The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-06-26
VOL. XVIII---NO. &c.
For Tile -Kgis d mtelligencer.
BALLOONS.

1t seems probable that long journeys, un-
less by chance accomplished in few hours,
can never be made in balloons, and for
several reasons.
The balloon is never but partially filed
with gas; nothing is gained by filling it
to Its utmost capacity at the surface of the
earth; II so filled, on rising into stratum
OF air OF greatly diminished density the i'm
prisoned gas if not suffered to escape at
the valve provided for that purpose, would
by Its expansion tear asunder any materi-
al not too heavy for the construction of a
balloon; unless indeed, as is often the case,
the material is so lily prepared, that the ex-
panding gas readily escapes through its
fabric, and thus, while it relieves oil danger,
necessitates speedy descent. A balloon
half filled at the surface of the earth, will
be distended to its full capacity at an al
titude OF 81 miles. The first hydrogen
balloon that mortal eyes probably ever saw
ascend, left the Champ de Mars, Paris, in
the afternoon of August 26th, 1888. This
balloon was probably not provided with
any valve, and fully distended at the surface
OF the earth. The account says that to the
great delight and surprise of the specta-
tors it shot up 5000 feet in the first two
iiiAutSo VI ITO uSCCuts anu dllGTWdTuS De-
came partially obscured in the clouds that
began to pour down violent tempest Of
rain; but this did not deter the fashionable
and gaily attired ladies from gazing in
tently after it as long as it was visible
After three-quarters of an hour it de-
scended to the earth at point about Is
miles distant from the city, and was found
to have burst asunder along the top.
The hn1lnpnict olyoo Il 4
day he suddenly shoots up to great alti-
tude, and finding his balloon dangerously
inflated, he suffers a quantity of gas to es-
cape The night comes on, the sun sets, and
the temperature sinks so low that by the
contraction of the gas he finds he is de-
scending to dangerous proximity to the
earth lie must now throw out quantity
OF ballast, and lie thus regains a safe alti-
tude, but the gradual loss and deterioration
of the gas and the constantly failing tenn
perature may necessitate a similar loss of
ballast several times during the night
Now at considerable altitude the
morning sun strikes him much reduced in
ballast. The increasing temperature i'm
mediately sends him up to an unpleasant
height. Some more gas must now be lost.
and the next night, gas and ballast both
ly not into the sea.
In region Of continuous day or night,
as within the polar circles the circumstan-
ces as regards this difficulty would be
more favorable, but the sudden changes of
temperature such as are often experienced
with q change in the direction of the wind,
would offer the same conditions and the
same difficulties.
Apnfho, nhotoo1a 10
buoyancy is the fact that even in q tolerably
close vessel of solid material, hydrogen gas
cannot be retained pure for any length of
time. The writer of this article expert.
menting with hydrogen, found that in less
than "a hours a glass receiver in which
there was slight crack had suffered such
admiXture with the air as to make the n.y.
drogen within it explosive; and ii is now
we'll understood that kind of reciprocal
interchange known as osmose will take
place between liquids and gases of differ
ent densities, even through the closest men,
brane, so that bladder filled with hydro
gen and closely tied will be found after u
short time to have lost good portion of
the hydrogen, while the place of the escaped
gas is partly taken up by the air. Hence
the hydrogen within balloon must suffer
luplu VClClloldblOu, NhlCu
would so diminish its buoyancy as to make
the continued support of the balloon for
any considerable length of time impossible.
In 1866, Cavendish demonstrated the
buoyancy of hydrogen. On the 1st of Jan
uary, 1882 men first assembled from the
earth through its agency. 1t would seem
that no discovery or invention ever made
was more probable to attract and excite
flnraht Nd alyo, IS
man, and yet almost century has passed
and the balloon has contributed nothing
either to science or to progress. An alti-
mountains has been attained, the maxi
mum height seven miles; barometer and
thermometer observed, and specimens of
air obtained and analysed, but the sum-
mits Of high mountains offer the same con-
ditions. 1t has been used in several in
stances for military reconnaissance and in
the late seige OF Paris as a doubtful means
of escape, sometimes as from the frying
pan into the fire.
In 1868, only three years earlier, Watt
commenced his experiments on the steam
engine, before mere pump worker, steam
and air combined, and which, perhaps be-
| fore that date had never turned wheel.
compare now, The race WHICH the TWO
agents have run.
Hydrogen and steam Must we not
conclude that Hydrogen is q lazy jade,
however brilliant and astonishing in her
starts, and that there is not much to be
got out of her, at least in the way OF traveli
Her main employment seems to be to hang
about the corners Of the streets, to creep
obscurely into shops and parlors, forever
slandering and abusing the gas companies.
G. G. G.