Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-07-16
THE "GRAPHIC" BALLOON.
Description of the Monster AiT-ShiI
now Constructing for Professor
WIaa

Description of the Monster Air-ship
now Contracting for Professor
Wise.
In answer to numerous Inquiries on
the subject, the New York Graphic gives
the following details as TO the dimen-
sions, material, outfit, etc., of the balloon
to be used in the great transatlantic
voyage They are from specifications
made by Mr.. Donaldson:
There will be two balloons, the largest
Of which will be 3l8 feet in circumler-
ence, 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 life-boat, will be l60 feet. The
great balloon will require 1916 yards of
cloth. The material is unbleached sheet
ing, of a thick, close quality, of the brand
known as Indian Orchard" purchased
from Eldridge, Durham & Co., $40 Broad
way. The crown of the balloon will be
doubled for distance of so feet from the
top, with $50 yards of the same material,
and a third thickness will be added OF
Manchester Mills bleached, of which
250 yards are required.
There will be l4,0SO yards, or eight
miles of sewing, in which l0,l31600
stitches will be made The stitching is
now being performed at the show rooms
of the Domestic Sewing Machine Com
pany corner of Broadway and Four
teenth street, by force Of twelve seam
stresses. 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 rubber-coated clapper closing on
brass plate. The valve fixtures and
top Of the balloon are the essential
parts Of the apparatus, and are being
constructed with special care to guard
against accident or arrangement.
The network will be composed Of
three strand tarred rope, known as
marlin" The width Of the net will
be 2l2 meshes, and its breaking strength
will be 5S, 300 pounds. Five hundred
pounds of. marlin will be used
From the netting fiity-three ropes, five
eighths of an inch in diameter of Ma
nilla, will connect with the concentrat-
ing rings. These ropes will each be
ninety feet in length, or 417O feet in the
aggregate. The concentrating rings will
be three in number, to guard against
sreakage, and will be each fourteen
inches in diameter, each ring being OF
wood, iron-bound. These rings will sus
tain the car, ,lifeboat and trailing rope, aud
will bear the strain when the anchor is
thrown out in landing. From the con
centrating rings twenty-four Manila one
inch ropes, each twenty-five feet long, OF
recurring 52S feet in all, will depend and
form the frames for an octagonal-shaped
ear. 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 viii be laid loosely
80 that il can be thrown nut Il 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 a
light iron windlass, from which the boat
aud tail rope can be raised and lowered
As may be desired. From pully at
tached to the concentrated rings a heavy
Manila rope will fall down through the
car. and thence ts sling, attached to
which will be the iife-boat. This boat
will be Of the most approved and careful
construction; il Vil have Water-tight
commandments, sliding keel. and will be
"a made that il will be selfrightIng.
The boat viii be provided with com
DIefe outfit Of oars aud sails, and % q
wiIl be lashed instruments, guns, etc.
aud previsions for thirty days, all in
wster-ight cases. The trial rope, BY
49, he aeronaut can maintain any
5erirei altitude without resortiug 20
bsUsst will be Of Manila rope, one and
a quarter inches thick and 1000 feei
long.
Tbs car viii be fully providedEith IN