Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-04-25
AERONAUTICS.
Prof. King to Make an Attempt in 1880
TO Cross the Atlantic In Balloon.
Pu1LAnEIpIIIA Ar

public Of my plans and purposes dur
ing the coming season. For period Of
nearly thirty years / have made
study and practice OF aerial naviga-
ton. During the whole Of this time,
in the course of which / have made
something over 200 ascensions, without
injury to life or limb, / have steadily
endeavored to avail myself of whatever
experience or suggestion might afford to
make travelling in the air practical, de-
finite, and useful. Numerous and often
costly experiments have shown me
that, with no mechanical appliance or
power yet discovered, it is impossible to
journey definitely and with gertrude
through the air to any previously desig-
mated point, in opposition to the direc-
ton of a prevailing wind. The balloon,
therefore, remains to-day what it was in
the days Of the Montgolfers,-a ma
chine that all the skill and ingenuity Of
man cannot prevent from floating with
the wind, which controls and directs it
absolutely from the moment it is
launched. The application of any
known mechanical power, TO be of any
use as against wind directed upon the
vast surface of u balloon, is entirely inn
practicable on account Of the weight in
volved. We must, it is evident, await
the result Of the discoveries of an Edi-
son, or until some one else shall have
succeeded in dcvisng harness with
which to control the electric current.
But il seems to me that u great deal
can be accomplished with the balloon,
slave of the wind though it be. Thus
far balloon voyages have been limited
to the duration Of q few hours mt most.
The longest voyage on record was that
made by Messrs. eager, La Mountain,
Hyde and Wise, from st. Louis, Mo,
to Henderson, N. y, in 1859. The bal
loon left 81. Louis at 6 o'clock on the
evening Of July !, and Mt 35 minutes
past on the following afternoon it
made its landing. / have myself made
an mir voyage of oyer 500 miles; but,
generally speaking, balloon journeys
have been very brief, extending over II
comparatively limited stretch of coun-
try. The reasons for this are rs
plain and true rs when expressed by
the English aeronant, Green, in 1919.
These reasons are plain. rs / have
stated, because of the manner in which
aeronauts have managed and operated
their balloons. Is it possible To operate
them SO as to prolong their carrying
ability? This is II question which has
long vexed those versed in air-voyaging,
and it is one which am prepared after
IL series of very careful experiments to
answer in the affirmative, and ! may
speak confidently Of my ability TO make
u balloon voyage of II months dura-
ton, sufficient, with thirty-tive mile
breeze, to Gircumnavigate the globe.
The experiments in which have been
engaged almost exclusively for the last
two years have demonstrated to my sat
islactlon that it is not only feasible to
construct u balloon that will maintain
the bulk Of its lifting power, but that il
is also easily practicable to keep it
uilont and in transit Tor this lcngth OF
time.
The results of my experiments have
been laid before II number OF gentle
men of ample means in your city, and
they have taken sufficient interest III
tho subject to place nj my disposal the
fun Is necessary to enable me To
GolllllHd ny va lNiihlt'iNS NiiNii
| shall have attained result
that will abundantly justify me in UNI
dertaking Il transatlantic voyage in n
balloon. | have secured IN eligible and
convenient location mt Manhattan
Beach, where shall establish an aero
nautic observatory during the coming
season. shall construct here wood
en- inclosure, 80 feet high and 200 feet
in diameter, for the purpose Of Afford
ing my balloons and apparatus proper
protection from the winds. | shall have
two spheroidal balloons of u di-
amctor Of 65 feet, and Of capacity OF
100 900 cubic feet of gas. shall, of
course, work but one balloon ut time,
but shall provide the extra balloon in
case of damage to the other | shall
construct my own gas-works aud initiate
with hydrogen, which il far superior to
common gas and has nearly double the
lifting power. Thus equipped | shall
be able to conduct captive ascensons
from the sea-coast during the summer
season, and make observations Oh the
state of the atmosphere and the pre-
vaiing direction of the winds from VA
rious attitudes. | shall Use n cable 1000
feet in length to elevate and lower the
balloon, and this cable will be worked
by n steam hosting apparatus, II is
my purpose to make these asccnsions
during both day and night, except when
the weather prevents, and shall thus
he able to record great variety Of ob-
servntons and experiences which will
he of incalculable use to me III the flu
urc. Thus equipped, with experience
derived from actual experiments dur
ing large number OF ascensions made
under every possible condition, pro-
pose to fit out balloon, in winch it IL
my intention to make the transatlantic
attempt ii earnest. This effort maynot
ho made until the spring or fall of 1850,
rs it will require several months IN
which 70 construct the proper appara-
tus, which will entail an air-ship of
double the si1o Of those sllaR use III
my captive experiments. My obscrva-
tory nj Manhattan Beach expect to
have i'll thorough working order hy the
10Th of June next
SAMUEL A. klSG, 'Aeronaut