Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-08-21


compartments, sliding keel, and will be
so made that it will be self-righting.
The boat will be provided with COM
plete outfit of oars and sails, and to it
will be lashed instruments, guns, lines,
&C., and provisions for ttirty-days, all
in water-nght cases. The trail rope, by
which the aeronaut can MAINTAIN any de-
sire altitude without resortiDg to ballast
will be of Manila rope, IL inch thick,
and 1000 feet long. F9.1 70
The car will be fully provided with
instruments, provisions, &c., inpendent
of the boat. 1t will be so constructed
that it can be taken apart piecemeal and
disposed of as a ballast. 1t will carry
about six thousand pounds of ballast,
which will consist OF bags of sand, each
carefully weighed and marked. Among
the instruments to be carried in the car
there will be galvanic battery, with an
alarm, two, barometers, two chronome-
ter watches, compound thermometer, a
wet and dry bulb thermometer, a hy-
grometer, compass, quadrant, ,chart,para-
chutes with fireballs attached and so ar
ranged as to explode when striking the
water, 30 as to indicate the direction
traversed marine glasses: two vacuum
tubes, limestone, &c. A number of
carrier pigeons will be taken along, and
despatched at intervals on the route,
with an intelligence of the progress of
the expedition. -i93H 9fs
The smaller balloon viii be 40 feet in
height and "a feet in diameter, and will
be attached to the concentrating rings
of the large balloon, and required to
to test the upper currents or assist in
feeding the large balloon viii be used by
Mr.. Donaldson for the inspection of the
large float around its sides and top dnr-
ing the progress Of the voyage. The
balloon viii be coated with varnish
made of boiled linseed oil, beeswax, and
benzine, and of these ingredients 1000
gallons will be used.
The capacity of the great balloon will
be 100000 cubic feet, but it will be in
fiated 800, 900, cubic feet, which at the
height of one mile and three-quarters,
will expand sufficiently to fill the bal
loon. The lifting power of illumina-
ting gas is about 35 pounds to the 1000
feet, SO that the balloon will have a lift
ing capacity of 14,ooO pounds. The
pressure will be Ia pounds to the
square foot. The total weight Of the
whole will be 100 pounds. 2aelt-t 81
nItis the attention of the voyagers to:
make important observations during the
trip. To this end the Smithsonian In
stitue has furnished them with allneed-
full instruments. Wise says: "From
former experience on the lakes, judge !
that can tell the direction i'm which |
the balloon is travelling by the foam on
the water. | can always see the water
except at such times as clouds enter
vene. I can find out the direction of |
the currents below me, without coming
down to see them by suspending light |
line two miles in length from the bal
loon, having on it, at regular distances,
indices which will register the direction !
of the wind. Should the balloon en-
counter the sbrave west winds ON the |
ocean, with the aid of drag line we |
could go right along without the loss of |
gas or ballast. The ballast, or drag |
rope, about one thousand feet in length |
relieves the balloon of weight exactly to |
the extent of the ropes emersion in the |
water. 1t does not materially retard its |
progress, and gives up the exact direc-
ton in which the balloon is travelling |
Should we desire to come down nearer
the water, we have only to wind up this |
rope. should also state that if no 9TH !
er means offered for ascertaining our
direction, We shall have along with |
us percussion fire e-pots, which will ignite
when thrown on the sea, showing their |
smoke in daylight and their light by
night. They win be, literally, our
''pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of
fire by night" We calculate we can
cross from New York to the British is
land, under fair conditions, in about
seventy hours" -.sr
Donaldson seems quite as confident as
Wise. In letter he says: 81 am de-
termined to fight wind and waves ifnec-
essary to get the balloon across. 1t is
understood between Professor Wise and
myself that am to be the last to leave
the air-ship, in case the balloon should
fail to carry the four of US. The three
men, Wise among them, will take to the
life-boat, while / shall take charge of the
balloon and "go it alone" l shall then
be compelled to strip the monster of sew |
er hundred pounds of netting,cut away
the lower portion of the balloon, and
with just sufficient amount of provisions
| will erect a temporary seat fastened
to the seems of the gas chamber, and
make an effort to land on the other
side.
"This trip cannot be a failure. Ifitis
the matter will die out, and it may be
a hundred years before we hear of it
again. The matter is possible;it can be
accomplished, and thereby bringing
with it thousand of blessings in the
shape of facilities for trade and ship
ment Of mails, but if we fail the great
consummation will be postponed longer
than the world can we'll afford to wait"
1t Is asserted that all will be in rsdi-