Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-07-26
Our 4yuung folks.
Little Eddie and his Balloon.

Little Eddie Martin was expecting u
rare treat, for his brother, who was home
for the holidays, had promised to take him
to see a balloon ascension. Eddie was only
eleven years old, and never had balloon
assembled from the town IN which ne lived
This ascension was to be from { neighbor-
ing town, aud would constitute Eddie's
very first opportunity Of witnessing so
wonderful performance.
All day long he talked Of it, and as the
hour drew near he began to run TO the
clock every few minutes to watch the
hands. and to fear that brother John was
going to be late But brother J ohm was a
model Of punctuality, and Just a. the
clock struck four mis- horse and carriage
drew up at the front gate and his we'll
known voice called for Eddie
Eddie was scarcely seated before he
asked Shall we be in time
think So replied his brother. The
balloon goes up at fifteen minutes past five,
and 1t will not take u more than an hour
to ride to W, so we shall have fully fif-
teen minutes to wait
Well, brother John, as we ride. tell me
all about balloons
All about balloons That would take
a long time, even If | knew 50 much If
you are interested in hearing OF balloons
you may ask me such questions as you
would like to have answered, and viii
answer them, if can.
Well first, please tell me brother
John, what make- balloon 20 up IN the
air
It goes up because it is lighter than
the air, and therefore it VIII float in it,
l know that it is lighter, but how 10
they make it lighter
They fiji it with gas that i lighter
than the air which surrounds it So much
lighter that even with the additional
weight Of the balloon it will rise and float.
What is the name Of the Gas brother
John, and how DO they make it r
The best gas for filling q balloon IS
hydrogen gas, because it Is the very light
est that is known but ii costs 30 much
that they generally use the heavier but
cheaper gas that we use for lighting our
houses. | can not tell you about how hy-
drogen gas is made Just now, but ! viii
make some for you some day, and you shall
watch the operation
Who first thought about making bal !
looms, brother John, and how did they hap
pen to think Of it -
" can not tell you who first thought of
it, but can tell you who first succeeded
in making them. The discovery Of h. dro-
gen gas, and Of its extraordinary lightneSs
led people to think of raising heavy bodies
in the air by its help, so that we might
sail through the air Just a. We now sal.
over the water. There were several who
tried the experiment. There were two
brothers in France named Montgoifier,
paper manufacturers, who tried it, but the
hydrogen gas leaked through their paper
bags, so that they were compelled to try
some other light agent. Do You know
that heated air is lighter than cold air p
4" Yes my schoOl-teacher has taught me
that; she has the room ventilated by hav-
ing the windows opened at the the top, be-
cause, she says, the heated air, being light
est, will rise to the top Of the room. and
so escape"
" Well,th Montpelier brothers sent up
a coarse linen bag lined with paper by
filling it with heated air The heated air
was admitted through a hole in the bottom,
anu do III DtRdu W Iusli III buS Bd9 SNclicU
out when sufficiently filled, they loosened
the cords which held it to the earth, and
the balloon rose in the air. OF course, as
the heat escaped, it gradually returned to
the surface Of the earth
If paper will let the hydrogen gas leak
through, what do they make the balloons
out Off
They make the balloon in the form of /
a globe, of thin silk, covered by some
elastic gum. Outside of the silk globe is
a strong network, and to the network /
they hang the car for passengers
So now, if people liked, they might
make an air-ship that would sail across the
ocean just as the great steamers do, and [
10 MT see why they do mt; they would not
De seasick then said Eddie.
You mistake about that, answered his
brother People have succeeded in rails
ng their ships-if you choose to call them
io-into the air, but when they are once
Up they can not steer them they move
bout just as the currents of air may hap
zen to be blowing. Nobody has yet
rossed any very large body of water in
alloon that | know of, but | have heard
# one or two persons crossing the English
jhanael. Do you know where that is,
eddie ? e
Yes, it is the water that separates
rance and England