Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-17
RALLOONING.


BALLOONING,
Considerable attention is being
directed to the problem of navigat-
ing the air. Some very pleasant
and exciting accounts of re.
cent aerial voyages come to US
IN our exchanges. Those who have
gone up to the clouds in balloons
describe the sensation as very ex
hilarating indeed, though not Who'll
ly disconnected particularly in the
case of green hands with an eager
ness to have the thing safely over.
The knowledge that, in the event of
the car becoming detached from the
cords, or the balloon taking fire,
there is no hope left for life, is not
especially pleasant to dwell upon,
we dare say, says the st. Louis Re-
publican, even by the most expert
enced atmospheric sailor. The dan
gers in making landing, and the
apprehensions that must force
themselves into the mind of the
balloonist with reference thereto,
are also liable to detract somewhat
from his enjoyment Of the ride.
The real peril of travelling in bal
loon, however, is in reference to
coming down. Some few accidents
have happened in starting; as, fer
instance, colliding with tall CHM
ney or church spire; but the most
alarming part is in alighting-and
even this, if properly managed, and
unless a storm is raging, is rarely
attended with serious disaster. If
the car or basket be well secured
to the netting covering the balloon,
if there be no combustible ma
terials about, if there be an abund-
ance of ascending power, or
gas, with plenty of sand, or
"ballast," the danger of balloon
riding in fair weather amounts to
nearly nothing. Even should the
balloon collapse in mid-air the
chances are that the aeronaut will
come to the earth safely, as the silk
of the bag will, by atmospheric pres
sure form a sort of parachute and
prevent a rapid descent. Prof. John
Wise has, on more than one occa-
sion, pdrposely exhausted a balloon
at the height Of a mile from the
earth, by means ola cord so arranged
as to tear a large slit in the silk |
through which to allow the gas in
stantly to escape. This may do very |
well in experimenting, but for good,
steady, square ballooning, we would
not recommend the observance of
this method, especially to young be-
ginners.
In the above we have spoke of
ordinary ballooning, and by this we
mean that kind that is carried on
without any other object than to
follow-not exactly in the footsteps
but the example-of others; to go
up a mile or so, enjoy the magnif-
cent prospect, realize the CFatuS of
pure rare air, and then come down
in a wheat field, feeling rather heroic
and courageous than the contrary.
This, though novel enough to anna
teurs who take part, is of but little
moment TO the world at large, or to
the cause of science. There are,
however, two projects in aeronau-
tics now being talked about and
witten about which are in a different
category. One of these is the
project of Mons. Chevalier to sail
from New York across the Atlantic
ocean, and further demonstrate the
existence of q certain and invari-
able current Of air from west to
east, supposed to be caused by the
diurnal rotation Of the earth upon
its axis. We have no doubt of the
existence of this current, and feel
sure that sooner or later, the voy-
age across the Atlantic will be made.
hat new appliances there may be
about Mons. Chevalier's air. ship to
facilitate such a voyage we do not
know, and are somewhat slSeptical.
The other project is that of the
model air-vessel "Avitor," which is
said to have been tried in San Fran
cisco on the 9th of July. Accounts
say that this vessel ''rose in the air,
and was propelled backward and
forward and guided in any desired
direction by steering apparatus"
If this is true, it shows the most re
markable and promising progress
that has vet been made in the navi.
cation of the air-a revolution, in
deed. Ordinary balloons are utterly
at the mercy of the winds. The
aeronaut not only has no power tc
steer his frail vessel, but it is absO
lutely impossible for him, while a
any great height, to tell in what di
rection he is moving. The compass
gives him no aid, since, though The
needle always points to the north
there is never any sense Of motor
in the balloon except sometimes ;
GENTLE oscillation, when passing
through varying currents. Th
"Avitor," it is said, is so con
structed as to navigate the air a
any desired height, so that it ma.
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