New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-04
BALLOONS.


TIE e.rv poets. prophets, bsris, and s,alds, css:
their ewes beavenward sisted for the vngs OF dove
ard imagined flying supeIns beings, e'hetciesV.ns
genii cistsncedestroying usgciars, witches, ana
demons To free the soul from he coi OF re esr!h
NH. side of the grave 10 render the body imponder
able and superior TO the srs Of grsvitstion, 20 thai
fatals,ic force which holds il dcwn-this constituted
the most exalted ideasm of the early Wrists and ro'
msrcers The Orient literature gistens with this
eupramundane machinery. a mOraltruth or theological
DOGMA was invariably enforced by recitation OF the
violation Of some obvious physical law which keeps
man 70 the ground To this day that literature and It's
derivatives sre go distinguished. truth plainly toid
in tie East will rot be believed. Ii must De mixed up
with the impossible. The eIcs of Homer, equally
with the Vedas and Vedant, the Arabian Nights Eo-
tereiumen.s and tie Knight-ETTant Tales OF the Mid
Gle ages, all deal in supernatural machinery. This
uniyenalty Of desire TO rise above the earth and
fosr Though the air was the lyrical foreshsdowing OF
the possibilities of science.
TIE fret account we have OF an attempt to make
machine Of any kind to hy through the air. is OF the
artificial pigeon of Archytss celebrated geometr'
clan, wto lived about 400 years before our era Ac-
cording TO Aalus Gellius, "Arcbytas constructed
wooden pigeon which could lily BY means Of me-
cbsnica powers ard an spirit" The de-
seriptops of this mechanical bird are obscure
There is also al account of q man who tried
TO fly in ROME, under the Emperor Nero, and
lost his life thereby. Roger Bacon, in the thir-
tenth century, imagined the possibility of large
hollow globe of copper or other suitable metal,
wrought extremely thin, in order to have it as light
a. possible end to be filled with ETHEREAL air or liquid
fire. ard then launched from come elevated point,
when il will foet like vessel on the water. Then
came asucccsson Of attempts to fly through the air,
ard it is e. eed that with artificial wigs alternately
running and flying, immense speed achieved.
According to the great eeronaut, Mr.. John Wise.
this is a most delightful mode of travelling. This
writer in his admirable and interesting work on aero.
nsuos says five take balloon Of limited size, about
Is ,eet in diameter each way, it WILL when inflated
with hydrogen gas be capable Of raising leo pounds,
independent of It's own weight. Now, if this be go
fastened to mans body not to interfere with the
free use of his arms and legs, he may then ballast
himself 20 as to be trife heavier than the upward
tendency of the balloon, which viii be nearly in
.quiibr o. II then, be provide himself with q pair
OF wirsa made on the bird principle, with socket-
Joints 10 slip over his ar.Is at the shoulders, and
grssping handle internally of each one, at the dis
lance from tie shouder-iont of the wing, the dis
lance is from the shouder.iont TO his hand, he may
beat agsinst the air with bis wings, ard bound
aganst the air with his feet go as to MAKE at least
siundred yagGs at each bound. This, Mr. Wise says
lie Las often done in the direction of gentle wind
with the aid of his feet alone, after his balloon had
descended 10 the earth AMI, one occasion, tray-
creed a pine forest of several miles in length, by
bounding against the tops Of the trees Such Il con-
,rivsnce he says, would be of es.msble advantage
toeSporiDg eNpedtons landings to oherwise nscces-
sible mountains; escapes from surrounding icebergs
explorations of volcanic craters; trayersing vast
swa,nps ard mo'asses; walking over akes and seas
bounding i.thmuses straits aud promontores, or e1-
ponog the cloud.cspped peaks of Chimborazo, could
all according to our author, thus be easily accom-
plished.
Notwithstanding nearly eighty years have elapsed
incs the discovery Of balloons in France, up to this
time 20 practical advance has been made in ab.
soutsly navigating the air. The French Republic,
with the immense eageruess in scientific nvesti-
se.ion hch characterized it. instituted secret school
Of serostaiion for the purpose Of making balloons use
f in war. Tie result OF this that in June, 1894
observation. made Of the Austrian camp; and by
,ignals conveyed 10 General Jourdan lie was enabled
TO gain the victory Of Fleurus balloon sent
with Nspoeons armyto Egypt, and after the captula-
ton a. Cairo returned 10 France. One, report
80 rot eIaggerste, did immense service with n.
Go ard in Remembering before tie battle Of So!ierno.
Some valuable obsery siion. have been made by
means OF scientific instruments durrg sscen.ion-; Blot
ard Lu;.sc in tie early part of this century leading
tie way. Ire first sscensi0n in Paris, il 1853, 10
recorded IN the Pr9css Verbal Of the Academy 0,
Scerces. by tha, We learn that on November q,
l-SJ e. the Chatesl &c ia Muetts experiment wac
made with the aeros.at;c mscL.ae Of NJ. De MoEtgo-
fHer. TIE Ky patty ciouded wind north west
A: sigb. uin1tes after Locn mortar gave notice tbs.
tie n achibe abou: 70 be filed. In eight nnuiss,
notwithstanding tie Hirj, L ready TO set OF, the
Marquis iArsrte- ard N. Pla.re &c )sier being IN
tie cs,. Il al fret Intended to retain the machine
awhile with ropes 70 judge what We GIT i would bear
End see that al right. But the wind prevented It
rislrg vertically, and directed i toward one Of the gar
den walls. the ropes made several rents in il, one Of
,iI feet lorg It Was brought down again, and in
two hours .st right Having been filed again,
t.st Ct at ff.y.four minutes past one, carrying the
cane persor-. Il rose in the Most majestic manner
.ri whsn il vLs about 30 feet high, the intrepid
vcssgss, took CT heir hats and sslu:ei the spects
tors. No c-e could hep feeling d nh led ssntmen.
Ct fear ard admiration. The voysgsrs were soon
istIga.sba0's but the machine. lowering upon -hs
horizon, AID Displaying the meet beautiful figure,
zoe 81, sst tree thousand feet high and was v-.b.e
a. lie time. Tie account gee. 5u 10 ..Te other per-
ticllArr, ard 'isnei BY BESJNIy FBASGLIS,
zal.ls Others, Cf tie Academy Of Sciences" The
machine seventy feet hi-b, and ioftv-.x in diam
et,r; It contained 200 cat.c feet, aud carried
eish; Of from GO ID I, 200 pounds
81. Wise s Of oplicn that srss; improY smen,.
Uay be made E TIE fabric Itiur o. balloons; s1a since