Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-07-19
THE GRAPHIC BALLOON.
Description Of the Monster Air-ship Now
Constructing for Professor Wise.


In answer to numerous inquiries on tue
subject, we give the following details, a.
10 the dimensions, material, outfit, Nc.
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 3iS feet In circumference,
100 feet in diameter, and 40 feet In
height. When inflated and ready to
start, the extreme height Of the appa-
ratus, from the crown OF the balloon to
the keel of the life-boat, will he 100 feet
The gieat balloon will require 4,316
yards of cloth. The material ia I'M
bleached shceting--of thick, close
quality, of the brand known as "Iudian
Orchard" purchased from Elhridge,
Durham IL Co., $40 Broadway. The
crown of the balloon will be doubled
for distance Of il'ty feet from the top,
with 1l0 yards of the same material,
and third thickness will he added of
Manchester Mills" hleached, Of which
$50 yards are required
There will be a., $50 yards, or eight
milts Of sewing, In which 10, ,l31 ,GO5
stitches will be made. The stitching is
now being performed at the shOw-tOOms
Of the Domestic Sewing Machine Com
pauy (cOrner Broadway and FOuFteonth
street, by force of twelve seamsircs-es.
The thread used is silk and cotton, the
top spool hcipg silk.
The valve Of the balloon will he three
feet in diameter, and made Of Spanish
cedar. with ruhb rcOateh clapper
closing on brass pn'c. Ths valve tx
tures aud top of the balloon are the essen
tial parts Oi the apparatus, and are being
constructed with special caro TO guard
against any accident of arrangement.
The network will be composed Of three
strar1 tarled rope, known as marlin.'
The width Of the net will be 2l2 mcshes,
and its breaking strength will be iS. 800
pounds. Five hundred pounds OF mar
i'm " will be used. From the netting So
ropes, q. inch in diameter, Of Manila,
will connect with the concentrating rings.
/ These ropes will each be 80 feet in length,
or 4,7T0 irtt in the aggrcg ate. The con
centratiug rings will he three in number,
to guard. against hreakaRe, aud will bs
each fourteen inches in diameter, each
ring being Of wood iron bound. These
rings will sustain the car, life holt, and
trailing rope, and will bear the strain
when tho anchor is thrown ont In landing.
From the concentrating rings twenty
four Manila l-inch ropes, each ~ feet
long, or requiring 52S feet in all, will dc.
pend and form the frames for an octag-
Onal-shaped car. They will be kept IN
place by light hoops, made OF ash. Thf
lower ropes will be connected with net
work, and over the network at the bottom
of the car light pine fl DOR will be laid
loosely, 50 that II can be thrown out il
required. The car will be covered with
duck, Of which fifty yards will he needed
Attached to the side of the car will he d
light iron windlass, from which the boat
and trail rope can be raised and lowered
as may oe desiied. From n pulley at
tached to the concentrating rlngs heavy
Manila rop1 will fall down through tho
car, and thence to sling, attached tc
which will be the life boat. This boat
will be Of the most approved and careful
construction. IL will have water tigh
Compartments, sliding keel, and will bi
so made that il will be self righting. Tn,
boat will be provided with a eomplet,
outfit Of oars nnd sails, and TO it will be
lashed instruments, guns, lines, &c, ant
provisions for thirty days, all in water
tight cases.
The t,ial rope, by which the nronau
.
out resortng to ballast, will be of Mauillf
rope, " inch thick, and 1000 feet long
The car will be fully provided with in
struments, provisions, &c mdeQendentl!
of the boat. 1t will be so constructed
that It can be taken apart plecemeal an
disposed of as ballast. 1t will carr,
about 5000 pounds of ballast, which vii
consist Of bags Of sand, each carefull
! weighed and marked. Among the instru
, menis to be carried In the car there wi
be galvanic battery, with an alarm
I . baromctcrs, chrouOnetcr watcher
compound thermometer, a wet and dr
I hu.b Thermometer, a hygrumetrr, con
rOnsr, quadrant, chart, paiachulrs Wit
q e. hrl tn he'd, ana 80 arranged as
i,NilOdr Yhvn STRIKING thc waller, 20 9,
TO indicate the direction iruvciscd mt
: rue glasses, two vacuum tubes, liza
. steve, ,Sc. A number of carrier-pigeou
will he taken along, and dispatched q
O. intervals on the route with ntelllgenc
. of the progress of the expedition.
s The smaller balloon will be 30 feet
height and "a feet in diamctrr, aud vi
lie madc irnm 4OS yards of " Mauchcs,,
Mills" Its network will consume
r pounds of 10 thread cotton cord and
4 hounds Of Italian hemp. II will he u
4 tached to the concentrating wings Of Il
e large balloon, and will be used as may !
0 required to test the upper currents
70 assist in feeding the large balloon.
d. Tue balloons will be coated with
4 vamish made Of boiled linsecd oil, bee
is wax aud bcnginc, aud Of these iugred
g ents 900 gallons will hr used.
Il The capacity Of the great balloon W
e he 6OO,OO6 cubic feet of gas, but it will
4 inflated with but 100000 cubic fec
4 when. at the height Of one mile al
Il three quarters, will expand sufficiently
.f hll the balloon. The lifting power
. illuminating gas is about 81 pounds
d the l,Ou0 feet, 20 that the balloon "
Ic have lifting capacity OF 1900 pound
h The pressure will be- ~ pounds to d
IA square inch.
It The weight may be summed up ms #
y lows.