The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-08-20

eFss
Ths proposition Of SONS intending
Arctic explorers 10 use bzIleoas In seek-
ing the North P0ls appsaEs 10 have B-
osHtiy stanHl4tsd 4sIs1A1ts % desiss
nsw nstk0ds 0f s-er0sL4ti0a- Ths en-
inent French scientist, n. De Ronsislls.
has just communicated 20 the scientilc
world two aeronautieal c0ntriyanees
which are. perhaps, the most promising
Of the many ingenious devices for pro-
polling and directing balloons that have
ever been projected. One of these Is
the work Of N. Gabriel Yon, who, ON
the high Endorsement Of De Fonvielle,
Is .'the nos qualified aeronaut for
working out the great problem," hay-
ing all the great aeronadtical construct
ions OF the age and was the pupil VI
the now celebrated Gifard. In NJ.
foa's balloon a steam engine Is 10 be
employed 10 drive the propeller, and
the gAs Of the balloon used as fuel la
proportion 10 the loss Of weight from
uncondensed steam or by consumption
of petroleum. the chief fuel depended
on. The details Of this steam machin-
cry and its aerostztic values are not
given, but the great experience Of its
author In ballooning and his aequaint-
ance with the difficulties 10 be over
come In driving and directing an air
ship entitle it 10 favorable consider
alton. The other scheme Is proposed
by Mr.. Pearse, OF Bristol, whose invent.
Ion differs from Yon's principally In
using a gas engine for propelling the
aerial machine. Although" says NJ.
De Fonyielle, ut Is impossible TO sup
pose that tie aerial carriage Of Mr..
Pearse or the directing balloon OF NJ.
Yon a possibly bring ~aeronauts 10
the North Pole for their inaugural trip,
they may be instrumental In elicIting
useful facts-"
Not TO discuss the relative merits OF
these schemes. a little reflection viii
dispel the idea which some entertain
that an air ship can be made 10 plough
through the waves OF the atmospheric
ocean. The immense surface opposed
by an inflated balloon 10 the high winds
OF the upper atmosphere, 80 long as
balloons are fioated by gas, will always
create a resistance far beyond the pow
err 70 any steam or gas engine which the
balloon can lift 10 overcome. The We
~locities Of the upper air currents by fire.
quent observation range between fifty
and one hundred and twenty miles,
and are sometimes one hundred and
fifty miles AN hour, and II Is clear that
II the aerostat were supplied with en-
gines even Of proportionate horsepower
with those OF m ocean steamship, the
aeronaut could not choose his course
or force his way In mid mir. No ocean
steamer afioat could make Roadway
against such wind forces, much less
could any aerial steamer constructed
on any Of the aerostatic models now
known. An air ship armed with the
largest steam engine 1t could lift. In an
encounter withthese tremendous forces,
would be rs helpless rs q wait on the
Niagara torrents.
But there Is, Notwithstanding, a
sphere watch Is open to the invention
OF N. Yon should IL prove n mechanical
succes II he can construct n balloon
10 utilize the winds Of the lower atmo-
sphere, with propelling power sufficient
to drive IL through calm spaces in n
required direction, even though
but n few miles Mt n time were travers-
ed, IL Is obvious an Arctic exploration
could be pushed by repeated ascents TO
very high ATTITUDES, and possibly to the
pole itself. Could Captain Mares in
1876, when within four hundred or five
hundred miles OF the pole, lavs been
supplied with a Yon ballon, he might
have far exceeded the high latitude he
reached. But the chief problem would
be TO contrive u balloon that would
carry fuel enough for 80 long n voyage
in the air, and It remains 10 be seen
whether the French aeronautic engineer
can solve this problem.-N. y. Herald.