The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-07-18
THE MONSTER AIR-SHIP.
Description or ofDimeussons, Materi'
aI, Etc.

oIs AtCs
In answer to numerous inquiries Of
the subject the New York Graphic
patron of the enterprise, gives the fol
lowing details as to the dimensions
material. outfit, &C., Of the balloon Il
be used in the great transatlantic voy
age. They are from specification
made by Mr.. Donaldson: There viii
be two balloons, the largest Of which
will be 3l8 feet in circumference, ion
feet in diameter and ITO in height
When inflated and ready to start tht
extreme height Of the apparatus, from
the crown OF the balloon to the keel o
the life boat, will be 160 feet.
The great balloon will require 4.3lt
yards Of cloth. The material is I'm.
bleached sheetlng, of a thick, CLOSE
quality, Of the brand known as "1ndisr
Orchard" purchased from Eldridge
Durham g. Co, $40 Broadway. The
crown OF the balloon will be doubled
for distance of so ieet from the top
with $50 yards Of the same material
and third thickness will be added oI
Manchester Mills" bleached, OF which
| $50 yards are required. IT,.
There will be IA ,0S2 yards, or eight
miles OF sewing, in which l0,l37.00C
stitches will be made. The stitching i:
row being performed at the show rooms
Of the Domestic Sewing Maching Com.
pany, (corner OF Broadway and Four
teenth street,) by a force of twelve
seamstresses. The thread used is elk
and cotton, the top spool being silk,
The valve OF the balloon will be three
feet in diameter, and made Of Spanish
cedar, with ::rubber-coated clappel
closing on brass plate. The valve
fixtures and top Of the balloon are the
essential parts ofthe apparatus, and are
being constructed with special care to
guard against any accident OF dcrange-
ment.
The network will be composed oi
three strand tarred rope, known as
"marlin." The width OF the net will
be 2l2 meshes, and its breaking strength
will be $500 pounds. Five hundred
pounds of marlin" will be used. From
the netting So ropes inches in dame
ter, OF Manila, will connect with the
concentrated rings. These ropes will
each be 90 feet in length, or 4, 40 feet
in the aggregate. The concentrated
rings will be three inches in diameter,
each ring being Of wood, iron bound.
These rings will sustain the car, life
boat and trailing rope, and will bear
the strain when the anchor is thrown
out in landing. From the concentrat-
ing rings twenty four Minalla one inch
ropes, each % feet long, or requiring
526 feet in all, will depend and form
the frames for an octagonal shaped
car. They will be kept in place by
light hoops made ofash.
The lower ropes will be connected
with network, and over the network at
the bottom of the car light pine floor
will be laid loosely, so that it can be
thrown out il required. The car will
be covered with duck, Of which fifty
yards will be needed. Attached 10 the
side OF the car will be alight iron wind.
lass, from which the boat and trail rope
can be raieed and lowered as may be
desired From apully attached to the
concentrating rings, heavy Manila
rope will fall down through the car,
and thence to a sling, attached to
which will be life boat. This boat
will be OF the most approved and care
ful construction. 1t will have water
tight compartments, sliding keel, and
will be so made that it will be self
righting. The boat will be provided
with a complete outfit OF oars and calls,
and to it will be lashcd instruments,
guns, etc, and provision forithirty dsys,
all in water tight cases.
The trail rope, by which the aronspt
can maintain any desired altitude with
out resorting to ballast, will be Of Ma
nilla rope II inches thick and 1000
feet long.
The car will be fully provided with
instruments, provisions, etc, indepen-
dent OF the boat. 1t will be 20 construct
ed as to be taken apart piecemeal and
disposed OF as ballast. 1t will carry
about 5000 pounds Of ballast, which
will consist OF bags Of sand, each care
fully weighed and marked. Among
the instruments to be carried in the car
there will be a galyanic battery, with
an alarm, two barometers, two chrono-
meter watches, a compoun, thermome'
ter, a wet and dry bulb thermometer, a
hygrometer, componer, quadrant, Chart,
parachutes with fire balls attached, aud
go arranged as 10 explode wi hen str;k z
the water, 30 as to indicate the direction
traversed, marine glasses, two yacuu@
tubes, lime stove, etc. A number OF
carrier pigeons will be taken along and
dispatched at intervals on the route
with intelligence Of the progress OF the
expedition.
The smaller balloon will be forty
feet in heigth and thirty-four in dame
ter, and will be made from 40S yards
OF "Manchester Mills" lis network
will consume twenty pounds OF forty
thread cotton cord and six pounds OF
Italian hemp. 1t will be attached to
the concentrating rings Of the large
balloon, and will be used as may be re-
quired to test the upper currents or
assist in feeding the large balloon.
{ The balloons will be coated with a
varnish made OF boiled linseed oil, bees-
wax and beDzine. and Of these ingredi-
ents 1000 gallons will be used. The
capacity OF the great balloon will be
coo, 900 cubic feet OF gas, but it will be
inflated with but 100000 cubic feet
which at the beigth Of one mile and
three quarters will expand sufficiently
to fll the balloon. The lifting power
of illuminating gas is about 50 pound:
to the 1000 feet, 80 thst the balloon
v;Il have q lifting capaoity of IL 500