Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-01
A BALLOON EXPERIMENT.
The End in Vte,r by Prof. king In MaE-
ing HIS AeriGI 1sce,ssiOn From the
Northtcestern Exposition.


Northeastern Exposition.
[St. Louis Republican,
1t has long been the ambition of aero.
nauts to cross the Atlantic ocean in 9
balloon, and, in spite of the perils of aeri
al travelling, and the awful fate that has
attended SO many experiments at it, it IL
probable they will never abandon theil
efforts to accomplish the daring feat. Il
is assumed that at certain height above
the earth there is a current of air blow
ing steadily and continually round the
globe to the east, and if bal
loon, strong and filed with light
hydrogen gas, can be raised to the height
Of this current, it will be borne across the
ocean to Europe with rapidity greater
than that of railroad train, making the
trip in three or four days. Prof. Samuel
A. King proposes to attempt the jour
ney, and for the purpose has constructed
balloon of rubber cloth, spherical in
shape, and second only in size to the one
Donaldson was to have attempted the
passage to Europe several years ago. 1t
is so constructed, we are assured, as to
be impervious to heat and cold, and capa-
BILE of preventing that loss of gas through
leakage which is one of the chief difficult
ties to be encountered in ballooning.
But before launching out for voyage
across the Atlantic, Prof. King will
make trip from st. Paul to the eastern
coast to test the powers Of his balloon,
and to ascertain the precise force and
direction of the supposed eastern
current. If this overland trip shall be
satisfactory, he will afterwards attempt
the transatlantic voyage. The balloon
will be inflated with hydrogen gas, IN
stead of the ordinary coal gas, because
Glfford's experiments at Paris during the
last exposition showed that the former
does not escape from well constructed
balloon, while the latter does,
and. further, because balloon
filled with hydrogen may be made
much lighter than one filled with the
other gas. The ascent at st. Paul or
Minneapolis will be made about the 7th
of September. If the balloon shall get
safely across the lower end OF Lake
Michigan, the most dangerous section Of
the route, it is supposed that it will drift
with the current a little south of east
and reach the ocean at some point on the
North Carolina coast. The balloon will
be provided with the ordinary appliances
to be made use of in case OF dan
ger, sand bags and drag ropes, and if
these shall fail, there will be new con-
trivance to which resort will be had.
This is a Grip rope" sewed into seam OF
the rubber cloth in such manner that a
quick, sharp jerk will tear open the
whole side of the balloon, causing the
gas to escape and the structure to
descend gently to the earth in the
form of a parachute Even this may
fail, however; the balloon, instead OF
forming parachute, may collapse and
fall to the earth helpless wreck-in
which case the condition OF the aeronaut
would be anything but enviable.
While we are amazed at the reckless
ness which encounters such perils as these
midair excursions present, it is impossi-
bile not to admire the cool,
deliberate faith in the ultimate sue
sess of aerial travelling that in
spires the experimenters. Who can say
that their efforts will not some day be
crowned with success, that navigation OF
the air will not become as safe and IA
miliar as navigation of the sea, and that
crossing continents and oceans in aerial
carriages at rate which leaves express
trains and steamers far behind will not
become common practice, at least with
those who can afford it!