, 1873-07-11
1.-THE GRAPHIC" BALLOON.
Description of tho nl0nAtcr Air-Shfp
Now Constructing for Prof. Wise.

Description of tao Monster Afr-shfp
Now Constructing for Prof. Wise.
From tho Nc,o l1ork Graphic.
In answer to numerous inquiries on the aub-
mcnsions, matorial, outtit, &c., Of tho balloon
to bc uBed i'll tho great Transatlantic voyage.
IAoy arc from specifications made by Mr..
Donaldson
Thoro win be two balloons, tho lnrgost Of
which will be 318 feet in circumference, loo fcot
in diameter, and ITO foet i'll height, When i1-
tlatod and ready to start, tho oxiromo height Of
tho apparatus. from tho crown Of tho balloon to
the keel Of tho Iife-bont, will bo 100 feet.
cot Set Se mataq saa1 w 5saehs ,sars senso Of
Indian Orchard" Tho G crown owl ~ Of tho it Balloon or
will bo doubled for distance OF Fifty feet from
tho top, with l50 yards Of tho san,e matorial aud
third thickness will DO added Of Manchester
Mills" bloaohod, Of which $50 yards arc re-
quircd.
There will bo 140s0 yards, or eight miles of
sewing III which TO- 137, 800 stitches will bo made.
The stitching IL now boing, performed At the
show-rooms Of tho Domestic Sowing Machine
Company, by a force Of twelve soa1nstressos.
;fle throad used is silk andcotton, tho top spool
being silk.
The valvo Of tho balloon will bo thrco feet in
diameter, aud mado Of Spanish coGar, with d
Tho valve fixtures md top Of the balloon aro
tho essential parts Of tho apparatus, and aro be-
ing constructed with special caro- to guard
against any accident Of dorangomont.
tarrcd rope, known as MARLIN" Tho width Of
tho net will DO 2l2 mes!los, and its breaking
strength will DO 1900 pounds. Five hundred
pounds Of ''marlin" will DO used. From the
netting 53 ropes. inch in diameter, Of Manilla,
Those ropes will each DO 90 feet IN length,
or Alto feet in tho aggregate. The con-
contrating rings will be threo in number, to
guard against bgoakago, aud will DO each four
teen inches in diameter, each ring being Of wood,
iron bound. These rings will sustain tho car,
life-boat. and trailing ropo, and will boar tho
strain when the anchor ia thrown out iii lauding.
From the concentrating rings twenty-four Ma
nlila ono-nch ropos, each 12 foot long, or roqur-
ing 525. feet in all, will depend and form tho
framos for m octagonal-shapod car. They will
be lopt in place by light hoops, n1ado Of ash.
Tho lower ropoB will bo connected with network,
aud oyor the network, at tho bottom Of tho car q
light pine floor will DO laid looseiy, 80 that it can
DO thrown out if required. The car lbo covered
with duck, Of which fifty yards will be needed At
tached to tho 6ido of tho car will be light IRON
WindlasH, from which the boat aud trail rope cal
be raised aud lowered as may DO desired. From
pulley attached to tho concentrating rings
heavy MANILA ropo will full down through tho
car, and thonce to sling, attached to which
will be tho life-boat. Tllia boat will bo of tho
most approved and careful construction It will
llaye wator-tight compartments, sliding keel,
and will bo 80 nado that it will DO solf-rghting.
The boat will bo provided with 0 complete outlt
Of oars and sails, and to 1t will bo lashcd nstru-
mentB, guns, lines. etc., and provisions for thirty
days, all in wator-tight caHos.
Tho trall ropo, by which tho aoronaut can main
tain any dosirod altitude without rosurtiug to
ballast, will DO Of Manilla ropo, u inch thick,
aud 1,000 feet long.
The car will be provided with Instruments,
provisions, &C., Independently Of the boat. It
will DO 80 constructed TINT it can bo taken apart
Win n1n1r1 H. ~ 1.-f1u-
carry about 5000 pounda of ballast, which will
consist OF bags of sand, oach carefully woighod
and married.. Among tho Instruments to bo car
rtod in tho cur there will DO gaivanio battery
with an alarm, two bnromotorB, two chronoMeter
watches, compound Thermometer. o wet and
dry bulb thermometer, hygronlotor, componor,
quadrant, chart, paraclutes with tiro-ballB at-
tacled, anil so arranged as to explode whom
stirling tho wator SO us to Indicate tho direction
traverHcd Mnrino glasses, two vacuum tuboB,
limo htoye, DC. a number OF cnrrier-piyoona
will bo taken along, and dispatched at intervals
on tho route with intelligence Of tho progroaa OF
tho expedition.
The smaller balloon will bo 40 foot in hoight
and " foot in diameter. aud will be nlado from
40S yards Of " Manchester Mills" Itu network
will corsAme 20 pounds OF i5 thread cotton cord
and pounuB Of 1talian lclnp. 1t will bo at-
tached to tho concentrating rings Of tho largo
balloon, and will bu uBad III ulay bn required to
tost tho upper curronts or assist IN fooding the
The balloons will bo coatol with yarnish
made Of boiled linscad oil, beoswa1, and bon
zinc, and OF those ingredients 1000 gallons will
bo used.
Tho eapaoity OF tho great balloon will 10
6oo, 600 cubic feot Of gas. hut it will be Inflated
with but 4000 600 onbu foot which, at the holyht
OF ono milo ind tllree-quartorH, will expand sl-
clant to I'LL the balloon. Tho lifting power OF
illuminating gas il about St lis to tho LOCO feot,
10 that tho balloon will hayo lifting capacity OF
II quo lbH, The preSbllro will DO l II lhp to tho
B4laro inch.
The weight may DO summed up aa follows:
Lba.
Balloon 000
Net aud FOEca. a0O
Car. ...,,..., 1O0
Observation-Disclosures. 1000
Drag rorc.. 600
Anchor Anl Brapnals. 500
bundros BOO
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