The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-04-27
Avx,pnI1s Anr;l o. L.

al interest.
ANNAPOLIS, April %, 17s4.
DIR. TURPIS-Dear Sir: Surprising you may
not have received intelligence TO be relied on as
TO the reality and extent of the late discovery of
traversng the air in balloons, and having lately
perused a book in which everything is brought
together on that subject, as low down as Deeem-
Der last, will give you a detail of it,
They suppose the minimum of these balloons
to be six inches diameter. These are constituted
of goldbeaters' skin, and filed with inflammable
air. This air, produced from iron filings, vitri-
Ole acid and distilled waters, is in weight to at
mospherie air rs TO 43, on an average of the
trials, and when produced from filings of zine
| the marine acid and distilled water is to the at
mOspheric air as , to 80, or to 1O4. but MOnCol-
tiers air is half the weight of atmospheric. This
is produced by burning straw and wool. The
straw must be dry and open, and the wool shred
very fine, so that they make clear flame, with
as little smoke rs possible. Fifty pounds of
straw and five pounds of wool filed the balloons
of October 10 and November 81, in five minutes.
These balloons contained 6OOO0 cubic feet. No
analysis of this air is given us. Monsieur de
Saint-FOrce, the author of the book gives us a
| very great and useless display of mathematical
learning, which certainly has as vet very little
to do with the discovery; and when he comes to
the chemical investigations which are interest
ing he says little. The balloons sometimes were
torn by the pressure of the internal air being in
sufficiently counteracted in the higher regions
of the atmosphere; these rents were of six OF
with gentle, equable motion, and not with an
| accelerated one. By the trials ut Versailles and
| Champ de Mars, it appears that they will 90
with moderate wind 100 leagues in twenty -four
hours. There are yet two principal desiderata:
First-Ihe cheapest and easiest process of
making the lightest inflammable air.
Seeond-An development which will be light,
| strong, iEperviOus to the air and proof against
rain. Supplies of gas are desirable too, without
being obliged to carry fire with the machine.
| For in those in which men assembled, there was
a store of straw and wool laid in the gallery
which surrounded the bottom of the balloon. and
| in which the men stood, and n chatting dish of
three feot cube, in which they burnt the materi-
| ais TO supply the air. 1t is conjeetured that
| these machines may be guided by oars and rails
| ed and depressed by having vessels wherein, by
the aid of pumps, they can produce vacuum or
condensation of atmospheric air at will. They
are, from some new circumstances strengthened
in the opinion that there are generally opposite
or different currents in the atmosphere, and that
if the current next the earth is not in the direc-
| tion which suits you, by ascending higher you
| may find one that does. Between these there is
| probably region of eddy, when you may be
stationary, if philosophical experiments be your
| object. The uses of this discovery are suggested
| TO be: First, transportation of commodities I'M
| der some circumstances; second, traversing des-
| erts countries possessed by an enemy, raw
aged by Infections disorders, perhaps inaccessi-
| bic mountains; third, conveying intelligence
it, accommodating an army, &C.; fourth throw
ing new light on the Thermometer, barometer,
| hydTOmeter, rain, snow, hail, wind, and other
| phenomena of which the atmosphere is the thea
tire; fifth the discovery of the pole, which is but
one days journey in balloon from where the
| ice has hitherto stopped adventures; sixth,
raising weights, tightening ships over bars; sew
enth, hOuse-breaking, smuggling, &c. Some of
these objects are ludicrous, others serious, i'm.
pOrtant and probable. Congress has determined
Al Al nf inn
Der at Trenton. A vessel arrived here yesterday,
which left London the 18th of March, She brings
papers to the Goth of that month. Mr.. Pitt was
still in place, supported by the city of London,
the Nation in general and the House of Lords.
Still. however, the majority in the House of
Commons is against him, though reduced to
twelve. 1t was thought the Parliament would
be dissolved.
Be good as to present my dutiful respects to
my uncle and aunt, and to be assured of the es-
TEEN with which | am, dear sir,
Your friend and servant,
THos. JEFFERSON.