d at Squantum, Mass., August 26 to September
6. It was held Labor Day, September 4, over a course of 174 miles, from
Boston to Nashua to Worcester to Providence to Boston. Four competitors
started, of which two finished, the winner, E. Ovington, in a Bleriot
machine. Ovington's net flying time, 3h. 6m. 22 1-5s. Winner's prize,
$10,000.

AEROPLANES AND DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS IN WARFARE.

Wonderful progress has been made in the development of the aeroplane in
this country and in Europe since 1903, and within the last two or three
years the leading powers of the world have entered upon extensive tests
and experiments to determine its availability and usefulness in land and
naval warfare.

At the present time all the great powers are building or purchasing
aeroplanes on an extensive scale. They have established government
schools for the instruction of their army and navy officers and for
experimental work. So-called "Airship Fleets" have been constructed and
placed in commission as auxiliaries to the armies and navies. The fleets
of France and Germany are about equal and are larger by far than those
of any of the other powers. The length of the dirigibles composing these
fleets runs from 150 to 500 feet; they are equipped with engines of from
50 to 500 horse-power, with a rate of speed ranging from 20 to 30 miles
per hour. Their approximate range is from 200 to 900 miles; the longest
actual run (made by the Zeppelin II, Germany) is 800 miles.

A British naval airship, one of the largest yet built, was completed
last summer. It has cost over $200,000, and it was in course of
designing and construction two years. It is 510 feet long; can carry 22
persons, and has a lift of 21 tons.

The relative value of the dirigible balloon and the aeroplane in actual
war is yet to be determined. The dirigible is considered to be the
safer, yet several large balloons of this class in Germany and France
have met with disaster, involving loss of lives. The capacity of the
dirigible for longer flights and its superior facilities for carrying
apparatus and operators for wireless telegraphy are distinct advantages.

There has not yet been much opportunity to test the airship in actual
warfare. The aeroplane has been used by the Italians in Tripoli for
scouting and reconnoitering and is said to have justified expectations.
On several occasions the Italian military aviators followed the
movements of the enemy, in one instance as far as forty mi