Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-06
Philadelphia Record

Philadelphia Record.
In producing men who are prepared tc
undertake the accomplishment of unheard.
of feats of enterprise and daring the Ameri
can nation can fairly be said to claim the
palm. Stanley penetrated the jungle Of
Africa and excelled Livingstone, Boynton
swan the straits of Dover, an American
mariner and his wife crossed the ocean in 9
tiny SHE'LL while Fowler, another Amer lean,
has just succeeded in literally walking
over the English channel. And now daring
aronautical feat is to be attempted some
| time during the present year. Professor
Samuel A. King, the well-known aronaut
and Philadelphia by birth, proposes to
cap the climax by doing his level best to start
from New York on balloon voyage which
shall terminate on some portion of the Euro
pean continent.
Several years ago proposition was made
to Professor King to undertake the task, and
the sum of $4,000 was guaranteed by some
wealthy New Workers to cover the necessary
expense. For prudential reasons the aero
naut at that time decided to decline the offer
Last winter, however. while making son G
Improvements in balloons for the Howgate
expedition he was successful in discovering
a substance of such impenetrability that a
balloon of capacity of 100000 feet would
not lose more than per cent. of gas in
twenty-four hours, SO that after journey
occupying twenty days $4,000 feet of gas
| would still remain. The Importance of this
discovery is recognized when it is stated that
an average balloon will lose 20 per cent. OF
gas in twenty-four hours. The new idea was
communicated to the New Workers, who re
newed their previous offer. Professor King
at once accepted, and the construction of the
balloon, which will occupy the whole of the
ensuing winter and spring, will be at once
commenced.
! The balloon in which the intrepid aero
naut is to attempt to accomplish the greatest
| feat of his life will, when completed, be the
largest in the world. 1t will average about
80 feet in diameter aid 275 feet in circum-
ference, with capacity of holding between
300, 900 and 400, 900 feet of gas. The material
employed will be Pongee silk, of special
| manufacture, coated with substance only
known to the professor. The silk will be
doubled throughout. Pure hydrogen gas
| will be used, and the cost of imitation alone
is approximated at $4,000. The car which
the aeronaut and his companions (if any,
will occupy will be combination of boat
and basket, wicker framework, covered
with heavy rubber substance, which can
easily be used as boat in case of emergency.
81 shall positively start early in June,''
said the professor last night. s.I consider
that the month in which thunder storms,
which do not wish to encounter, are the
least frequent. The starting point will be
| either New York or Brooklyn. propose to
| keep in the lower currents and to maint in a
permanent altitude of 500 feet above the
surface of the water. shall entirely dis
card the old theory of sailing in currents
from west to east at a height of three miles
When you reach that height the gas begins
to lose by expansion. Then, when you be.
gin to descend, ballast must be thrown out,
You rise again: more gas is lost; another de-
scent; a further throwing overheard of bal
last, and so on until all your ballast is gone
and then you come down for good. Under
my scheme expect to be able to keep in the
air for two months, if necessary, While there
has never been balloon which has kept de.
] tached from the earth for longer period
than twenty four hours"
"What period of time do you anticipate