The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-09-11
CAPTIVE BALLOONS.
THE IMPORTANCE THEY MAY HAVE
IN NAVAL WARFARE.

Interesting Experiments Made by the
French Auth critics - Observations
That Were Made at a Height of 1900
Feet.
A recent dispatch from London states
that German military aeronauts have
gone to the island of Heligoland to cx-
pertinent with captive balloons, with n
view to making use of them for naval
purposes.
The idea of employing balloons for
purposes of reconnaissance at sea origi-
mated with the French navy. The sue
cessful trials on land of captive balloons
for army use led to the experiment being
tried Of utilizing them for service on
board ship, and the French naval authori-
ties instituted series Of practical expert
ments in 1888 with this object in view.
The first captive balloon with which
experiments were made was of the or
dinary spherical shape, and was made Of
Chinese pongee silk, covered with several
coats of waterproof lacquer. This bal
loon was manufactured at Chalais Men,
den. just outside of Paris, at the works
of the Central Aeronautic establishment,
where the war balloons are made. Ii
was inflated with hydrogen gas and held
captive by means Of silk rope about 500
feet in length. In order to accustom the
sailors to handle so large an object in the
narrow and confined space offered by u
ship. platform was erected in the park
of the manufacturing grounds of the
shape and form of ships deck, with
mast and rigging complete, and on this
deck the men were exercised.
Everything being in readiness. the bal
loon and fittings were placed on board the
gunnery ship L'Implacable and then in
fiated. The ascent from the ship at an
chor on calm day was successful in
every way. The officers who went up
reported that they had no difficulty in
making out with the aid of telescopes
not only the movements of all the ves-
sells visible to their extended horizon but
that they could even discern their nation
alities and the courses they were steering.
All the information obtainable from their
lofty station the officers transmitted to
LImplacable by means of telephone,
the wires of which were stopped up along
side of the rope that held the balloon
captive.
The practicability Of perfectly COM
municating between a captive balloon
and ship at anchor being thoroughly
established, the French government
proceeded to try the efficiency of such .
mode of obtaining information from a
ship under way. To accomplish this the
balloon and apparatus were placed on
board another ship, L'Indomptable, Sc
lected because she had very little rigging
to interfere with the balloon on deck.
The vessel then steamed out from the
roads at moderate rate Of speed. The day
was clear and calm. Long after the big
black hull Of the armored ship had sunk
below the horizon of those watching
within the harbor the balloon remained
plainly visible, and to the observers in
the balloon the harbor and the shipping
movement remained in sight for a long
time.
Further trials were continued on board
the flag ship Formidable, and are thus
described: Several officers of the ship
made ascents and ascertained that in
clear weather all the details of the coast
from Marseillee to the extreme point Of
the Islands Of Hyeres were plainly visi-
bic, and that no building nor ship for 20
to IS miles round could escape the notice
of an observer in balloon. These OBJ
servers also reported that they could see
vertically downward toward the bottom
of the sea to depth of nearly 100 feet,
the water from their height appearing
transparent.
In the exercises described the behavior
of the balloon was all that could be de-
sired. Going at the speed of 10 knots.
with quite strong winds, the Formidable
found no difficulty in towing the balloon
with nearly 200 feet of line. To finally
demonstrate this fact the balloon was
made fast to torpedo boat that towed
it with perfect ease with 200 feet Of ropo
for two hours, in which time 81 miles
were made.
This is as far as captive balloon expert
ments on board ship have been carried.
There are many uses for balloons at sea if
they can be cheaply and easily made and
handled, and the Germans intend thor.
oughly to go into the matter.