The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-24
Navigating the Air.

|
BALLOON sMAcfarNsRY FOR PROPULSION IAN
sTE-RIEG WHAT THE INVENTOR EXPECTS tt
ACC MPLfsH.
w. +. Schroeder, whose novel Invention
in the shape OF an ar'ship. asserted TO be en-
tirely under The control Of It's engineer, ha
been mentioned in The Tribune recently
vas IN this city yesterday exhibiting hi
model and drawings and consulting with
engineers. The machine is in the form oil
life.hoat, supported by a balloon. and pro-
PEELED and steered in the desired direction by
apparatus like that in use in marine vessels
The boat Is G5 feet in length 10y about 10
feet in breadth of beam. Its ribs are o,
threc.quarier inch wire. and each is capable
Of bearing strain of $500 pounds. Over
the wire framework attached TO the ribs is
stretched canvas boiled in oil, so as TO be
imperpious to both water and air. In each
end of the boat is steel rod or mast, %
feet high, which Is securely braccd by stays
from every part of the vessel. Each mast
terminates above IN strong cap Of wire
framework, which encircles at either end
the point of the egg shaped balloon,
which is thus always carried along
with the vessel, never dragging behind
or swayiog from its position, no mat
! ter how high the rate of speed may be.
Around the middle of the balloon passes u
| strong glrdle, attached to the balloon at
points only two feet apart. From this de-
scend the numerous carrying-ropes which
support the car. The strength Of the balloon
is insured by an aggregate OF eight and three
| quarter miles OF netting, capane OF bea1irg
u strain of $4,000 pounds. With this ar
rangcment. ii the balloon should burst
which, it is claimed. is beyond the limit of
probability-tne firm girdle, secured at the
ends to the mastheads, would only allow the
bottom Of the ballon to float up, forming an
| immense parachute, the bucyancy OF which
would cause slow descent In spiral direc-
| ton.
The great obstacle to success in aerial loco
motion heretofore has been the rotatory ten
dency of the balloon, which, so long as only
one motor was employed, was an insupcra-
bic difficulty. The aC' ouaut could not steer
against this rotation. But it occurred TO Mr..
ecnroeder that if propulsion could he effected
both before and behind, by one power push
ing and another pulling, The rotation would
be got rid of. and then guidance would be u
comparatively easy matter. TO accomplish
this ne has put al each end OF the boat
propeller Of two blades. So ,hlt by placing
them horizontally he can settle his boat
! fiat upon the ground. each blade con
| struCleu of wire aud canvas. and ID feet
! long BY 43 feet hropd. These propellcrs, when
working together, ACT the one TO pull and
| the other TO push the ship forward. They
will he able to make over 1900 revolutions
per minute. At each end Of the ship is
! large rudder, and these when worked TO-
| geher stand ut angles opposite TO each other.
30 that they &C! at both ends, turning the
stern one way and the bow the other. A.
this machinery is disconnected, the prorel-
| lerS cln bolh work in one direction, or IN
| opposite directions, and as they are revrrS.-
tile, Roadway can be made equally well in
either direction. But this is not all.
On each side of the boat is fastened
| by hinges Il wing, So feet long by
II feet wide in front and 10 feet wide behind,
which Is concave on the inner surface. Ii Is
set at IN angle declining slightly toward the
front, and flaps up and down at the rate
under full spcen- Of 1G0 or ITO strokes
minute. 1t wdaaS on tue pruciple OF the
birds wing, ca chirS the air in the hollow
| beneath in the downward stroke; the up
| ward prt ssure tends to lift the machine, bur
n, the wing is slightly inclined forward, the
| resultant of this pressure upon the angle OIL
inclination is O tendency to push forward,
winch is no little help 10 the prOpelers. This
apparatus, By being carefully regulated so as
% create u balance between the force OF the
| wind and its resistance, will also enable The
air-Ship to stand still, which would make it
! very valuable as 4 means Of military ob>erva.
ton.
The machinery will be operated by very
| light. strong hydraulic engine Of ABOUT eight.
horse power, to he built especially for the
purpose. The balloon will hold about $4,000
cubic feet of ga>, and still allow all needed
roour for expansion; but to provide against
4 possible lack of gas, gas generator OF large
capacity will be kip: on board 10 keep up a
constant supply. In che OF leak, little
balloons Smearcd with bird lime will be- sent
| up inside the great globe, which. beng
sucked into the leak and sticking there,
will stop it completely. OuIy such height -
10 be measured by tie baroMe!er-w be
attempted to reach a will carry the aCronautS
above hurricanes and thunder-StOrm>. In
still air ii is claimed that speed OF fully 10
miles and hour can be obtained, while Il far
greater velocity can be reached with a favor
able wind. Tine whole air vessel viii weigh
$500 pounds, and freight 10 the amount Of
Il 600 pounds can Dr carried under ordinary
conditions.
Immediately after Mr.. Schrocder's return
to Baltimore the contract Will be let by him
ana lie rye Wy. Glll, OF Inc lrin OIL Gt,l
& AK, Of Baltimore, his partner, and il
l. expected that the vessel will ne ready
| by August 15h, at cost of $4,000 to
$4,000 rhe inventor will 20 first To Wash.
instoD, and thence in turn 10 New York,
Philadelphia, and Baltimore, when, if he
has had the success Of which he is now con-
tidcnl, he will make proposals 10 the Govern.
ncnt to carry mails 10 Europe.--Ne,o York
| Tribune.
SCENE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMEST.--The
| cable reports an extraordinary scene in the
| British Parliament on Thursday night, con-
| stquent upon the abandonment OF the ship
ping bill by the Government. Mr.. Plimsoll
WAS melted by this announcement to fu-
rious exhibition of temper, and the House
ccnSured him for his yIOIcpc". MIR. Piimsoll
has been endeavoring TO head c Il the practices
by which English Shp-owners insure their
vessels and send them to sea TO go down, and