New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-10
Ef. Wi>e.s Balloon Voyage .cross the
Atlantic.
EY JAMES rREEMAS C!AGKC.
From the Christian u.:cr !,

EY JAMES FREEMAN C!lHKc.
From The Christian U.ior
! Tie proposal of Mr. WISE to t1oss tfe Al
| sahtlc II balloon is locked npor by many
persons as a 1oolhardy undertaking. No
| GouHt It is dangerous; very dangerous. The
d, f-sk Is So great that it would be wrong TO
! venture II -here is not a tai: prospect of
! success. and II no good is 10 come from ac-
! comprising the journey. Euo neither of
| these suggestions is correct. Tie prospect
| OF success IS so great as % make !. worth
| wtlie 20 try the experiment: Ane: ii the
| experiment is successful. -ie advantages TO
&, follow :v are almost !nca.cu-abie. Mr..
/, Wise Is man of eXberieuce IN balloon
navigation. We may be su,e, then. that as
| Tar as safety can be secured ard dangers
prevented uy ample precautions. these
| VIII De taken. He knows perfectly what
! accidents may happen, and VIA. has
| caused disaster hitherto He knows the
| hitting power of gas required. tie amount of
| leakage. :he amount OF loss by The neces-
| stv OF ascending and descending, etc. We
may presume that his balloon IS amply able
! 70 sustain him and his companion and their
! freight during the 1uil time calculated as
| necessary 10 cross TIE Atlantic. ,llow wing
! %, ali probable delays. The only great
oanger which remains. therefore. concerns
! The possibility Of finding the ar current
SetrlIg tron! west 20 east. ii th:s is not
.ounG: Il the bacon :s 10 De driven nelp
.esslv 70 and tro. backward and forward.
then CT course. the sJ,S-ainlu. 1EVer must
be a. last exhausted. and the ae,ons1ts te
deposited N the sea. Bu. all tle laws OF
meteOroiegy. ana al! he otser-a lions of
meteoroIogis.s. indicate genera! upper
ct-rreDt Il tie northern hemisphere from
sruthves. 70 northeast. i IS implied: in
the trade winds. which: coming from the
poes, mus: return 20 them again. 1t is
indicated tv tie frequent no,:Least-
er.y storms. which. as IS well
known. move constantly from the
southeast to the northeast. These great
srorm-clouds are SO lofty that TIE !arges:
part Of them is rooted IN rfe uplel. current
ot air setting to the rosJL .ad east. Their
mass Is always carried in this current. no
matter wha. may be Tue direction OF tie
winds below-i'!s. as the fleets OF ,cehergs
from the Arct!c circle sail steadily to the
south. no matter how the winds nay blow
6: :he currents tend on th,. s;lr.aee of tie
ocean. The. icehergs are suuk 50 deep il
The sea that their chic: nulk is rooted IN tie
lower current setting always toward the
equator. SO the gce.,. s.orln-.lo.,.:s rise SO
nigh tnat their Chief hGik as ruo.eG .r the
uppe- .urren; OF air. setting always toward
the nortn AM. east. rs soon a- NJ. Wise
Inds hilnsel: IL this c:.rrent. lie VII. be car.
1-Su ~ II ~ LlIS sJds. ~ Dt'Isis jC Den
Lark. and n a few days be landed some
where N the Scandinavian regions.
Bu. here new difficulty arises. II The
heroic navigator remains near the surface
Q: tie ocean ne will not finG this great cur
,enI of ar and may he driven north. south
or west. and so never reacl: Europe. B,1o il
he ascends l4igh enough 10 reacl. the steady !
westerly tide OF air. how can lie tell his
course a: all, While near the se. the rapid:
--,u1 i,nIt c4,r
the waves below. and his COMPASS will tea !
hlln tiie direction OF lis movement as beng !!
tie reverse OF .Lese. Bat wien la IS SO |
high as not 20 be able 10 distinguish the |
:.oes cE t.ie water how car lie know which |
way ne is moving Yoa NAV say. by the |
clouds. But wi. the balloon no e .sster than |
the clouds Ii he Is IN the sane siI stratum |
with the clouds, probably not. !. il q dit |
!erent one. then their apparent lrotlcn will |!
result not merely from the direction o: the !
balloon. but also from their own proper |
motion in the different currents of air. !
This is a difficulty which We confess our |!
selves unable to resolve. Another DANCE. |
!rcm travelling IN the upper a,9-cnrrent may
snn.e from extreme :aIetaction o: the alr !
AMI extreme cold. Even til. s,c:ln-c!oud. !
of Il Summer day vii! sometimes ;,. 81 .u,ty :
as TO rise INTO tie region OF perpetual frost.
Every sUu.ll-"r haj. storm is Il proc. oi
:lis-.or the hes: explanation of ...l is.
that The upper suction O: ar il lofty clo.d !,
carries the crops OF rain u, SO high that
they are :Iozen, and thrown cl. of Tie ,op
Of the cloud. or either side. sss Iulnrs 0. ice.
Let Is hope. therefore. that our sst.yertur-
ous navigator may ilnG his westerly wind |
SO low down as to be able 20 ayo,; these
difficulties AID dangers. They. however
certainly incline ns to the opinion
that the form which air-na Vi cation is
to .ske vii! not he that OF d
balloon. out rather some imitation OF !
a bird. The Uuke OF Argyll. il his Reign
9! Law. mas very interesting chapter on
the tii-h. OF birds, in which he shows Lha,
birds, by being leavie; than the air have {. !
great advantage over a balloon. The bal
ioou IS helpless in tie current. bus the ,
weight Of tie bird opposes /. s5stance to
the AZ. which enables MIN - direct his
coarse. The Ena! air ship NAV therefore
McT. yearly resemble a GlVd. L. vii! pre- |
s-D. aas O: cunc2Ve surface toward the
east. ana a thin. cutting edge toward the
air. wh.t n il is !" penetrate. Some motive
power. as much greater than the iocomo-
tive as the locomotive with It's III oular toi
er IS mere powerful than the Old steam
engine. Will drive its wings. The wings
mast ha shaped ike those ot q bird. retain
Hg ;he all; ii front by 1ie." stlt. un.idstic
edge ami letting il OF: teh:uG by flexible !
iDH elastic formations.
Meantime. tie first gIea. step VIII be
taken AZ aerie.. navigation as e node Of
travel. when !. = demonstrated that OaI.
con can be safely directed across The
ocean. If Mr.. Wise comriishes tbs lie
viii achieve a rencwn only second 70 that
j: Columbus. For VIVA, are lie s.dvaii-
ages likely 70 result from Arctic researches !
around the pole. oi ~ Hpl0Iatons c. Ceatrai ;
fGica compared with the gam ia humanity
which viii result :rnn ar nav "a loI. .
These geographical Researches viii l.. H. ,
.iuded as a small part OF this result. When
We can guide balloons north ard south. !
asst and west. we can tiave. :. ;.n.. fro over |
Africa. and soon become familIa, with alI
Is deserts and water courses. The poles
nay be later in giving UP their secrets to |
he balloon. but they must at last reveal all |
heir NJ mysteryiO the man who. III twenty
our hours can sail directly over the north |
,ole from Greenland 10 kamschatka. But |
onsider the delight OF air travel. No mo-
ion, DO dust, no noise and verpetually | {
lnrolling panorama below of sea and land.
crest and city, mountain and river. No ,
anger OF explosion or of collis;on-no sea {
10 wrecks. The balloon will
ravel on the bosom of the most furious !
urr;cane, and not a breath Of air be felt ,
y the voyagers. The expense of travel |
ill be much less-tor balloon or a me- s
hanical bird will not cost as much as a 1
teamer: and for land travel we shall be ! c
aved all expense of land surveys, cost OF i
be land, grading and rails. Political and I
results Of importance may also &