American citizen., 1872-08-03
What a French Engineer Has Accom-.
pIished in Aerial Navigation.

plished in Aerial Navigation.
THE advocates of the possibility of
utilizing the balloon for the every day
purposes of life have been greatly encour-
aged by the result of series of expert
ments lately made in Paris by NJ. Dupuy
de LONE, and recently communicated to
the Academy of Sciences. This gentle
man is an eminent French eng ineer, and
well acquainted with both the theory and
practice of his profession; and his atten-
tion was especially called, during the
siege of Paris, to the importance of hav-
ing a balloon which OSSeSSed some pow
er of steerage He has completed the first
construction according to the new plan,
and made, as he claims, entirely success
full experiments with it. The balloon is
in the shape of an enormous egg, the
longer axis horizontal. with an oblong car
suspended from it. The total length is
11S feet, and its diameter at the point OF
greatest circumference 40 feet. The rud-
der by which the balloon is steered is a
plain triangular surface, made of unvar-
nished calico, and constructed to turn
easily on its forward extremity. The
car is of wicker work, containing a
windlass for the screw, eight men to
| manage it, and is capable of carrying
| fourteen persons. The rudder is fixed
to the balloon itself, and the screw is
below it and Immediately attached to the
car, and having only two blades, SO that
when the ground is touched they can be
| placed horizontally to escape injury. The
windlass which turns the screw is worked
| by four or eight men. The envelope of
| the balloon is composed of white silk.
| The constructor does not pretend to be
| able to make a direct movement against
the wind, but only to deviate from its
direct set when running before it. He
expects to be able to track to the right or
| left, but does not hope to be able to beat
to the windward There is a second bal
| loon attachment to the bottom of the
main balloon, forming kind of com
partment, occupying about one tenth OF
| the cubic space of the balloon, and serv-
| ing to keep it stiff and of the required
| shape. In the experimental trip or NJ
| LONE IA half gale was blowing, and the re-
suit answered entirely to his expectations
| The screw drove the balloon about hve
miles an hour quicker than the wind was
blowing, and by the use of the rudder
the course of the balloon could be altered
eleven degrees either way from the set OF
the wind-Harper's Magazine.
COOKING WITHOUT FIRE.-There is a
place in Oregon called the smoky Valley,
where the people have curious way OF
cooking. They do not have the trouble
q
they wish to get breakfast. They just
walk out with their kettles, coffee pots,
and whatever else they need, and cook
them, at the boiling spring. The water
seems IA great deal hotter than the com
mon boiling water, and all they need do
is to hang their kettles in it for short
time, ana their food is nicely cooked.
They are able even to bake in it. The
bread is put into a tight saucepan, and
lowered into the boiling flood for an hour
or two, and then drawn up most eNqui-
sitely baked with but thin rim of the
crust over it, Meat is cooked here, and
beans, which are the miners great luxury.
! 1t takes but Il minute to cook eggs, or to
make pot of coffee or tea; but If there
should be Il slip between the cup and
the Iip," food would be gone beyond re
covery.
A fat old gentleman, who had been
bitten in the calf of his leg by dog, came
| to Jonah in towering passion, declaring
| it was .Jonah's dog that had bitten him.
Expecting an action for damages, the wag
drew up the following articles as the
I grounds for his defense 1st. By testi-
mony in favor of the general good char
| acter of my dog, | can prove that nothing
could make him SO forgetful of his dig
! nity as to bite "a ,calf ID lie Is bind
/ and cannot see to bite. Sd. Even if he
/ could see to bite, it would be utterly I'M
possible for him to go out of the way to
| do so, on account of his fatness and Sc
we're lameness. 4th. Granting his eyes
and legs to be good, he has no teeth. 9TH.
| NV dog died six weeks since. 9th.
never had dog.
AN inhabitant of "A suburban town
after spending II convivial evening, was
I discovered among the carrots and cab
hagcs of his humble garden, wrapped in
slumbcr. ''Well, Bill" said an admiring
friend, as he hook the PROSTATE youth
"what are you doing out here ?
Watching Cor u hen that's stole hei
nest" was the scntcntiuuS answer. "Bui
what are your eyes shut for, Bill ?.
" Don't want the old hen to see me,
gruffly replied the sleeping philosopher,