The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-22
The European Balloon.


A Mammoth AhAIr---Its Dimensions.
The great balloon OF Prois. Wise and
Donaldson for the European voyage Is,
with the liie.boat just touching the
earth, 100 feet high, or over three times
the height Of m ordinary house. The
! globe itself 10 about the width OF foui
house fronts. The varnish covering or
J the white canvas gives it q dark straw
color. II is able to lift from the ground,
including its own weight, 14,4Ot
pounds, and has net carrying capacity
for passengers and ballast Of 5000
pounds. The lifting powerof illuminA-
ting gas--that Is to say, the difference
between its own weight and that OF the
air-is thirty.si3 pounds for each one
hundred cubic feet. 1t will thus be seen
that 1t is contemplated to put into the
balloon 40O,O 900 cubic feet. It will, in
fact, be able to contain 600, cubic
feet at the surface OF the earth, but in
the rHreied atmosphere Of mile and a
half above the earth the amount to be
taken will expand to completely illl it.
Next in Importance, for this purpose, 10
the ballast slowed away in the car, will
be the safety.valSe. An accidental loss
OF large quantity OF ballast and a sud-
den rise OF the balloon would cause an
expansion OF gas that the small OPEN
ings constituting the mouth could by
no means furnish escape for. Should
this happen, the aeronauts, by pulling
the valve, may produce circular open
ing at the top Of the balloon, three feet
in diameter.
The balloon proper is made OF un-
blencled sheeting, OF q thick, close
quality, known MS "Indian Orchard. +"
For forty feet from the valve, this ma
terial is doubled, and still third thick
ness was added, Of what is known as
Manchester Mills bleached, OF which
$50 yards were required. There are in
all 1916 yards OF cloth, and there are
II, 0s0 yards, or eight miles, Of sewing,
in which 1O,13560O stitches were
made.
The network is composed Of three.
strand tarred rope, known rs "marline."
It is tRrrcd to prevent its becoming
heavy by absorbing moisture. The
circumference Of the net is 3lS meshes,
and the brcaking strength OF each strand
is 2SS pounds, which makes the COM
bined breaking strength Of the net
o., 5a pounds, or nearly 40 tons. At
its lower part it is attached TO fifty
finch Manila ropes, each fifty feet
long. These ropes will converge to
what is called the concentrating ring,
to which the car ropes will be attached.
The weight OF the marline" is 800
pounds, while 1900 feet Of Manila
rope will DO required to attach the net.
ting to the ring.
The car, which hangs from the con.
centrnting ring, is fifteen feet high md
nine feet i've inches in diameter at the
widest part The sixteen ropes which
form It's framework pass from the con-
centrating ring down over u distending
hoop ten feet below the ring and nine
feet five inches in diameter, thence
down four feet farther to another dis
tending hoop seven feet eight inches in
diameter, and then unite under this
last mentioned hoop. Upon each Of
these hoops is laid q floor Of matched
boards, and thus two Of the compart-
ments OF the car are formed, which may
be termed the "cellar and the " main
floor" Above these, and only two and
one. half feet below the concentrating
ring, was stretched a light floor Of mar
line netting and canvas which forms
third story,or outlook, for the yoyagers,
and which can also be substituted for
the entire chr II it become necessary to
cut that away TO tighten the balloon.
In that case the voyagers would oil
climb up to this outlook, which is six
feet in diameter and Just about large
enough to hold four men, and then cut
tho car ropes Just below tho floor OF
their perch and let it drop, thus reliev.
ing the balloon OF several hundred
pounds Of fixed weight, and, perhaps,
giving the balloonists another day in
which to continue their flight.
From the edge of the little floor Just
mentioned down to the edge OF the
main floor hang four curtains Of blue
striped canvas, which will completely
enclose the car when it is desirable to
do so, and in the centre OF each OF these
curtains is M oval window, twelve
inches across and eighteen inches high,
provided with its own little curtain,
which has tape strings to fasten it down
J when necessary. Around the base Of
, the main compartment runs strip Of
J MARINE netting three feet high, and in
the floor Of this compartment is trap
| door leading down to the lower com.
I partment or cellar.
/ The "cellar" is four feet high, seven
t feet eight inches in diameter at the bot.
tom, and nine feet five inches in diane
ter at the top. All around its sides is
/ stretched stout mRrline netting and
| one thickness Of duck, so that tho eel
I lar is enclosed, rain.proof, and dark
| From the edge OF the main floor, al
Q around the car, hangs IN ornamental
Z valance OF white canvas bound witt
J. red braid, so That, with its blue-stripet
z canvas sides, the car will display tn
!. true tricolor Of its country. In add
t ton to this its outfit includes the flag
o Of America and the European countrie
1 in which it Is likely to alight. Thes
/. are each four feet long and two feet TEL
!, inches wide they aremounted on staff
i twelve feet long, and will project iron
the upper periphery Of the car when /
i starts. They include the merchant flag
0 OF the United States, England, France
r Germany, Spain, and Sweden.