Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-08-14
ERIAL NAVIGATION.

ERIAL NAVIGATION. |
Professor Wise at the Liberal
t Club. ga-L v>t ---H
Prof. Wise spoke to good audience
at the Liberal Club, New York, last
Friday night, upon "Aerial Naviga-
tion." His first remark was, ST do not
propose to deliver a lecture. ! do pro-
pose to say something about balloons"
His first idea of his present project
arose from his seeing that all objects
floating high in the air have tenden-
cy usually to 60 east. Ia 1885 he as
cended 5000 feet from Philadelphia,
and had confirmation of the idea VI
the eastward current. All are doubt
less astronomers enough to know that
the solar system moves from west to
east. We had few atmospheric philo-
sophers until Fpsy's time. If 1t were
not for the eastward motion of the air
there would be no calculating weather
probabili ties. knowledge Of q few
rules would enable any one to predict
the weather almost as accurately as the
Signal Service. Ballooning will not be
understood until it is Known that it is
just the opposite of gravitation-that
il, deviation, An instrument specifi-
cally lighter than the air plays the part
the bladder does in the fish. When q
fish wishes to sink he contracts his air
bladder, and pice rersa. Some fishes
even take on gravel ballast temporari-
ly. One hundred aud thirtytope tons
can be lifted by balloon 900 feet In di'
ameter. A balloon Of sheet-copper can
be made that would still have an i'm.
mense lifting.power and permanently
retain the gas. Metal balloons can be
aads ike telescope gas-holders. =.
Crossing the Atlantic Is not the most
important part of the proposed excur.,
sion. The demonstration Of the east
erly current and other aerial facts are
worthy objects, 1t is very important
to study the atmosphere; we live more
upon it than food and drink. Some
learned criticisms have been put forth
about the trip. The speaker was as
sure of being able to eFoss to Europe,
with a good balloon, as he is that he
can cross in a steamer. During August
and September the. same climate cpR=
ditions obtain in the latitude of New
York that obtain in the tropics, and
the balloon must therefore 60 very
high and exhaust much power. II
they sail low they viii go nearly north
He and Donaldson have said:i sIf we
can't 60 to Europe we will go to the
pole and hunt the Polaris." The first
Napoleon established a school of zero.
nautics aud made them ,serviceable In
war; but their great use must be ID
peace. Little is known, yet about elec
tricity,. ozone,., spread Of epidemic
Ballooning will help to unravel thess
mysteries: IF they do not get 4 ,O0(
miles to sea, or neVef come back, sci
eace will be somewhat aided BY tht
''-'~- 1t is eften asked wat are the the
trr. --~sgs. in geneFsl they
plans of the vy,,- =, o-Ii 'sad sad betweea
expect to go up and to ....lzaol5d ssse
st. Petersburg and Africa. II the ( /.
nal Service will help, they can go
across in sixty days ahead of a cyclone.
1t was that way he was carried from
st. Louis to New York. He crossed
the lakes in tornado that destroyed
sixteen vessels on those waters. In
that voyage, the day being hot, a phos-
phorescent light hung around the bal
loon at night, which enabled them to
read their instruments. Large ba,-
looms are much more agreeable than
small ones. Crossing Lake Ontario
they kept an average distance of 800
feet from the water. Men will yet ex-
ceed the birds In erial navigation. 1t
is singular that none of the passengers
he ever carried complained of dizziness.
This sort of travelling seems to come
1t is difficult when above the
clouds to know, from mere surround
ing appearances, whether you are
moving. Though going mile min
ute, you hang seemingly motionless
amid air and clouds. The Professor
told an amusing story In proof of this.
He sailed up from Allentown, Pa,
where band was playing national
air. Hearing the same tune as he
came down he supposed he was still
over Allentown. He had landed in
Berks County, forty miles away among
q picnic party whose band was playing
that same tune. When the Professor
began ballooning there was no gas
works in this country that would fill a
balloon that would carry up one man,
unless several days notice was given.
In his last ascension from Gettysburg
he rose three miles, and got into q
warm easterly current. The air was
80 warm that he took off his coat. This
had not happened to him before. He
attributed the warmth to fog. !
DIR. Kedzie, of the Michigan Agri-
cultural College, gives the following |
account of the injurious action of salt
on trees: "On the college grounds
there formerly grew a fine, vigorous
specimen of common sassafras appar-
emily in perfect health. A quantity of
strong brine was inadvertently thrown