The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-10-15
A RECENT BALLOON TRIP.
Valuable Discoveries Claimed.

According to foreign papers. which
give q detailed account OF 1t, the balloon
trip made few weeks ago from Cher
bourg, France, to Tottenham, near
London, England, was not rs great q
success IS the dispatches claimed it to
be. NJ. F. L'Hoste, q professional
seTonaut, and NJ. Joseph Mangot, a
young astronomer, left the coast Of
France in the balloon "Torpilleur," at
IL o'clock at night, passed clear across
the English channel and over the Isle Of
Wight, and arrived in the vicinity OF
London about the next morning. The
journey could have been made quite as
quickly by boat or cars. It WAS the in
tention of the balIoonists to make their
descent in a military park in the city,
but they were not able to do so. As
their coming was anticipated, thousands
were Oh the lookout for them, They
were warmly welcomed, and were given
q cordial reception by the British Aero
nautical society. The occupants of the
balloon stated that they met with no
accident on the trip. which was pleasur-
able and highly instructive. They Sd-
mitted that they derived scarcely any
benefit from their steering aud propelling
apparatus. They claimed, however, 70
have derived very great advantage from
new system of using ballast. They
employed an apparatus called flatteur,
which is suspended from the basket Of
the balloons, drags in the water, and
enables the aerial travellers to take in
and let out water ballast whenever they
choose to do go.
In all previous attempts 10 manage
balloons, there was no way to make
them descend or to keep them near the
surface o. the earth except to open the
valve and allow part of the coufned gas
to escape. It often happens that this
gas is wanted before the trip is compile
ted. So. too, there WAS no way to make
the balloon asceId, except to throw out
ballast, which usually consists of bags
of sand, By the use of the apparatus
employed by these Frenchmen, all the
gas. except what escapes through the
cloth, is kept to the end Of the trip. In
making voyage requiring a day and
night, the tendency Of balloon is to
sink after sunset, and to rise after the
sun has made its appearance. If the trip
is made over water, the apparatus en-
ployed by these Frenchmen will keep the
balloon as near the surface as is desired
all the time. Unfortunately, however,
the apparatus cannot he used while
passing over land.
These balloonists think they made
another valuable discovery. In passing
over several vessels they let drop some
small torpedoes, which exploded on
their decks. They accordingly claim
that balloons may be made very useful
in war by enabling persons to drop tor
pedoes, bombs and various explosive
instruments on vessels, in for; Iications
and on buildings in towns: They claim
that by dropping heavy bomb the bal
loon would be given such an impulse
upward that the occupants would be
beyond the reach Of bullets before the
persons below would have time to fire
In case the vessel was demolished by the
explosion Of bomb, there would be no
one left to discharge firearms.
1t is scarcely likely, however, balloons
will ever be used for the purpose sug-
gested. Only highly civilized nations
could employ balloons in warfare, and
among such nations civilization extends
to the arts of war as well as TO those of
peace. The people who would drop
torpedoes from an elevation on vessels
and unforti6ed towns would be likely to
be classed with those who FIRE explosive
bullets and make use Of noxious gases
and virulent poisons. They would be
given q place among the enemies of the
human race, and treated as such.