Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1872-07-13
a Huge Air ship.

Samuel y King, the celebrated aor-
onaut Of this city, is about completing
the construction of monster balloon,
which, in poiut of size, will outstrip
anything of its kind ever brought into
actual use in this country. 1t is very
properly called the Colossus.
The body of the balloon is perfect
sphere, except that there is the usual
elongation on the lower side Of the neck
Its circumference is 191 feet. and its
capacity is nearly 10000 cubic feet
Only in the large cities could a suffici-
ent supply of gas be found TO fill it.
Twelve hundred yards OF 40-iuch best
Lyman mills cloth, furnished expressly
for the purpose, were required in its
construction, and five months have been
devoted to the work notwithstanding
the fact that sewing machines materially
lessened both the time and labor. Four
barrels of oil>varnish, Of the kind gen
eral!y used by Mr. King to coat his
balloons and to make them imperyious
to gas, were used to cover the surface
of the COLOSSUS. The cloth il in single
thickness except on the top where it is
double to secure greater strength, aud
to make the mammoth envelop strong
in other parts, there are "a stays or
bands running entirely around it.
Suspended to net work Of strong
cords will be two cars. The upper one
is intended for scientific observations,
and will be fitted up for scientific iustru
ments and for the accomm modation of
observers The lower car will contain
the other passengers and the ballast
The coliapsing cord, which il brought
into use only when it is desirable to
collapse the balloon and let out the gas
suddenly, as for instance, when u land
ing is made in a gale, Is sewn into
a seam distance Of seventy five feet
from the neck upwards. In dctaining
the balloon upon the ground in alght
ing, three anchors will be used in place
of one which would be sufficient in the
case of balloons Of ordinary size These
anchors will be arranged in a peculiar
manner, and In several particulars Mr.
King has introduced improvements in
connection with the balloon. The gas.
envelop, netting and basket will weigh
between 400 and 1900 pounds. Filled
with hydrogen gas the Colossus would
be able to carry between 5000 and T.
900 pounds into the air, and with car
burated hydrogen, or the common illu-
minating gas, which has much less
buoyaney, Is or go passengers can be
taken, together with scientific apparatus,
and sufficient quantity Of ballast for a
long voyage. From the figures already
given, it will be seen that the eronau>
tic craft is indeed a Colossus. A com
parison with the size of some of the
other balloons used in Boston by Mr.
King, will assist our readers how to
form better idea ofits immensely.
While the Colossus has a capacity Of
nearly 100000 cubic feet, the General
Grant, with which Mr.. King has made
many ascepsions here and eiswhere holds
only Is 900 cubic feet.
The Queen Of the Air had capacity
of 33 900 feet, the Star Spangled Ban
ner $4,000 feet, and the Hyperion,
which, on its first trip carried no less
than eight persons from Boston, dis
tance of seventy five miles, and on the
following day made another long voyage,
capacity of $4,000 feet. The new mon
s1er is vcritable giant among Mr..
Kings numerous family Of balloons --
Boston Journal