Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-08-14
AN AERIAL SHIP.
FROM cHERBoURG TO LONDON IN TIL

| FROM CHERBOURG TO LONDON IN THE
STEERING BALLOON TORPILLEUR.
LONDON, July 80, 1SS6.-The balloon
Torpilleur. which is fitted with a paten.
ted steering and propelhng apparatus,
and in which the aeronaut LHoste ano
astronomer MangOt assembled IRON
Cherbourg, France, at eleven O'CLOCK
last evening, descended in London al
six O'Clock this morning. The aerial
navigators will return to Cherbourg and
will attempt q voyage from that place
to Norway.
BALLOON STEERING.
The most recent feat, with conclusive
proofs, in the new born science OF
balloon navigation was performed IN
France on September "a, 1885, by the
young military engineers, the brothers
| Renard, from the camp of JChalons,
within a few miles of Paris. Starting
| at twenty five minutes after four. p. M,
| the aeronsuts reached Point 'du Jour
| after five p. M, returning to the camp
| at twenty-five minutes to six p. ~, q
| distance of three miles each way. On
this Journey in the. outward trip the
wind was against Them opposing the
advance of the apparatus toward the
capital at the rate OF four metres per
second. The rate of speed of the
balloon, as recorded by the 'slog bal
loom" was six metres per second. The
revolution of the crew was 55 per
minute; its diameter z metres. The
volume of the balloon was 1850 cubic
metres, filled with pure hydrogen gas.
The machine was of eight horse power,
-~--t-.-A~a A~ nj nrnrn~n NTH q hot
terry by Captain Renard, weighing in
all 800 kilos, and capable of working
at the rate given for.two hours: The
whole journey was performed with
perfect evenness, and the balloon acted
in a most satisfactory manner. After
the journey Captain Charles Renard
said TO a Herald correspondent, 81 con-
slider the problems OF aerial naviga-
ton solved by the results of our expert
ment." A journey was also made on
September %, 1885, with much the
same results, the only difference heing
that the wind was with the aerial boat
going out and against her on the return
Journey, and was light all the time.
blowing at the rate of one metre per
second. The distance covered was
about five miles.
On November 8, 1886, Capts. Renard
and Krebs made q balloon voyage from
Meudon to- Bellancourt aud returned,
alighting at the point from which they
started n forty-fVe minutes. This was
the third attempt made by Captain
Renard with his balloon and steering
apparatus, the second having proved q
failure. His first attempt was in Au-
-,ok 100 nth crab ~nnA roorr1fo 90 f0
create the greatest interest in all the
military circles of Europe. The balloon
was c~igar-shaped and pointed at each
extremity. In the car were seats for
two aeronauts, and the balloon had a
directing apparatus and rudder. The
force was obtained by q series of cleo
trio accumulators of ten horse power,
and the balloon was operative for tour
hours.
On October 20, 1883, an experiment
took place at the Place de Ia Defense,
Courbevoie, Paris, under NJ. Brisson,
but the cable apparatus tailed and the
result was consequently unsatisfactory.
In June, 1879, Professor Grimley and
a Herald correspondent started from
Montreal tor New York in the sifshlp
Canada, but they had a fearful expo
rience and came near losing their lives
owing to- the poor quality Of the gas
used.
In September, 1879, Professor G. r.
Ritchelrs airship was sent up at Hart
ford, Conn. 1t consisted of a balloon
above and q vertical screw, worked by
hand power, beneath for lifting pur-
poses, and q horizontal screw for steer
ing. The result, was, anything but q
success. LIN q four mile breeze it could
be steered, bat at q little increase above
that force il drifted. miles to !leeward.