Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-08-21
To Europe in 60 hours.

To Europe In 6O hours.
| 1t looks now as if we were to have
some practical and highly valuable re-
suits from ballooning. Aerial navaga-
tion is no new thing, but for long SER
les of years it has been chiefly in the
hands of empires and charlatans-used
to draw crowd at fairs and circuses
and too frequently employed to extort
money by acts of fool-hardy daring and
recklessness. The feats performed in
mid air by clowns and 1crack-brained
gymnasts resemble those of the circus
arena on the ''dying trapeze," or shoot
ing girl from catapult. aaa e3.1n
Aerial navigation deserves higher
respect from the public. 1t bids fair
shortly to be elevated into science, gov
erned by fixed and well-known laws.
Professor John Wise and W. II. Dom
aldson, Esq, are balloonists of great ex-
perienec and intrepidity. Moreover,
they have firm, settled faith, and are
confident in it, and they are willing to
risk their lives in a test. At an outfit
of ten thousand dollars the two purpose
to make pioneer voyage across the At
lsntie. Their enterprise is deseryedly
attracting Worldwide attention. We
believe their expectations of success are
founded on well established scientific
laws, and we have great faith in the
prosperity of their hardy venture. aI
A shrewd old maxim says Beware Of
Of the man of one idea.''l John Wise is
that man, and believing that he will as
tonish the whole world, and uproot old
notions. aH Ygi s1Ht
"There. is no success like success
Should the trio succeed in. crossing the
Atlantic in three or four days, as pur-
posed, they will at once be elevated from
the dubious position of reckless adven-
turers to that of heroes, daring pioneers
of science, whom the whole world will
delight to honor. The project is no
new thing with either of then1 For
many years Professor Wise especially,
has been battling for just such chance.
It is no visionary, hair-brained scheme
with him. He has carefully-in the
light of scientific laws and observation
wrought his theory, and is buoyant
and confident, now that he is on the very
eve of fairly testing it.
Prof. Wise claims that the route he
intends to pursue is Natures highway
laid out for man in the trade-wind cur
rents running from west and east, and
in our temperate zone from the north
west and the south west. The Smith
sonian Institute state that'the existence
of these currents is an established fact
of science, confirmed by every days ex-
perience." In case, h0wever,a mistake
has been made, and the balloon fails to
reach its destination, the adventurous
travellers will be provided with life
boat.
The balloon, Mr.. Wise writes, "will
be of globular form; and of capacity
sufficient to carry fifteen thousand
pounds, and of disposable ballast of ten
thousand pounds. 1t will be made up
on the best method derived from an ex-
periencee of thirty-five years of balloon
construction, and as nearly as possible
gas-tight. The details of supplement
balloons, Of car and gallery, life-boat,
&C., are eontrived and and provided for
in the very excellent arrangements of
Mr.. Donaldson. To his skill and judge
ment this whole matter is confided, and
nature has nobly adapted him to the
work. We shall have large wicker
work car, with strong canvas sides, and
roof to protect US from the weather. In
these will be glass windows. This car
will be two stories in heighs. We shall
live on the first floor, and in the lower
we shall store the provisions. Under
neat the cor will be an open gallery for
taking observations Of the sun. 1t will
be put so far below as practicable, so as
avoid as much as possible the shadow
from the balloon. Below the gallery
the life-boat will be suspended. This
will be OF metal, and decked over. In
the Transatlantic trip we shall take for
food cooked and canned meats and fruit
A large quantity of quicklime will be
taken for boiling eggs" H W
The project of having two supplement
tai balloons, has very lately been aban-
doned by the projectors. There will
now lie only one. The largest, or main
balloon will be 3ls feet around, 100 feet
through, and ITO feet high. To form
this immense structure requires 4,316
yards Of unbleached sheeting, and eight
miles of seeming with silk and cotton
threading. The valve will be three
feet in diameter, made of Spanish cedar
and with the valve fixtures will he of
three strand tarred "marlin" rope, with
breaking strength of $500 pounds.
535ss inch MANILA ropes, each so feet in
length, will connect with the concen-
trating rings, which will sustain the
car, life-boat, trailing rope, &C., .gt
The car will be covered with duck
and attached to its side will be light
iron windlass, from which the boat and
trail rope can be raised or lowered as
may be desired. From a pully attached
to the concentrating rings heavy Man
lila rope will fall down through the car
and thence to sling, attached to which
will be the life-boat. This boat will be
of the most approved and careful eon-
structicn. 1t will have water-tight
,Ntilek kilL linn4 aIeni1sit sar