The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-06-02
LONG-DIsrANCE BALLoONISG.
Congress Asked 10 Aid In Establish
Ing the Navigation OF the Air.
fEa.f,n.vs.,,, s,s.,,.;af Ma ssfta

The announcement that the French
aeronsut. Jovis. is going 10 try a voy-
age across the Atlantic in his air-ship.
has given a mild boom To project of
an analogous sort now before congress
Several months ago an Illinois MEM
her introduced a bill into the house
granting pecuniary aid TO the insen-
tion Of Mr. he BausSet for navigating
the air. Since such projects have been
muliitudinon> il was hardly expected
that congress would 70 into the sub
lect OF aeronauteS, but the committee
having charge of this bill has agreed 10
report il with a favorable rceomtnen-
dation, and this fact takes Il cut Of the
ordinary run of such enterprises. There
is also partial precedent for gov
ernnent interest in the fhayer bal
loon for dropping dynamite upon
an enemy's ships, forts or camps. which
has received concentrations from ord
nance officers. although this. To he
sure. Is not equivalent to obtaining an
appropriation from Congress.
The pending bill proposes that the
contemplated air ship shall be con-
structed at the Washington Navy
Yard, at the expense of the Govern
mcnt. under the supervision and con-
Atof vi oi u3vai tuSlHsST@.
The projectors say that Chief Engineer
Melville, in letter to De Baussct,
wrote that ''the principle and theory
OF your acrvrlane are in the main cor
rect, although he added that he had
not sufficiently studied the details OF
construction % give a final judgment
on the enterprise. The characteristic
feature OF this project Is that of using
Z for tfss kfftpsr q txusx 81
cylinder from which the air has been
exhausted. Such a cylinder would
have to lie thin 10 diminish
weight, yet thick enough and
tough enough to resist the pressure OF
the external air. Framework and
braces within the cylinder would have
10 be supplied 90 prevent the danger
of crushing. The promising part OF
the scheme Is that Il deals with cslcul-
able products. That is to say, with
material of ascertained strength. the
| dimensions OF cylinder capable OF re-
sisting the pressure of the atmosphere
when a certain proportion Of the air
/ from within Is exhausted. are matter
of mathematical demonstration. The
amount of machinery and weight OF
car and passengers which such cyl
inder, with its air exhausted TO a eer-
tain point. IL capable Of holding up. IL
also a matter OF exact calculation.
hence. II competent men should, after
taking all the elements Of the proposed
air ship into account, find that 1t
would have the required floating
power. that part OF the problem would
be solved
Yet this would not he the m o~t siiffi-
cult part. Ii is really the substitution
OF one lifting appliance for another.
the use Of an exhausted receiver in
stead Of gas balloon. Obtaining a
great sustaining power has never teen
difficult There is certain danger VI
the giving away of the material from
which the gas balloon Is made, and the
consequent escape Of gas, and a me
taIlie cylinder may he more trust
worthy. But the great difficulty Il
that when any appliance Of large area
Il used to hold up the car and ma
chinery IL Is inevitably at the mercy Of
strong winds. OF coarse, any such
machine would he supplied with elect
ricai storage batteries Tor the purpose
OF steering. since the saccessfnl expert
uents with electrical apparatus by
Captain Remand and Captain kreb-, In
France. have shown that a satisfactory
steering power can lie counted upon
when there is no wind. or only very
light one. But that very series Of ex-
rerinents also demonstrated that
whenever the wind was high IL carried
the whole apparatus along with Il In
spite of the electrical machinery. Jovis
himself does not expect 10 be able fo
control the wind in his contemplated
ocean voyage. All be will aim af Is 20
wtast for strong westerly current.
with promise od .tradiness for sew
erai successive days. and then start
from his side Of the water, trusting
that ii VIII llow long enough and
steady enoagh in one direction 10 take
him Ia Ireland or Norway.
Whether this degree of possible sue
cess in srial navigation win Justify con-
gress in making an appropriation for
The enterprise uox before il T. q matter
( 10 b. considered. Enissging upon the
sixc OF the car that can he rsrriesi. the
natnter ~ passengers. the quantity of
1 provisions, and 50 on, has nothing 10
DO xitb the main pros,iem. II IL Ike
. the custom cf dwelling upon the pro-
dirsoas explosise power of several
hundred roand IL dynamite fastened
hx submarine boat 10 hostile ses-
~si's keel The real ditssesiity l. that
OF first erftiaT a vessel which siii re
aide - go I've or ten ipises under xa-
ter wsthost oner cousiEg to the slS-
/ face. and when that l. aerons; lIshesi it
( + time enough 10 talk os the sir a
the torpedo. ~ In planning air ships
Il l. premature u faik of the gsafIof
car accommodations 30 be affssriei
until il Il once shexn haw the VERY
sixe ef The hsatfng appliance neef.ss sary
Ia hold up theear Tiii nef make il tie
/ prey OF any EtyUng sind. Net for the
Iaislssry purI-s-s~s which the g5sesr-
rusiss would hage ia view. only 4 mob
crate ssegFe~ AZ .fi.isi.Ssisy se4lid ssc
E required 1. ~egla rot fe Yer9szary
shas balloon -hoald isr sa5s - tack
asssaSg an zslser'e wiass Ike vessel
On the water. Isssylies3 tifat enoueh
{ steering t9aef sAssasi re ~erzffes. - 4
I hs Il pr0pe.s<s. ssTkel ~iss eleetgscss
! setseFies. for casfroi.sng IL direction
iE calgn4 or fight wfss,ts. Fasarasile
~e Tier eofsil - seleesea for iFsiloea
Z spzrass.'as ssisessss! Ee45nst al ssIemf 5
fosees oa sea o. land.