is added to the wire, as it tends to check to a considerable
extent lateral motion of the bow of the ship.

The three-wire system is an adaptation and an improvement on the
one previously mentioned. In this case the mooring point of the
ship is attached to three long wire cables, which, when raised in
the air, form a pyramid to the head of which the ship is
attached. These wires are led to bollards which form in plan an
equilateral triangle. The lift of the ship raises these wires
off the ground, and if the ship is trimmed up by the bows she
will be found to resist the action of the wind. A rigid airship
moored out by this method remained in the open for a considerable
time and rendered the future of this experiment most hopeful. It
was resolved to continue these experiments by adding a subsidiary
system of wires with running blocks, the whole wiring to form a
polygon revolving round a fixed centre. The disadvantages of
this method appear to be rather serious. It seems that great
difficulty will always be found in picking up these moorings in a
high wind, and though this also applies to the method with the
mast, the initial obstacles do not appear to be so great. A
powerful engine driving a winch will be necessary to raise these
heavy wires from the ground, although of course the lift of the
airship will assist in this. Secondly, the lowering of
passengers and cargo will not be easy as the ship will not be
rigidly secured. This, however, can probably be managed when
experiments have reached a further stage, and at present the
system may be said to present distinct possibilities.

The third system, that of mooring to a mast, possesses several
features peculiar to itself, and not embraced by the other two,