The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-09-10
THE GREAT BALLOON.
The " Daily GrAphic's" I'm erprise-
SiIe OF the Air-Ship-Tbe Car-fhe
Cargo-The Instruments-The Fnr-
nituro-The Life.Boat.

The great balloon of the Daily Graph
&c is completed, and if the weather is
propitious, it will "set sail" from the
Capitaline Grounds, Brooklyn, this
evening, about o'clock. The contract
between the managers Of the Graph's
and Professor Wise were entered into on
the 9th of June, and the preparations
for the great voyage have been rapidly
pushed forward to completion.
SIZE OF TUE BALLOON.
The balloon, as it will stand, with
the life boat just touching the EARTH
will be l60 ieet high, OF three times
the height OF an ordinary house. The
globe itself ia about the width OF Tour
house fronts. The vsrpish covering
on the white canvas gives it a dark
straw color, and the correct proportions
of the supporting ropes. the smymetrl-
cal car, and the graceful outlines OF the
suspended beat, will, at little distance.
com pei the dmiration OF every behold
er. 1t is able to lift from the ground,
including its own weight, l4,4OO pounds
and has q net carrying capacity Tor
passengers and ballast OF 5000 pounds.
It is coutem plated to put into the bal
loon 400, ,OOC cubic feet Of gas. 1t WILL
in fact, be alb le to contain 600 600 cubic
| feet at the su riace OF the earth, but IN
the rarefied atmosphere Of mile and q
half above tn earth the amount to be
taken will exp and to completely nil It.
The safety val We is OF Spanish cedar
and was constr ucted with great care by
Mr.. Weckerlln in the works OF Messrs
R, Hoe g. Co.. the great printing, press
builders. Itw eigLs fifty pounds, and
has a rubber G Dated clspper, closing on
braes plate.
TIE 3. ALLooN PROPER
ia nsds Of IN bleached sheetiug, OF q
thick, close qu, Ility, known as Indian
Orchard" For forty feet from the
valve, this aate rial is doubled, and still
third thickness was added, Of what il
;, ,own az "ldanchester Mills" bleached
, which $50 yards were required
g.yre are ia all 4,3I5 yards OF cloth
nod there ere 14,0S0 yards, or eigh
NJ lies, OF Sc wing, in which ID, l3I ,6OI
stitches were made.
THE EET WORK.
lis composed Of three-stranded tarre'
rope, known. as "marline." 1t ia tarre'
to prevent 70 becoming heavy by ab
sorbine m DISTURB. The circumferenc
Of the ne is 3lS meshes, and to
breaking 6 trength OF each strand is 20
pounds, which makes the combine
breaking strength of the net 81 .5o
pounds, or nearly 46 tons. At its low
er part it is attached to fifty / inc
Manila ropes, each fifty feet long
These ropes converge to what is calle
the concentrating ring, to which the ca
ropes are attached. The weight Of th
"marlIue" is 500 pounds, while $50
feet of Manila rope will be required
attach the netting to the ring.
{ THE CAR,
{ which hangs from the concentratn
ring, is fifteen feet high and Rine teeth
inches in diameter in the widest par
In shape it may be echnically DESERT
ed az double truncated cone, Wit
: two cones Joining at their bases, and tn
upper one being twice as long as th
lower. The sixteen ropes which forI
l it's frame work pass from the ring dow
over q hoop ten feet below the ring an
nine feet five inches iu diameter, thent
down four feet further to another boo
seven feet eight inches in diameter, az
, then unite. Upon each OF these hooE
ia layed a floor OF matched boards, an
= thus two OF the mptrtments OF Ia
' car are forme,l, which may be terme
1 the "cellsr" and the "rnain floor
Above these, and only two and one ha
2 feet below the concentrating ring, wa
I stretched a light floor. OF marine ne
r ting apd canvas which forms thu
. story, or outlook, for the voysgers, an
which also can be substituted for Il
entire car if becomes necessary to CT
that away to Tighten the balloon.
that case the voydgers would all elm
n nm TO this outlook, which is Elk feet
,e diameter and just about large enough
- hold four men. snd then cut the cs
y ropes lust below the floor OF their perc
J. and let it drop, thus relieving the 6s
es loon Of several hundred pounds OF fix'
al weight, and, perhaps, giving the ba
4 Ioo1ists another dsy in which to conti'
U ne their flight. From the edge OF Il
OF little floor just mentioned down to Il
I'd edge OF the main floor hang four Gu
Il; tsins of blue striped canvas, which W
e. completely enclose the car when 1t
he desirable TO do so, and in the centre
oy each o. these curtains is an Oval WI
ut dow, twelve inches across aud eighte
TX inches high, provided with its own
II tie curtain, which has tape strings
a- fssten il down when necessary. Arou
the base OF the.main compartment ru
a strip OF msrline netting three II
high. and on the floor Of thIs conpa
, ment is a trap door leading down to
lower com psrtment or cellar.
( TEE "cELLAR"
} is four feet high, seven feet eight lnct
in diameter at the bottom, nine feet f
Till inches ia diameter Al the top. !
III around i,s sides is stretched sstout m'
nd line netting and one thickness OF dut
~. an that the cellar is enclosed, raj
mi proof, aud dark. From the edge Of
FOR main floor, all around the car, haI
ct en- ornamental valance OF white can'
ith hound with red braid, so that with
nds blue striped canvas sides, the car
Ma display the tricolor OF lis country.
ltb addition to this its outfit includes
tn eags Of America and the Europe
ldy countries in which it is likely to alig
dsl THE INTERIOR CT The CAR
-! when the curtups are down resem Q
~. a neat circular room, nine feet
su' "a v;da and ten feet high, with