The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-27

and propellers The latter will be worked
by man power, very likely by the feet,
bicycle fashion. Probably the propeller
shaft Will be made to project both ways.
having screw in front and screw be-
hind, thus getting double power and in
cidentally preserving the balance. The
problem of propelling balloons has al
ready been solved to some extent. In
France such air ships have succeeded in
travelling in the teeth of fifteen-mlle
| wind. All that is needed for the pur-
pose is the proper mechanism, and eXpe-
riments in that direction are being
made.
It is too early to say from what point
| the start for Europe will be made. Very
likely it will be made from New York,
but soma point further south would be
BETTER such as Charleston. Making the
| departure from a place so far down the
coast would render the chance better for
reaching England, owing to the fact that
the storms of the Atlantic tend north
ward. However, if the directing machin-
cry works properly, it does not matter
from what port the air ship sails, and
land in London.
preliminary Trip.
The attempt will not be made without
trying preliminary voyage from Den
yer to New York, or perhaps from San
Francisco to New York. If THAT can be
accomplished, there should be no diff
Guilty about crossing the ocean. To come
back across the Atlantic. would not be
practicable, because the air currents are
in the opposite direction. In order to
to go all around the world, reaching San
Francisco by way of the Pacific. Prof.
Hazen thinks there is no reason why bal
loon voyages around the globe should
not be made some day. He believes that
the north pole will eventually be arrived
at by aerial navigation:
The professors air ship, holding 100,-
600 cubic feet of gas, will cost $4,000 or
Sc, 000 He can get one with q capacity
ideas is to make the basket life boat,
so that it will serve for a. journey by
water in case of accident to the balloon.
tits an extraordinary circumstance about
ballooning that, when a man has gone
up many times, he forgets danger and
becomes careless Aerial navigation
quickly becomes passionswith those
who pursue it. The sensation of floating
at great heights is exalting almost to the
point of intoxic alton. Only year ago
Prof Rogers, the aeronaut, made an as
cent at Boston when strong west wind
was blowing. 1t was twenty-five mile
I,aa1a diroct1v +ou,or1 tho At1op4io.
but, without making any preliminary
investigation in the manner above sug-
gested, he may have supposed that there
was current in the opposite direction
higher up. as sometimes occurs. After
reaching an altitude of about 5000 feet
he found himself over the ocean. In
stead of coming down gradually VIII lie a
tug came to his assistance, he became
panic stricken and did the last thing an
aernaut ever does-that is to say, he
pulled the rip cord, which splits the bal
loon and let's 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 bal
looming has been very much exaggerated
The accidents which occur are invariably
caused by Encouragement or careless
ness. With proper control there is no
more peril attached to navigating the air
"
height ever -attained was by James
Glaisher and Aeronaut Coxwell, who got
up to an eleva tion of rather more than
10000 feet. They claimed $1,000 feet or
about five miles, but Glaisher was in
sensible for part of the time, and the ties
timony was not reliable The effect of
such an elevation is asphyxia, air enough
to fill the lung being lacking But there
is nc reason why it should not be prac-
ticable to rise ten miles above the earth S
surface with the aid of a pneumatic cabi-
net that is to say, tight closet with
doors opening in which the voyager
| could sit The air intside, being denser
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 the receiver lasted.
Some Notable Air Voyages
The longest voyage on record in bal
loon was made by John Wise from ST.
Louis to Henderson, N. Y, in July,
1s5a-a distance of $50 miles, which was
made in nineteen hours, or at the rats of
torty-six miles an hour. However, the
conditions under which this feat was
accomplished were extraordinary, the
wind blowing terrific gale This en-
thusiastic aeronaut finally lost his life in
Lake Michigan, the fatal accident being
due to a rotten balloon. He made about
five hundred ascensions in ALL
One of the most extraordinary balloons
| ever constructed was built at the ex-
pense of the New York Graphic in 1878.
1t was made of muslin, 1916 yards of
that material being nsed, with eight
miles of seams and 10,137, 600 stitches :.
Twelve sewing machines were employed
for many weeks on the work. When COM
pleted it stood 100 feer high, with the
life boat which hung below the car just
touching the ground. The exterior was
coated with 500 gallons of oil, 500 gallons
of benzine, and finally with yarnish. A
smaller balloon, to carry extra gas, chung
at the side of the great one. The latter
contained 400, 900 cubic feet of illuminat-
ing gas and had a lifting power of IA, 600
pounds. The only man in the country
who could initiate il was Prof. King.
| The car was of oak, with cellar for
| stores.
The Last Long Trip.
All sorts of apparatus was provided,
including phosphorus torpedoes, to be
flung into the sea at night-the voyage
contemplated being across the Atlantic