The Indianapolis journal., 1891-06-27
AERIAL NAVIGATION TO BE TESTED.


Philadelphia Inventor About to Send q Pilot
Balloon ON . Journey to Europe
Philadelphia Press
To cross the Atlantic is the enterprising
missi upon which balloon will start
from Germantown within the next week or
two. The balloon will not carry any pas
sengers, but it is intended to pilot the way
for monster air-ship that will carry at
least two voyagers. The inventor of this
new air-sbip is Charles p. Fest. 1855 Lena
street. Germantown.
Mr.. Fest has been working on the problem
of aerial navigation for the past fifty years.
and is now convinced that he has solved it.
He is an eminently practical business man
and works at his invention at odd hours.
He has tried every scheme of aerial naviga-
tion that has been suggested In the past
decade and half, and has reached the con-
clusion that all schemes of propulsion by
machinery are impracticable. The air cur
rents, in his opinion, form the only motive
power that can be relied on. The balloon
which Mr.. Fest has now projected is on the
old principle of the hot air ship.
The experimental machine that will be
started across the Atlantic is completed.
and is an exact model of the larger one that
ls expected to later carry over the invent
or. The hot gas that will initiate the bag
will be generated from gasoline, which is
chosen on account of its enormous volatile
proportions and great lifting powers.
In the completed machine the gasoline
will be carried In q rectangular tin can
holding exactly ten gallons A small tube
runs from the can to an upright brass pipe
aboutthree inches in diameter and about
six feet long. This pipe is lined within and
without with asbestos. 1t passes up into
the gas bag while the tin receptacle re-
mains below. The gasoline is ignited at
the tube that passes into the pipe near the
bottom. and the flame shoots up the pipe
to the top, where il is arrested by cap
The bag is made of q preparation of
paper and is rugged so that it cannot sway
and come in contact with the flame. This
flame will be constant, and experiments
show that the ten gallons will last just
forty -eight hours. OF ten hours longer, ac-
cording to Mr.. Fssrs calculations, than
will be necessary TO carry the air-shlp
across the Atlantic. Mr.. Fest believes that
the balloon will make the passage in thirty
hours.
The gas bag on the pioneer balloon meas
ures 22l2 feet in diameter. Underneath the
oil-can has been suspended copper buoy
shaped like big top and weighted at the
an upright position. 1t 10 surmounted by
an American tag, and is suspended by q
hook that will unfasten If it comes in con-
tact with the water. This will be filled with
directions to be returned if found. This
will only become detached in case of acci-
dent and in the unex pected event of the
balloon falling In the water. In the large
balloon for passengers st will be made large
ouOuBn 10 uodb tuo VOy8B6TS III Case OF
accident.
Mr.. Fest declares that 1t has been clearly
proven that there Is q constant air current
TO the east that will watt his air ship across
the ocean In forty hours at the outside, and
the only problem that has prevented aroe-
nauts from crossing the ocean before has
been that of keeping balloon up sufficient
~ long to make the voyage. The existence
of these currents was shown by Professor
Wiss when be made his trip from ST. Louis
to New York. and be then declared that he
could cross the ocean if he could only keep
his air ship afi0at
Mr.. Fest thinks that he has solved this
problem by providing a constant and uni
form supply of hotgas. The size of the oil
receptacle can be expanded to almost any
dimensions that will give them suffi
fuel to keep atioat for long time. Mr.
Fest has already sent ND over two hundred
small ballOns made on this principle, so
that his calculations are based on reliable
data
The date for sending the balloon on it's
transatlantic trip has not vet been fixed
but will be decided shortly. 1t will
probably be before July T. The gas-bag
will be decorated with the shield of the
United States. for. although Mr.. Fest was
born In Germany he is veteran OF the
war and an intense American. Il want
America TO have the glory of solving tins
problem" he said yesterday.