Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-19

Not So improbable as IL Might

II is hardly necessary 70 say that the intro
duction Of a locomotive machine which would
transport large number OF people through the
air In any direction required, at the rate OF
thirty miles an hour. would be startling nov
city IN our travelling arrangements Let US
glance al the advantages it would offer. Com
pairing IL first with aquatic locomoton. IL
would be far quicker than any boat hitherto
mace, vastly less expensive in first outlay and
cost OF working, would require no naroors,
would produce no sea sickness and would eS-
cape the greatest dangers inherent Ia water
navigation. Viewing IT. secondly. as a means
OF land transport, II would be quicker than
common road travelling, and would compare
fairly with the ordinary speed on railways
while Ii would entirely dispense with the enor-
nous and costly provisions requisite for both
these modes OF getting over the ground, and be
free from the multitude OF liabilities 10 ac,I-
dent attending them But 1t may naturally
be objected that such mode OF loco notion
would have peculiar dangers OF its own. No
doubt balloons have hitherto been very subject
10 accidents. and the bare idea OF anything go
ing wrong at height OF thousands OF feet
above the earth has in IL something very ap-
palllDg. But much of this impression will van
ish before common-sense reasoning. IL must
always be borne In mind that for the purposes
OF locomotlOn, there would be no reason for
ascending high into the air; it would only be
necessary TO keep sufficient altitude TO clear
terrestrial impeitments, and this would not
only do away with much OF the terror OF the
Idea, but would greatly increase the probability
OF asate escape from accidents OF whatever kind.
Let us see In what direction danger might In
extreme cases, lis. The loss OF gas py rupture
or the envelope or otherwise is a remote posi-
bility; but the experience OF many actual cases
has proved that the resistance of the air 10 the
large surface exposed has sufficed to prevent
any rapid fall; special measures might be
easily provided, and at low elevations over land
no serious catastrophe need be feared on this
ground. In crossing over water, precautions
would still be possible, and the case would not
be go hopeless as In many marine casualties.
The danger of fire, If properly guarded against,
need not be greater than In ship at sea. In
deed, If We believe Nj. Giffard, who has tried the
experiment, the idea OF such danger is quite an
illusion. The accidents that arise TO ordinary
balloons almost always occur In the descent,
which, II the wind is high requires great care
and skillful management. In this case the
propelliDg power would be most especially
useful; the aeronaut could choose his place OF
landing with precision. and, by turning his
mead s,i TO the wind, he could avoid the dragging
which Is so dangerous, and which has so often
brought fatal termination TO balloon voy-
ages. The worst c0njuncture conceivable
would be break down OF the propeling
machinery ar time when IL was wanted TO
aid the descent In a gale. But the risk OF
such break down could be made very slight
by ordinary mechanical precautions. On the
whole there can be no good reason to believe
With this than with other kinds OF locomotlon,
and when we remember the frightful casual
ties that so frequently now occur In land. river
and sea traffic, and consider how many or these
causes would be absent In the free paths OF the
air, We may probably even venture to assert
that balloons would be the safest as well as the
pleasantest mode OF travelling. AS a seton
against all this, however, there IS one great
objection to aerial locomotion, namely, the IN
certainty it must always be liable to In conse-
quence OF the effect OF the wind. We must not
ignore this: on the contrary, we will endeavor
10 estimate its exact value. We will assume
that we can steam through the air In any direc-
ton at the rate OF thirty miles an hour; but this
VIII only count for useful locomotion IN dead
calm; If there is any wind by carrying the bal
loon along with IL it will clearly influence both
the effective direction and the effective speed
DR.. Wm Pole, in F0rtnigh1p Rerle,r.