Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1893-04-20
THE ARMY's NEW BALLOON.
Its Use In Warfare to be Shown at the
Chicago Exposition.

>Ne-S-~---
The army has secured its flying ma
chine The military balloon, which is to
form part of the War Department ex-
hibit at Chicago, has been purchased by
Gen. Greedy, of the French balloonmaker,
Lachambre. The balloon has a capacity
of $4,000 feet and will cost 9,000f. 1t is
to be made of goldbeater's skin, and the
contract price includes basket, ropes,
sandbags, drag, and other accessories Of
military balloons.
1t is expected that the balloon will be
in Chicago by the middle of April A
detachment of Signal Corps Sergeants
will be sent to the exposition grounds to
join the force already there that practi-
cal illustration may be given of the
methods of signaling in the army, includ-
ing the operation of this military bal
loon.
1t has not yet been decided from
what source the gas for the balloon win
be obtained Pure hydrogen gas is the
best, and it may be obtained directly
from the Chicago. plant. There is also
the proposition that the gas be brought
from the East, as an illustration of
hSPOitdtlOu Ill tlulC VI WAL. uG gus
can be compressed into steel tubes, each
four or five feet long, and in this manner
easily carried to the place where the bal
loon is to be filed
In the English Army the gas is manu-
featured at Government plant aud
compressed into tubes, and so carried to
the balloon. The French have, IA better
system. They carry the plant With. the
balloon, and manufacture the gasE f go
sired. The plant may be picked ups,ns.
carried off without any trouble If theie
was any such occasion in this country As
there is in Europe for military balloon
ing, this principle of portable gas
plant would undoubtedly be the one
adopted for the United States Army, but
the balloon which has been purchased
will be used entirely for experimental
purposes against the time when such a
| feature may be necessary.
While the development of the military
balloon has been confined to the fighting
nations of Europe, it is an interesting
fact that the first use of the balloon in
time OF war was during the war of the
rebellion in this country. The idea was
grasped by the observant powers of the
| Old World, and the results, especially in
the French Army, have approached very
near perfection. Time was when the
military balloonist were content with the
captive balloon, such as will be sent to
Chicago. This is the regulation globular
balloon, attached to the basket of which
is light wire, extending to huge
reel, which allows the wire to unwind as
the balloon ascends, and serves to pull
the balloon back to camp. The wire has
a double use, in holding the balloon and
furnishing the occupants of the basket
means OF communicating. as by tele-
phone, with the officers at the reel.
An advance on this principle is the d.
rigible balloon, first brought out by the
French in 1884 The dirigible balloon is
of different shape from the captive, be-
ing elongated from and equipped with a
propeller operated by an electric motor,
which drags the balloon through the air,
rudder enabling the operator to con
troll its direction. At recent test. out
of seven ascents, the balloon was steered
through the air and was returned to the
place of starting on five trips.
The fault with the dirigible balloon at
present seems to be in the weight Of the
motor This, it is thought, will he
easily corrected, and the military bal
loon will have come very near the ideal
flying machine.