Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-11-20
BALLOONS FOR WAR PURPOSES.

w INV
Shape and Motive Powerful
looms that Can Travel mt ANY
Elevation and Ascend or Descent
at viii.
II General Russell Thayer, Of Philadelphia
read a paper last Thursday afternoon be
fore the Military Service Institution OF thu
United States, at Governors Island, OF
"Dirigible Balloons for War Purposes
General Fry introduced the lecturer, witt
proper preface to bis subject. Genera
Thayer, who is about SO years of age, and
speaks without h~esitancy, said that he had
designed two distinct systems of dirigiblt
balloons for war purposes. "Dirigible,'
he said, meant "driving through the all
without regard to the direction of the
wind" The first Of these balloons, he ex.
planned, moves in the atmosphere entirely
alone and without any connection with the
earth. In the second system the balloon
is connected with the earth by means oil
two wires.
1.-The motor DEVISED" continued the
General, in speaking about the first men.
toned balloon, "enables me to accumu'
late, produce and apply a powerful motor
force. It consists essentially OF a high
speed air compressor, coupled directly to q
| specially designed carbonic acid gas en-
| CINE and q reservoir into which the COM
pressed air is forced until the required
| pressure per square inch is obtained. The
rear end of the reservoir is so arranged
| that at given intervals Of time the confined
| energy is suddenly released. thus produc-
ing a powerful thrust forward. The
amount Of power thus rendered available
Is dependent upon the discharge. BY the
use of the carbonic gas engine there is no
coal or water, which are weighty sources
of energy, and all danger from fire ia
avoided. Another form of motor that may
be employed consists Of a powerful blower
drawing in air from forward and effecting
the continuous discharge of a large vol.
ume through a nozzle pointing sternward,
and by this means developing a powerful,
continuous force acting forward. II a
hollow truncated cone can be placed over
| through it, outside air is drawn through
the annular opening, and mixing with the
jet has velocity impaired to il.
1.-THE dirigible balloon consists of two
| portions. The buoyant part, which cor
responds to the hull of a water ship, is
made of superposed tissues of strong silk
| and rubber, and the shape is that of q
circular spindle in which the long hori-
| zontal axis equals three and t~wo-thirds
times the diameter amidships, This
| structure is filled with hydrogen gas, and
is perfectly rigid. No yielding can take
place in this, as in the ordinary form Of
balloon, and broad bands should prefer
ably be used to netting to support the
deck. The deck OF the ship, upon which
| the machinery Is placed, is below the
buoyant part OF the structure, and is
firmly supported thereirom and braced
| thereto. Opposite the centre of the ship
is a lower deck completely enclosed and
| separated from the rest of the structure,
in which the source of power is located.
From the meter a pipe leads all or part oil
the energy utilized in the production OF
| motion to the stern of the ship and is ter
| minated by q nozzle fitted on q ball and
| socket Joint. This arrangement permits
| the nozzle to be moved in any direction at
pleasure, and by a movement OF the nozzle
| from the wheel the ship may be steered in
any direction that may be desired. The
necessity of a rudder is thus averted.~
"While the machinery is in motion and
the force is being generated the balloon il
| under perfect control, and can be directed
in any course that may be required. In
| the interior of the buoyant portion of the
structure is placed a large silk sack, con
| nected with an air compressor on the deck
| and a pipe leads from the exterior enve
| lope to the tube leading to the nozzle Of
the stern. Both of these pipes are pro
| vided with cocks, which can be opened OF
| shut at pleasure. There are four cylinders
| fitted with compressed hydrogen on thu
| decks of the balloon, which are connected
| with the interior of the exterior envelope,
| These appliances enable the balloon to
| travel at any elevation, and to ascend OF
| descend in the atmosphere without the
use of ballast.
"The uses for such machines for wal
| purposes" continued Gen. Thayer, care
| various. Here the army officers, who had
| been attentive listeners. began to move in
| their seats. They sail in an ocean, prac
| tically miles in depth, which surrounds the
| earth. There is no place where they can
| not go. Harbors are unnecessary, and
| large dirigible could lay IN entire country
under tribute. In the nighttime such
| structure, sailing slowly over a hostile
| fleet, army or fort, could cause vast de
struction by dropping dynamite bombs
and would have either at its mercy"
Gen. Thayer also described the SECOND
| system of dirigible balloons. This is thu
same as the first in shape. but is directed
in its course through the air by two wireI
or light cables, which are supported across
the country on ordinary poles, with U
shaped wire braces on their tops. Thu
poles for q balloon 200 feet long, tina
would travel 70 miles an hour, may b.
placed between 500 or 600 feet apart. TIL,
motor is electricity. These balloons Cal
be utilized in the rear of an army in send
ing war materials and provisions to tn,
front. They can be sent across rivers, VI
steep inclines, and will not leave the wire
unless a hurricane is blowing. An ordi
nary wind will not disturb them. Fifty o.
60 tons may DO carried by the balloons
and they can be dispatched with amazin,
rspidity.
LET us remember" concluded Gen
Thayer, that the more efficient and de
structive the engines of war become, tn,
more brief the struggle, and, indirectly
the greater the benefit to the human race.
The lecturer used the blackboard In de
scribing his first system. and had a work
ing model Of his system directed by wires