The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-09-09
PROF. KINGS big BALLOON.
The Contemplated Trip Across the Atlantic
Ocean.

Ocean.
PHILADELPHIA, August 2S.-prof.
Samuel n. King started for Minncapo-
lis yesterday with his big balloon, the
"Great Northwest" On September Z
he will begin trip to the Atlantic
coast, making experiments that will
be of great value to him when he shall
at some future timc to cross
tho Atlantic. Prof. King is the most
scientific of all acronauts. lilo has
mono of the reckless daring of Donald
son, rs the writer knows from expert
cnce, and Of his 225 or moro ascellsions,
hardly ono has been without some
good result from Il scientific standpoint.
Prof. Kings plans are known to but Il
few. Away out on Lancaster avenue,
III Park Hall hc was putting tho fin
ishing touches upon his great gas bag
on Friday, and stopped in tho hurry
of his work to chat for II few minutes
upon what hc hoped to accomplish.
This voyage from Minneapolis is ono
of several preliminary experiments be-
fore attempting to cross the ocean.
When he takes that ocean trip no will
run under tho drag rope. In other
words he will keep three or four hum
drcd feet above the water, while the
basket, or rather life raft, will trail
through the waves. The upper air
current setting eastward he considers
an exploded notion. Even if there
wcrc q current at the height of three
and half or four miles, tho balloon
would lose half Of its gas by expansion
before it could reach that point and a
balloon with half of its vitality gone
at the outset wouldn't be worth much
in an ocean voyage. lie goes upon
this theory: Storms on tho Atlantic
rcvolve about Il centre, which moves
toward tho cast. Although he might
meet adverse winds ono day and vari-
able tho next, the mass of the atmos.
phcre will still be toward tho cast. In
other words, for every step backward
he will take two forward, and, if tho
balloon could be made to float long
il would reach tho other side
eventually. OF course, upon this tho
ory no practical uso could be made of
balloons as transatlatic air ships, but
such a trip could hardly fail to bc of
great benefit to science.
The "Grcat Northwest" Is not as
large as the Coney Island bag, which
held 144 200 cubic feet of gas. Tho
new balloon will hold 100 900 feet only,
but as the gas used will be hydrogen,
it's lifting power will be very great.
The balloon proper will weigh 700
pounds, the noting 300 or 100 more,
and tho basket, drag rope, and anchor
rs much moro. n dozen men, ut an
average weight of $50 pounds each,
will add 800 pounds more, and then
there is the ballast, and Il good guam
tty must be taken, oven if everything
else is left behind. The balloon is
made of Il double thickness of rubber
cloth, q material entirely novel to bal
looming in this country. AT the top
three thicl>ncsscs arc securely scanned
together. Tho valve is made OF cop
per, and weighs over fifty pounds.
The rubber strips are % feet in length,
and weigh 700 pounds when stretched
and ccmcntcd together. The balloon
has been made almost entirely gas
tight by 12O coats of rubber, and Prof.
King estimates that the loss of gas by
leakage will not exceed ! per cent. q
day. If the leakage were the only
loss, the balloon might float for weeks;
but there cannot fail to be an cover
flow" or Il loss though the neck of the
balloon by expansion. Every time
tho sun shines brightly upon tho bag
the gas expands. The neck, or funnel
shaped portion OF tho balloon at tho
bottom, is never closed, 50 that il is
possible to sit in the basket and look
upward into the interior of the bag.
This neck is q safety valve. When the
gas expands ii is forced out through
the neck, and the loss by this overflow
is always largo.
Tho start will be made at the ap-
pointed time, no matter how the wind
blows. II the wind is adverse Il land
ing will be made, and the balloon
anchored in Il place OF safety until there
shall be Il favorable change. If tho
wind is fair from the start the voyage
will be continued. Where the balloon
will land is Z question which time
alone can tell, and the length OF tho
voyage may be two days and pcrhaps
ten. Lc Mountain once ran from st
Louis to Watcrtown, N. Y, bctWccr
500 and 900 miles, in one night. ]
was the longest voyage on record. III
came through on the wings of gale
But in fair weather thirty miles Il,
hour is good sailing. 1T is the intcn
tion of Prof. I<i ing to make this Il scric'
of voyages, instead of one continuous
trip. In other words, he will descend
as often as necessary, and probnbIy
more than once cat supper at some
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