The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-09-10

nrornin ant will be the ballast, which |
Consists of about two thousand pounds
of saad, contained in twenty-five bsgs
of stout sheeting, and about two hun
dred gallons OF water, contained in ten
gallon casks, each having the name oil
the air-sbip legibly painted on the SIDE.
This water ballast is likely to prove
especially valuable, as a small stream
may be set flowing at night, guaged to
compensate the loss of buoysut power
of the balloon. In the cellar will also
be thirty days store OF provisions for
the party. There are also guns, pistols,
and fishing tackle; tools, consisting oi
taws, axes, hatchets and knives; tar
paulin and lie preserving suits, and q
supply of extra rope in coils. Here,
also. will be stored the anchors, OF
which there are two, one being an or
dinary toat anchor, weighing 100
pounds, and the other being Mr.. Don
sldson's improved combination or chain
graphing.
THE "PARLoE PLooR,"
In the main compartments the most
prominent objects will be the windlass
and the instrument case. Each Of these
is suspended on the side OF the car IN q
rope framework. The wlndlass is
email affair, of hard wood, eighteen
inches long and four inches in diane
ter with a crank or handle eighteen
inches long. It will be used
| principally ior raising and lowering the
drag rope, which is oue thousand teet
long, and weighs about seven hundred
pounds. The instrument case ia Of
polished black walnut, two and one
half teetl long, eighteen inches highr and
twelve inches deep. 1t is lined through
ont the inside with blue velvet, and the
front lid is so arranged as to let down
and make a convenient writing desk.
TUE sCENTIFlC OUTFIT,
of the expedition is OF the most com-
plete kind, and includes the following
splendid instruments, some OF them
manufactured expressly for this expedl-
ton, which were furnished by the Sig
nal Service Bureau ot the United States
Army:
| One aueroid barometer compensated,
mo. IL, Signal Service, U. S. A.
Oue Edson,s hydrodeik, with wet and
dry bnlb thermometer, arranged with q
table OF relative humidity.
One thermometer.
One wet bulb thermometer; one drv
bulb thermometer, exceedingly sensl'
tive.
One barometer Of long range.
One electrosocope.
Two isobaric charts, ehowing the pre-
yailing surface currents Of air.
| From the United States Navy De
partment were also received severs
valuable charts comprising the Gov
ernment series of North and South At.
lantic charts from latest surveys; table,
for deducting position from the stars
&c.
In addition 10 these, there are TIVE
fine marine compasses, placed on op'
posite sides OF the car, so that II eIthe
or both be affected by the iron work o
the structure, the fact may be discover
ed and allowed for; marine and fell
glasses; quadrant for ascertslDIni
latitude and longitude by day or night
a long range mercurial barometer, Will
: Donsltson's electric alarm apparatus
. Geissler vacuum tube, Tor produclnI
= light without fame; q lime stove, TO
cooking without fire; number o
e small muslin parachutes, and a suppl
OF Holmes patent signal lights. The cleo
l trio alarm attachment to the mercuria
! barometer is an exceedingly ingeolou
l device 1t is intended to give an alarm
2 whenever the balloon approaches to-
2 near the earth, and consists OF two fin'
platinum wires attached respectively u
positive and negative poles OF a gslvau
l ic battery. One OF these wires run u
e through the mercury tube, but Is IN
i sulsted BY a coating OF gutta-percna u
as far in the tube as the point indicst
: ing an altitude OF three thousand feet
The other wire enters the bulb OF tn
: barometer, and only extends far enougI
q to have its end immersed in the mer
/ curry. When, therefore, the mercur.
e iu the tube rises to the point indicating
/ an altitude OF three thousand feet,
0 touches the exposed portion OF the fir
D mentioned wire, and thereby complete
\ an slectric circuit, conducted throug
o the two wires and the body Of the mer
curry, and this agitates the bell OF
d burglar alarm" attached to the ba
terry and gives the alarm. Then
THB lERoSAUT "oN wATCH,"
whether it be ir day or night time, wi
o know that tie balloon is getting TO
. low. He will thus be varied to thro'
D.. out a few pounds Of ballast, the balloo
u will 90 up sgain, and. the electric cur
i rent being interrupted, the little sentl
), mel will stop its noise. Attached
- the came battery is set OF toe GeissI'
n vacuum tubes, which consist Of larl
|. and clear glass cylinders, the ends
o which are attached 10 the opposite poll
d of the battery. Thus stream
,s electric sparks ia kept flowing throug
pt the tubes; and this affords light enoug
t. tor reading the instruments, and Il
,e writing at the little desk.
TIE LINE sToyE
consists OF q sheet-iron box about ~
es teet long each way, with tubes runnil
re through it like tubular boiler. II
II lime and water, by the union OF wbit
r the beat is generated, are put inside
K, the box, and the water to be boile!
J. put into the tubes, 60 that it is con
ne pletetly surrounded by the slscki
gs lime, and all the heat that is general
as is utilized.
e TIE LIFE-EoAIs.
III There are two OF these, metal
% life-boat, the model OF which is an il
be provement on the famous Red, Wh
IN and Blue, and a paper canoe. 7