Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-10-14
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"ThA City of New York"


"The City of New York"
The new and mammoth balloon, or
more properly speaking @rial ship. call
ed The City Of New York, is approach
ing rapidly towards completion, and will
be completed and ready to start on its
Journey across the Atlantic in about
three weeks, and as the description of
the same cannot but interest our readers
we will devote a small space to it. The
@ronaut who has charge of the enterprise
is Mr.. T. S. Carlieeurt Lowe, a practical
and scientific man, who is fortunately
possessed of both experience in the art
of ballooning and friends that are both
able and willing to assist in carrying out
project which has been his pet ambi-
ton for many years past. The dimen.
sions of the air ship are nearly ten times
greater than any balloon previously built
and are as follows:
Greatest diameter 1870 feet.
| Transverse diameter. 40 feet
Height from valve to boat, $50 feet.
Weight with outfit, 3 ] 2 tuns.
Lifting power (aggregate), % IL tuns.
Capacity of gas envelope, $4,000 cubic
| feet. $3.50
The material of which the glass globe
or envelope is constructed is twilled
muslin, and over 5000 yards have been
used. which is rendered gas tight by fire.
quent applications of a varnish, the com.
ponent parts OF which are only known to
Mr.. Lowe. The services of seventeen
sewing machines have been employed to
connect the pieces and top Of the envel-
ope, for twenty nine feet is triple thick.
ness and strengthened with heavy brown
linen and sewed with triple seams, as it
is necessary that the valves should be Sc.
cured in as sale manner as possible
The netting that covers the envelope is
made of haxen cord, quarter inch in
diameter, manufactured expressly for the
occasion, and is capable of sustaining a
weight of 1870 tons. At the top Of the
balloon the net is fastened to a strong
hemp rope. one and half inch in diane,
ter, and which surrounds the valve, and
at the bottom it is gathered into the con.
centrating hoop. which is stout iron
hoop twenty feet in diameter and made
Of the best quality of wrought iron, one
one and half i3ch in diameter. Fifteen
feet below this concentrating hoop the
basket or car is suspended, and is com,
posed of rattan, and is feet deep and
20 feet in diameter. In the centre of
the basket is hole one and half feet
in diameter, through which free access
by means Of a ladder can be had to the
boat which depends 20 feet below. The
boat is FRANCIS, Metallic Life boat, 80
| feet long. Z feet bean. and 4 feet deep,
and will contain an Ericsson caloric en-
CINE, the fuel necessary for the same,
mast and sail, provisions and stores,
tools, ropes and all articles necessary for
the comfort and safety Of the crew. The
hengine will be used for the purpose Of ell
evating or depressing the balloon, and to
preventa rotary motion. which can be
done by means of propeller on the
screw principle, fixed in the bow of the
boat, and by a simple CONTINUANCE can be
gearec. if necessary, SO as to turn paddle
wheels, which are affixed to the sides Of
the boat as in ordinary steamboats,
Among the numerous articles to be car
ried on the trip, we can only enumerate
the following:
One hundred small parachutes for SEN
ding down letters and papers (which will
be inclosed in rubber mail bags) to pass
ing towns or vessels; Que mecurial and
one aneroid barometer two marine and
three ordinary compasses three ther-
mometers one night and one day spy
glass; telescope; one sextant; one
q oil okh o,.
necessary insti uments for taking obser
yations. &C.; number of carrier doves,
which will be sent back to this city i'm
mediately on the arrival of the balloon.
Every precaution has been taken to
guard against every peril apprehended or
known to exist, and Mr.. Lowe expresses
the most perfect confidence in the sue
cessful termination Of the voyage which
he expects to make in forty eightto sixty
hours, landing in either England or
France. q
Whether the trip be successful or net,
it will settle the long mooted question in
regard to the feasibility of crossing the
Atlantic in balloon, as the@ronaut bas
both science and pecuniary means, hay.
ing already expended in the enterprise
$4,000, and his determination to make
the voyage as advertised, if tits posi-
BILE thing. We understand it is Mr..
loves intention to exhibit the balloon
while it is being inflated, thereby giving
our citizens an opportunity to examine
into all its details, and acquire thor
ough knowledge of the art of erostation
in the highest perfection as yet attained
~. Y. Paper.