Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-08-13
The Ocean Balloon Voyage


the trans Atlantic air-ship, The Daily
Graphic, was in our Office to-day; and
we asked him to give us forecast of
the incidents of the voyage, as he ex-
pected them to arise He said tbat
he thought that. if they started from
New York at 6 o'clock in the evening,
they would see land the second morn
ing out.
What time do you expect to start?'
asked the writer.
I 1--WE now think that we shall start
about the 25th of August, at 8 o'clock
IN the evening. We chose that hour
for two reasons-frst, the gas at that
time will be rapidly condensing; and
the second reason is, that the laboring
people will then have left off work
and will be able to witness the ascen-
sion."
"How high do you expect to rise
first of all p
IF the surface current is blowing
eastward, there will not be the least ne
cessity to 90 above 200 or 800 feet
from the water But if the surface
current is not easterly, we shall rise
Up to the great, ever-fowing eastward
current, which is from 1000, to 1000
feet above If we riSo to 5000 feet.
we shall have to discharge about TWEEN
tyfve pounds Of ballast per hour up
TO O'Clock; after that the condensa-
tion of gas will be stopped, and We
shall have to discharge perhaps not
more than six pounds per hour.
What sort of observations do you
expect to make by the instruments 2"
"We shall probably divide the time
up by watches, according to the num-
Der of persons who make the ascension
Probably we will have three hour or
four-hour watches Whoever is on
duty during the watches of the ri ight
will have to make and record all the
observations. [ intend to keep a
book myself all the time, except when
Im asleep. Of course the most i'm
portant instrument is the barometer
This must be watched necessarily.
Then we must pay good deal of a.
tention to the thermometer. But, |
think, an observation every quarter
of an hour would be enough. The
same may be said of the other instru-
ments-the hygrometer, the wet and
dry bulb thermometers, the spectre
scope, and SO on
"At what rate do you expect to
travel?"
"About eighty miles an hour
"Where do you expect to be at sun
rise the first morning out. :"
Just over the coast cf New Found
land. We shall then be 1900 miles
from the nearest point in Europe. AS
soon as the sun rises, the gass will be-
gin to expand again, and we shall rise
very rapidly, and be saved from dis
charging ballast for some hours. BY
| II o'clock the second day we shall be
in mid-ocean, spinning along, very
! likely, at the rate of eighty miles an
hour"
"How about the discharge of ballast
after noon ~
1T will be greater than in the
morning. You would be surprised at
the change after noon in the upper air.
The air Immediately grows colder; SO
as this causes condensation we are
compelled to discharge more ballast y
''At o'clock on the evening Of the
second day, when you will have beer
out twenty-four hours, what will be
the total discharge of ballast 2"
II estimate 800 pounds But Prof.
Wise who likes to be on the safe side,
estimates 1000 pounds day."
Glow much ballast will you have
left? What is the total weight of bal
loon and all appurtenances ?"
"The balloon weighs 5000 pounds /;
netting 700 pounds car, ESQ pounds;
boat 100 pounds instruments and
drag rope, 1000 pounds; total $3.50
pounds. Four hundred thousand cubic
feet of gass, having carrying capacity
of 50 pounds per 1000, giving total
carrying force of Ia 1000 pounds. De.
duct $3.50 from this, and have bal
ance Of mere 5000 pounds for passen-
gers and ballast. All our provisions
will be SO much ballast. All the water
on board the balloon will be balIest.
directly we come in sight of land, we
can dispose of the boat as ballast. It
will be of no further use. :"
IF you go off on The 25th of Au-
gust, you won't have any moon"
"No; but we shall have plenty of
things to observe without her."
II shouldn't wonder if you saw some
fine meteoric displays. You know the
fall is the time when they mostly oc-
cur, It would be awkward though, if
one was TO hit the balloon and burst it. "
"Oh, no fear of that The chances
are to remote to cause the slightest ARK
iety. | hope We may see a fine dis
play. It will be something to relieve
/ the monoi ony."
'Tha.'s true. So you expect to sight
land on the second morning out ?"
Il do, most decidedly. Oh, what
time that will be How awful iollv
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