Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-09-08
A NEW AEFlAL ENTERPRISE.
Prot. Kings Coming voYage---His
Newt ashioned Balloon Almost
Completed.

Prot. Kings Coming voyage---His
Newt ashioned Balloon Almost
Completed.
rhiiaaeiphia Tines
"Prof. King" said the reporter in
the glad voice Of recognition. Formal
titles over. the professor was reminded
OF his promise Of several months ago
20 have completed about this time n
mammoth balloon with which TO dem
onstrate the theory that the atmos-
phere is governed by constant move
ment from the westward, and having
once established this, show conclusive
ly that an aerOnaut may cross the At
hntic ocean in balloon, provided 1t u
large enough and is made OF the right
cloth TO resist leakage Of gas. 1t would
take book to contain all the profess
sor said about his coming experiments
and what he expected 10 demonstrate.
The first thing 10 be done is TO ascer-
tain rs n fact whether the atmosphere,
rs n whole, does not move from the
westward 10 the eastward. This is to
be done by series of voyages in the
Great Northwest, which the professor,
In about three weeks, will inaugurate
II this is established, the next step will
be 10 find what sort OF a balloon will
be necessary TO cross the Atlantic in.
The balloon which the aeronaut Is now
building and which he expects 10 COM
plete this week is different from any
other balloon ever built in America.
"YOu saw that gossamer cloth ut
my factory" said the professor, as
with his visitor he walked along.
"Well, take two thicknesses OF that
cloth. either Of which Is impermeable
To gas. and / cement them together
face 10 face. There have double
thickness of doub,y impermeable ma
terial, and out Of this am making
my balloon"
At Park hall, second story, where
the balloon sailor has his workshop. a
busy scene was presented. TIE great
long hall was Uttered with pieces of
gOssamer canvas; six sewing-wOmen
sat before six sewing-machines stitch
ing the pieces together; six wOrkmen
with pots of India-rubber cement and
brushes were at work stretching out
long sections of the balloon on TIE loo
and cementing the seems as fast ~
they were sewn together. Coat after
coat Is given TO each seam, so as TO in
sure them against the possibility of
leaking. The long sides of the balloon,
stretched out ON the floor, gave one u
vast idea Of It's proportions when COM
pleted.
"The balloon" said the professor,
evil be % feet long and 100 feet in
circumference. and will have q capaci-
ty OF 100000 feet of gas. The mate
rial out Of which II will be made is al
most the same kind that was used i'm
the great Paris balloon. which served
for captive ascensiOns during the Paris
exposition in 1878. That was the
largest balloon ever made. having ca
pacity Of $4,000 feet OF gas. There Is
not the least doubt ON my mind what
ever that that balloon would have ena-
blcd person 10 safely cross the ocean.
provided this easterly tendency of the
atmosphere is fact"
The main difference between Prof.
Kings balloon and the Paris balloon
size out of the questions thai the
formers balloon will be much lighter
proportiOnately than was the latter.
The builder of the Paris balloon used
four or five sides of rubber material
ccmented together, while Prof. King
uses but two. lie expects great things
Ot this air-ship. If it can be proven
that this Casterly movement of the body
of the atmosphere exists, then IL will
be clear TO him that with the right sort
of a balloon one may cross ne Allan.
tic. lie will likely then organize q
stock co upaDy or interest capitalists in
the matter one way or another. and
construct an immense balloon. repletC
In every detail. for the perilous under
taking in which he expects TO figure
He does not believe that balloons viii
ever be useful FOR purposes of convey
ancc Tdat he thinks, is not thei
legitimate sphere. The luture of On,
balloon. he thinks, lies i'm its use il
solving meteorological problems which
can not be reached by any other means
All talk Of using them FOR conveyance
he believes Is fOolishness.
Prof. Kings inaugural voyage vii
bo made from Minneapolis, Mimi, dur
ing the progress Of n great fair Their
ON the 7,h of September. Already al
the arrangements have been made. an,
the managers of the fair have adyer
tiscd the thing widely. lie has alread
sent on his car and MEETINGS, and ex
pscts To follow in two weeks. Tn
voyage Is bound TO make n sensg tiol
IN the west. as representatives of lead
ing newspapers from all over the cour
try have applied FOR permission TO aC
company him. At present howeve
the number Is limited 10 n repi esents
tive from BOstan paper, one from
New York pape., two from Chicap
papers, and cle from n Minneapoli
and on from st. Paul paper.