Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-21


world, reaching San Francisco by way of
the Pacific. Prof. Hazen thinks there is
no reason why balloon voyages around
the globe should not be made some day.
he believes that the north pole will eventu-
ally be arrived at by aerial navigation.
Inc professors air ship. holding 100000
CUBIC feet of gas will cost $1,000 or $1,000.
He can get one with a capacity of So 900
cubic feet for $1,000 One of his ideas is to
make the basket life boat, that it will
serve for journey by water in case of &C
cident to the balloon.
dangers OF BallOOnfng Exaggerated.
1t Is an extraordinary circumstance about
ballooning that, when man has gone up
many times, he forgets danger and becomes
careless. Aerial navigation quickly becomes
a passion with those who pursue it. The
sensation Of floating at great heights is
exalting almost to the point of intoxication
Only year ago Prof. Rogers, the aeronaut
made an ascent at Boston when strong
west wind was blowing. 1t was twenty
five mile breeze directly toward the Allan
tic; but, without making any preliminary
investigation in the manner above sug-
gested, be may have supposed that there
was a current in the opposite direction
higher up, sometimes occurs After
reaching an altitude of about 5000 feet he
1ound himself over the ocean. Instead of
coming down gradually while tug came to
his assistance, he became panic-stricken
and did the last thing an aeronaut ever
does-that is to say, he pulled the rip cord,
which splits the balloon and lets the gas
out. OF course he came down very fast,
and only one of the party Of three was
saved.
At the same time the danger of balloon
ing has been very much exaggerated. The
accidents which occur are invariably caus-
60 py mlsmanagement or carelessness With
proper control there Is no more peril at
tached to navigating the air than in rid
ing on railway The greatest height
ever attained was by James Glaisher and
Aeronaut Coxwell' who got up to an ele
walton of rather more than 10000 feet.
They claimed $1,000 feet about five miles
put Glaisher was insensible for part of the
time and the testimony was not reliable
The erect of such an elevation Is asphyxia,
air enough to fill the lungs being lacking.
But there is no reason why it should not
De pracucable to rise ten miles above the
earths surface with the aid of a pneu-
matte cabinet-that is to say, tight closet
with doors opening inward. in which the
voyager could sit The air inside, being
oenser than that outside, would keep the
doors closed. and the aeronaut could get
along very well so long as the. supply of
oxygen taken In receiver lasted
Some Notable Air Voyages.
The longest voyage on record in a balloon
was made by John Wise from st. Louis to
Henderson. N. Y, in July, 1S59-a distance
OF $50 miles. which was made in nineteen
hours. or at the rate of forty-six miles an
hour. However, the conditions under which
this feat was accomplished were extraordi-
nary, the wind blowing a terrific gale. This
enthusiastic aeronaut finally lost his life
In Lake Michigan, the fatal accident be-
ing due to a rotten balloon. He made about
five hundred ascensons in all.
one OF the most extraordinary balloons
ever constructed was built at the expense
of the New York Graphic, in 1873. 1t was
made of muslin. 4,3l6 yards Of that material
being used, with eight miles Of seams and
l0,lSi,60O stitches Twelve sewing machines
were employed for many weeks on the
work. When completed it stood 16O feet
high. with the life boat which hung below
the car just touching the ground. The ex-
terror was coated with 500 gallons of oil,
500 gallons of beIfzine. and finally with var
nish. A smaller balloon, to carry extra
gas, chung at the side of the great one
The latter contained 100000 cubic feet of
Illuminating gas and had lifting power
OF 1900 pounds. The only man in the coun-
try who could initiate it was Prof. King
The car was of oak, with a cellar for
stores.
The Last Long Trip.
All sorts of apparatus was provided in
Guiding phosphorus torpedoes, to be flung
into the sea at night-the voyage contem-
plated being across the Atlantic-so that a
notion might be got of the direction in
which the balloon moved. A cage full of
trained homing pigeons was furnished for
sending messages back. Guns and fishing
party should be landed in an uninhabited
country The life boat was slooprigged,
with a movable mast. If more gas was
wanted the small balloon could be emptied
into the big one and the material could be
cut UP for ballast. When everything had
been thrown out OF the car to tighten the
load. the car itself could be cut away, the
party taking to the life boat. If the gas gave
cut, the boat could be placed in the water
and the balloon thrown away. The air
ship was launched in New York city, in
October, 1873 and landed in Winsted, Conn.
In June, 1887. balloon constructed by
the New York World left ST. Louis for New
York. 1t held 10000 cubic feet of illumi-
mating gas and was under the charge of
Aeronaut Moore. Prof HaZen went along
as meteorologist. No expense was spared on
the arrangements. The first trouble was
made by the gas company, which had
promised a 10-inch pipe. 1t actually fur
nished two pipes, one finch and one 6-inch.
saying that this was just the same thing.
In reality the capacity of both together
was just one-half of that of 1O-inch pipe
Thus the flow was not rapid enough, and
ii was finally decided to start when the
bag was only three-quarters full. Twenty
five thousand people had been waiting two
hours when the balloon went up at $50
pm.
stand. A moment later she was struck by
flaw in the wind and wobbled. The aero
naut shouted, lover with the ballastv Sew
eral hundred pounds of sand in bags was
4
height of three miles At 1900 feet the neck
of the bag opened and the gas began to
escape. This left the balloon only about
three-fifths full. She started to come down
and descended faster and faster. More
ballast was thrown over, and she took a
sweep up to 5000 feet. When she came
down again she had expended so much bal
last that it was decided to make a landing
the hour being pm. The voyagers found
themselves 81 miles from st. Louis. That
was the last long trip by balloon attempted
in this country. There have never been any
long voyages in Europe for lack Of steady
currents in that part of the world.
The Great Northwest.
Another famous balloon was the Great
Northwest" which started from Minneap-
oils for New York in September, 1881. 1t
was under charge of Prof. King. and car
ried seven men, five of them being news
paper reporters. 1t was the biggest balloon
ever inflated with hydrogen holding lOO,-
900 cubic feet. Though well planned in all
other respects, the ascent was made with
out any consideration Of air currents The
balloon went up in dead calm to a height
of 5000 feet, stayed for some time and came
down in COW pasture A few weeks later
King took the same balloon up at Chicago,
and was carried off into the wilds of Wis
consin, where he and one companion had
nothing to eat for three days except a
hedgehog.
Some of the phenomena observed at great
elevations are very interesting There are
wonderful echoes among the clouds, and
sometimes beautiful mirages are seen
Voyagers in the balloon have some