 |
I recently obtained some 30 glass plate negatives of Tinicum Township from the early 1900's. This group of buildings stood near the Lazaretto but I have no idea what they were used for. Anyone out there know. Thanks Keith |
Note. In preparation for the First World War the Federal Government began to establish "Air Schools" as far back as 1915 to get more pilots ready.
Tinicum Air School
School
of Aviation to be established on what Was Formerly State Quarantine Grounds
A volunteer force of air pilots which would
be available for duty in case of war may receive instruction in aviation school
to be established at “The Orchard,” the site of the old quarantine station
known as the Lazaretto, owned by Philadelphia at Essington. Judge J. Willis Martin, Robert Glendenning,
the banker, and several other men prominent in financial circles of
Philadelphia, are sponsors for the proposition.
The bill has been introduced in Common
Councils, of Philadelphia, by Joseph P. Garrney, chairman of the Finance
Committee, providing for the lease of “The Orchard” to “The Philadelphia School
of Aviation,” the corporation formed by Mr. Glendenning and his friends to
finance the scheme, for a term of ten years at the nominal rental of one dollar
a year.
Contracts have already been let for the
erection of two hangars, each 150 feet long, 50 feet wide and 40 feet
high. Six or eight hydroplanes will be
purchased and installed in these hangars, which will be completed about the
middle of April. Capable instructors
will be employed and it is hoped to be able to open the school by the first of
May.
“I wish to make it clear,” said Mr. Glendenning,
“that we have absolutely no thought of making money out of this
proposition. In fact we will be
perfectly satisfied if we can keep our annual deficit down to reasonable
figures. We realize that the United
States must have officers and men for an aviation corps if our plans for
national preparedness are to be complete.”
“It seems to me that we will be doing a
real service to the country if we make it possible for young men who have the
physique, the steady nerves, the courage and the enthusiasm to become air
pilots to learn how to fly without forcing them to go far from home and spend
more money and time than they can afford to accomplish the same end.”
“It costs $500 just for the instruction fee
to learn how to fly at the Hammondsport, N.Y. school, and it takes six weeks to
six months to complete the course. All
that time the pupil has to live at Hammondsport, and has to pay his own
expenses, board, lodging, and so on. We
hope to be able to charge a lower fee, but even if that is not possible, the
pupils will not have to leave their business and will be able to live at their
own homes. It only takes forty-five
minutes and only costs five cents to get to “The Orchard.” A telephone message from the school about 3
o’clock and a man could be there taking his lesson by 4:30 o’clock. And usually late afternoon is the best time
for practice flights.”
“The Federal Government is hardly likely to
establish any more aviation schools,” continued Mr. Glendenning, “and so it
will be up to the States, the large cities, or private
persons to handle this phase of the preparedness campaign. Other States have already made plans for
constructing such a plant as will be built at Essington, providing of course,
that Councils gives the necessary sanction.
IN my opinion the old Lazaretto grounds, which have laid idle for a long
time, would make an ideal aviation center and could not be used to any better
purpose.”
The Federal Government has aviation schools
at Fort Meyer, near Washington, on Long Island, in Florida, and in California,
but they are for the use of army officers for the most part.
No comments:
Post a Comment