The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-29
BALLOONING TO EUROPE.
The Feasibility or the Project to he
Tried - Description OF the Immense
crfal Ship "Cfty OF New York;

AETAaA SnIP "Slty OF new YORK."
While the public mind is agitated with the excite
ment attendant upon the expected visit Of great
prodigy of naval architecture the Great Eastern,
ainly not less wonderful project in baooning is
slowly and silently but certainly advancing towards trial
and very probable realization We refer the construc
ton Of an immense balloon, the Grea. Eastern of air
ships, which Is in rapid Of completion this
city, and which will eclipse all others Of It's kind the
leyiathan Of vessels does every other thing adoat
Its destination Europe, the daring aerona who is to
conduct the enterprise, Mr. T. g. Carlncourt Lowe,
pectng to reach England France Spain in forty eight
hours, or seventywo at arthest An idea Of its i'm,
meDse size may be formed when state that the entire
length Of the balloon is $50 feet nearly 90 feet higher
Ian Trinity steepe. Its dimensions in other respects
correspond with its great height It's circumference
the longer diameter is 1897 feet, and at the d
ameter $50 feet will thus be that the body bag
of the balloon nearly globuar The greatest diameter
the distance from the valve 10 the neck is 40 feet
while its transverse diameter, at the widest part, is 10
feet 5000 yards Of cloth have been consumed in H.
construction and about GOO gallons of varnsh have been
used in applying the first two coats. Another
be put The cloth in twenty sections, the sections
belonging to the upper part Of the balloon being forty
feet long, those of the lower part lo5 central belt
wentysi feet in width win connect the upper and lower
portions.
For twenty nine feet from the valve down the cloth s
DOUBLE and five and half feet down. triple with fold
strong linen between The netting which is of axen
cord quarter Of inch in thickness made expressly
for the purpose, fastened TO circle Of hempen rope,
and half inches in diameter which is capable of
sstng strain of five tons There 400 meshes Of the
net around the middle Of the globe, each mesh being
eight nine inches The length of cord in the
netting alone is fifteen miles, and has been calcu
that will bear considerably greater strain than
will be cxertcd.
At the end of the is the concentrating hoop,
circle band Of wrought iron and half inches
in thickness which carries the car, beat and everything
be taken up The netting, together with its rope and
hoop, weigh about 326 pounds.
The car which is twenty feet in circumference and four
feet Deep is made Of rattan, having hole in the floor
eighteen inches in diameter, from which a ladder
conducts to the boat twenty feet beneath The is
circular FORM surrounded with canvass and suspend
ed twenty feet below the concentrating hoop From this
hoop down to the edge of the basket curtain thus
verting the basket into room. Windows are inserted
in the canvass, that the aeronauts may, while
protected from the cold by their canvass wall have
means Of making observations. The is moreover
be warmed by newly invented heating apparatus de.
nominated the " lime stove,' contrivance, believe,
OF Mr. Lowe HIMSELF detailed description Of which
shall give at future day. This stove, besides
ing the apartment will also to perform some Of the
ordinary culinary operations. The voyagers will thus
have double protection against the extreme cold expo
rienced in high attitudes which has heretofore
one of the most prominent annoyances of balloonng
Beneath and suspended to the is Francis metallic
eboat As feet length eight feet BEAM and four feet
IN depth. The boat will have an Ericsson caloric
CINE, for the purpose Of working propeller
the screw principle. This propeller is pro-
yded with twenty FANS and Mr. Lowe expects be able
to exert ecvating depressing power equal to 800
pounds thus doing away with the necessity of ballast al
though Of course sufficient of the latter will be taken
case Of contingency The propeller will also enable the
aeronaut to keep seerage and rotation of the
hand to cut the balloon from the boat
the latter will then be propelled by the screw and the
orc engine in the same manner as screw steamer.
The boat provided with mast and sail, and fuel for
the engine Water and provisions sufficient for six months
will be taken in India rubber casks and boxes In the
elevated region which the voyagers will ascend water
freezes and would obviously burst wooden vessels
which it might be contained The use of India rubber
casks, which are certainly wise expedient, removes
this difficulty. An India rubber folding lieboat will form
part Of the outfit Two copper buoys, weighing 100 and
200 pounds respectively for the purpose Of condensng the
gas will be attached TO the balloon These buoys involve
new principle, which Mr.. Lowe intends trying this
trip.
Mr Lowe has also invented very original and inge
NOUS continuance with which to determine the direction
OF the different currents in the upper atmosphere. Thi
consists Of apparatus which he calls the sounding
ne; its name indicates, il is rope cord two
three miles long necessary, with ribbons steamers
certain intervals, which will indicate the directions the
different $50 speak, Of currents If the zero
nau finds by consulting his compass that the balloon is
carried by current too far north south Of his desired
destinations he drops the soundng line, with telescope
discovers how far down the proper current is-being
shown by the streamers-and with the fan propeller
lowers himself to that level.
The balloon is provided with ordinary ships an
Choir weighing 100 pounds to land WITH the rope attach
ed TO 1t is 100 feet long and four inches in circumference
Two or three sets Of small grapnels board be
used when the large anchor not necessary couple of
miles OF small rope will be taken to tow the buoys when
thrown overheard, and for any incidental purposes
which may arise.
Flags Of every nation will carried and passports to
every country in Europe will be obtained from the Secre
tary OF State for the voyagers who some eight in
number. Many persons have already applied for pas
sagemany Of them Offering immense for the priv.
legebu their requests have been invariably denied as
the first trip intended to be purely scientific solve the
problem whether balooning to Europe is practicable
Among the articles 10 be taken the trial trip
hundred small parachtes, by which TO drop letters pa
and documents of any kind to steamers vessels
the ocean which the balloon may pass. These pack
ages will be done up ill india rubber mail bags which will
float upon the water. There are, besides mercural
and anered barometer marine and four ordinary
compasscs, thermometers telescopes of every power a
quadrant sextant and chronomeer and in short every
thing that is necessary to make careful and obser
vations and note the natural phenomena which
elevated ATTITUDES.
Several carrier doves will be taken along, to be des
patched home on arrival anywhere in the event of any
accident Roman candles and signal rockets will be pro-
vded IN case OF beng thrown on any shore where ii will
be necessary to signal distant vessels
One hundred copies Of each daily and illustrated
paper in this city will be taken along to he delivered in
London and Paris two days after their publication here
Each person will be provided with india rubber suit
both protector against the cold and as life
prescrver in the water.
The entire weight Of the balloon and its appcndages is
81 tons. Its lifting capacity is 221s TONS leaving
lifting capacity of ~ tons. The balloon WILL therefore, be
capable OF carrying great quantity of freight and
goody number Of passengers when arship line 10
Europe Is established The first passengers will be M
aeronaut himself Mr. Lowe, several scientific scamen and
andsmen and the representatives of the press together
with gentleman who will act the historian OF the
occasion,
The balloon is dcncminated the "City OF New York.
but under the circumstances think . would have been
properly called the Great WESTERN II is not
late yet 10 change the namc and Offer the hint gratui
uy 10 the builders sace Of nine days will be required
in filing with gas the balloons capacity being 900
cubic feet, abou; ten times largcs than auy balloon
heretofore constructed. The cost Of imitation alone will
be 81 500 and the expended far in the
ton nearly $4,000 Mr. Lowe is perfectly sangune
the successful termination Of his enterprise lie