Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-07-24
"TNE GRAPHIC" BALLOON.
Desert ptf"M Of the Monster Air-Shi
now ia Construction for Prof. Wis
I,

"TIIE GRAPHIC" BALLOON.
Description Of the Monster Air->hip
now ~ Construction for Prof. w Use.
From the Daily Graphic.
In answer to numerous inquiries on
the subject, we give the following de-
tails as to the dimensions, material,
outfit, etc Of tho balloon to be used
in the great Trans Atlantic voyage.
They arc from specifications made by
Mr.. Donaldson:
There will be two balloons, the larg-
est of which will he 31S feet in circnm.
ference, 100 feet in diameter, and 11O
feet in Light. When inflated and
ready to start, the extreme hight oil
the apparatus, from the crown of the
; balloon to the keel Of the lifc-boat
will be 1GO feet.
The great balloon will require 4,31G
yards Of cloth. The material is un-
bleached ,sheeting-of q thick, close
quality, of the brand known as "Iu-
dian .Orchard," purchased from Ell.
bridge, Durham & Co., $40 Broadway.
The crown Of the balloon will he
double for distance of fifty feet from
tie top, with $50 yards of the same
material, and third thickness will he
added Of Manchester Mills" bleach
ed, of which $50 yards arc required.
There will be II, $50 yards. or eight
miles of sewing, in which 10, 49,, 900
stitches will be made. The stitching
Is now being performed at the show
rooms Of the Domestic Sewing Machine
Company Corner Broadway and Four
teenth street), by !. force Of twelve
scamstresscs. The thread used is silk
and cotton, the top spool being silk.
The valve of the balloon will be
three feet in diameter, and made of
Spanish cetlur, with Il rnbbcr-coatcd
clapper closing Oh IL brass plate. The
valve fixtures and top of the balloon
arc tho essential parts of the appara-
t,ls, anu are being constructed with
special care to guard against any ACCT
dent of arrangement.
The network will he composed. of
three. strand tarrcd ropes, known as
marlin" The width of the net will
he PIP mcshes, and its breaking
strength will be IS, 800 pounds. Five
hundred pounds of "marlin" will be
used. From the netting So ropes, :
inch in diameter, of MANILA, will con.
meet with tho concentrating rings.
These ropes will each be ninety feet in
length, or 4, 40 feet in the aggregate.
The concentrating rings will he three
Ill number, to guard against breakage,
and will be each fourteen inches in
diameter, each ring being of wood,
lron-bound. These rings will sustain
the car, lifc-boat, and trailing rope,
and will bear the strain when the
anchor is thrown out in landing. From
the concentrating rings twenty-four
MANILA one-inch ropes. each % feet
long, or requiring 52S feet in
I'LL, will depend, and form the
frames for all octagonal-shaped car.
They will be kept in place by light
hoops made Of ash. The lower ropes
will be connected with network, and
over the network at the bottom of the
car light pine floor will be laid loose.
so that it can be thrown out if required.
The car will be covered with duck. of
which fifty yards will be needed. At
tached to the side OF the car will be
light iron windlass, from which the
boat and trail rope can be raised and
lowered us may be desired. From
pully attached to the concentrating
rings a heavy manila rope will fall
down through car and thence to
sling, attached to which will be the
life boat. This boat will he of the
most approved and careful construc
ton. 1t will have water-tight COM
portments, sliding keel, and will be 50
made that it will be self-rigllting. The
boat will he provided with a complete
outfit of oars and sails, and to it will
he lashed Instruments, guns, lines. ETC..
and provisions for thirty days, all in
water-tight cases.
The trial rope, 10y which the aeronaut
can maintain any desired altitude
without rcsorting to ballast, will he of
MANILA rope, II inch thick and 1000
feet long.
The car will be fully provided with
Instruments, provisions, etc., indie
pcndently of the boat. It will be 80
constructed that it can be taken apart
piece meal and disposed of as ballast.
1t will carry about s, 900 pounds of bal.
last, which will consist of bags of sand,
each carefully weighed and marked.
Among the instruments to be carried
III the car there will be Il gaivanic bat
terry, with an alarm, two barometers.
two cEronometer watches, Il compound
thermometer, wet and dry bulb
thermometers, a hygrometcr, componer,
Quadrant, chart, parachutes with fire
balls attached, and SO arranged as to
explode when striking the water, SO as
to indicate the direction traversed:
marine glasses, two vacuum tubes, a
lime stove, etc. A number of carrier
pigeons will be taken along, and dis
patched at intervals on the route, with
intelligence of the progress of the ex-
petition.
The smaller balloon will be 40 feet
in height and "a feet in diameter. and
will be made from 408 yards of ''Man-
chester Mills" Its network will con-
sumo twenty pounds of 40 thread COT
ton cord and six pounds of italian
hemp. It will be attached to the con-
centrating wings Of tho large balloon,
and will be used rs may be required to
test the upper currents or assist in
feeding the large balloon.
The balloons will be coated with Il
varnisll made Of boiled linsccd oil,
beesw;lx and benzine, and of these in
gradients 1000 gallons will he used.
The capacity Of the great balloon
will be GOO, 600 cubic feet If gas, but it
will be inflated with hut 400, 900 cubic
feet, which, ut the height Of one. mile
and three quarters, will expand suffi-
cieiitly to fill the balloon. The lifting
power OF Illuminating gas is about IS
pounds to the 1000 feet, so that the
balloon will have a lifting capacity of
l GOO Dpnn,ls Tho nrrssnr.. will },,,