AVIATION MEETING : A general view of the aeroplanes on the ground which took part III2
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