The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-10-24
ON = BALLOON FARM
whore and How the Artificial Rain Pro-
5ducrrr Are Made.

NucPrH n re mAue'
There "a but one balloon farm IN the
world and that ~ ut Frankfort Carl
Myers is the man who mas the oai'nn
farm About nalf mile from the WI
lace of Frankfort and ten miles from
Utica this unique institution IL found
The farm consists OF only hve AGREE mt
it ia a busy place Professor Myers calls
his balloon manufactory farm. tt't'anSe
the same conditions of weather are necrs'
sary for balloon making ~ for farming
Good hay weather is good balloon
weather
In a ravine back of the house the pm
cipal part of the work IL carried on
Here the clotn used IN the manufacture
of the balloon ls Vanished and hung on
lines to dry When IT has been var
nished eight or ten times 1t Ia taken to
the house, cut into strips and sewed to
xether into balloons The seams must be
revarnished by hand when the cloth IL
nut together. and then the alrshlp II
ready to receive the netting and the
basket to lit it for air navigation The
machinery. az we'll az the materials
used. are almost entirely of Professor
Myers invention. The cloth IL simply
cotton cloth of a particularly hight and
strong quality covered with varnlsh of n
peculiar manufacture. put on with MA
chimes of his own invention The var
nish machine ia series Of rollers and
scrapers. through which the cloth passes
after first passing through reservoir
containing the varnlsh When II leaves
the machine there il Il thin bat very uni
form coat of varnlsh on each side of the
cloth. which dries IN abOut SIX hours
when the process IL repeated until the
cloth has sufficient varnish to make II
thoroughly lmpervious
Professor Myers has accomplished
what has never been done before. and
that is. produced a material which Is
impervious to hydrogen gas 1t will
dissipate itself through the pores OF
the densest metal or the most perfect
glass. but when in Professor Myers bal
loon it will remain IA long "a necessary
for ordinary uses Great care must be
taken in handling the cloth during the
manufacturing. rs rain must not be III
lowed to fall upon it nor the wind be al
lowed to play upon it. Consequently 1t
is dried in sheltered ravlne which can
be made more secure from the wind by
spreading a canvas fence around it
When it rains the cloth must be carried
to the house and hung on lines. for If it
were left in contact it would take fire
by sponstaneOus combustion
The house in which Professor Myers
lives with his wife and daughter Bessie
is handsome three story mansion. built
at cost of about $4,000 1t is filled
from cellar to roof with balloons or with
material or books suggesting balloons
He has large library filled with books
on aeronautics and all kindred subjects
and his success in balloon manufacture
is due to deep study and intelligent ap-
plication of principles
The rain producing bombs which the
United States government are expert
menting with are made by Professor
Myers.
In a few words, the plan of making
these rain producers is to initiate bal
loon with one part Of oxygen gas and
two parts Of hydrogen gas. A small. or
binary cartridge, connected with two
wires. Is placed in the balloon and the
whole is sent up. When the balloon is
sufficiently high the cartridge is explod-
ed by means of electricity sent through
| the wires, and the two gases unite
| forming water This serves as a nucleus
| to precipltate the moisture of the atmOs-
phere and there is rain
Last May Professor Myers and Gen
rral Dyrenforth made their first expert
fnent in this line in the ravlne a short
| distance from the farm. Then a few
balloons We're taken to Washington. and
| in the presence of several officers and SCI
entitic men another experiment was
held There was perfect success The
balloon was exploded and the gases
united with the most terrific report and
brilliant illumination 1t rivals the sun
IN brllhancy Professor Myers says that
| the explosion that would occur if a
twenty foot balloon were employed
| would cause the most terrific report.
Professor Myers has shipped to Texas
the most unique outfit ever got together
in the world 1t is a complete labOra-
| tory to he used out of doors for the
manufacture of all the gases and chemi-
Gals to be nsed in the experimental
| Utica Observer.