Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-07-24
"THE GRAPHIC" BALLOON.
Desert ptiOn Of the RlDMxler Air-Sh
NOW m Construction for Prof. wis
From tho Daily Graphic.

IL
NOW IN Construction for Prof. Wise
From tho Daily Graphic.
In answer to numerous inquiries Oh
the sub jcct, we give the following de-
tails us to the dimensions, material,
outfit, etc, of the balloon to be used
in the great Transatlantic voyage.
They arc from specifications made by
Mr.. Donaldson:
There will be two balloons, the larg-
est of which will he 318 feet in circum-
ference, 100 feet in diameter, and 10
feet in hight. When inflated and
ready to start, the extreme hight Of
the apparatus, from the crown of the
balloon to the keel of the ife-boat
will be 160 feet.
The great balloon will require 4, 31G
yards of cloth. The material is un-
bleached sheeting-of thick, close
quality, Of the brand known as "In-
dian Orchard" purchased from Ell.
bridge, Durham & Co., $40 Broadway.
The crown of the balloon will be
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
cd, of which $50 yards are required.
There will be IA, $50 yards, or eight
miles of sewing, in which 10, 1877, 600
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 strect), by force of twelve
seamstresses. 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 cedar, with a rubber-coatcd
clapper closing on u brass plate. The
valve fixtures and top of the balloon
are the essential parts of the appara-
tus, and are being constructed with
special care to guard against any acci-
dent of arrangement.
The network will be composed. of
three-stra tarred ropes, known as
:. marlin" The width of the net will
be 212 meshes, and it's breaking
strength will be IS, 1900 pounds. Five
hundred pounds of "marlin - will be
used. From the netting So ropes, +
inch in diameter, of MANILA, will con-
meet with the concentrating rings.
These ropes will each be ninety feet in
length, or 4,77O feet in the aggregate.
The concentrating rings will be three
IN number, to guard against breakage,
and will be each fourteen inches in
diameter, each ring being of wood,
iron-bound. These rings will sustain
the car, life-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 528 feet in
all, will depend, and form the
frames for an octagonal-shapea 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 a light pine floor will be laid loose,
so that it can be thrown ont 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 q
light iron windlass, from which the
boat and trail rope can be raised and
lowered as may be desired. From
pully attached to the concentrating
-.