New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-04
THE BALLOON WAGON.


progress has been made in this country toward per
fectIng balloons for military purposes roi''S" ~
tres-uotallv England. Germany ara frahce-n'
nvs,sd Il, te fore In this direction. however anu u"
dav their armies have balloons rs part oil 'h'r '"'
paign equipment. Tie balloon nS'u ny "'"
Porter was Of the captive type. Experiments a'ro"'
hive tended toward the development OF drglDle pa'
looms which are generally regarded as inc more u'
s,ra,Je for military purposes. but up 10 Inc preSen
dav all snch experiments have been more "' ie
unsuccessful. All efforts to sccur" hai'ooh Oh 'S
Lind have not vet produced one Wholly SATISFACTORILY
other for extended Reconnaissance or as Instruments
NJ offensive warfare There Is no question maj ror'"
Juuicn Giifard Tssaudier Campbell ana o'her g"
thus,asts in aerial navigation have constructed ma
mr. apparatus which have actually been prop'eu IN
snv desired direction but only n low rate OF SIero
uprnr comparatively calm weather, has so Tar peeh
optained -.
II hos been pointed out by Captain Fullerton OF th'
ROYAL Engineers that satisfactory war balloon mus'
carry three four passengers. supply OF explosive
shells and one or two machine guns Inc "'o""
s,on,d no able 70 travel about thirty miles an honr II
co,m weather and have lining capacl'v OF aoou'
800 mounds of which about LOO should be allowed
for messengers Instruments explosives ana ha'aS''
The French military drcinc balloon, known Is ,ne
Challas. Moudon. was somewhat successful uuri,S Wv
reccnt trials but the rate OF speed was low ana WIN
a total weight OF 400 pounds it was only capaplc
OF carrying 80 pounds OF passengers ana 40 po"""
n, ballast The Investigation and experiments OF thch
able scientists as Professor Langley Colonel D"o'""
OF the French engineers. and Nr. MAXIM i.aNr '' ~,
tributed much 10 convince The most i"''iN'"''
fbcv have not conclu,vcy demonstrated me i"'''
mat aerial navigation by arshpS heavier t""h ar j.
rroctcoole Apparcnty the only remaining requisite
Is satisfactory motor considerably ieh''r '1'' "IS
now in use. Inventors In both France anu "''",
.ssert that they have solved the motor proo'n '"'
the foct remains that the military authorities OF 'noSe
countries have not adopted these new designs. lhnt
srcccss will finally attend the efforts ~ sTiohusS 10
develop a balloon or ohcr fyins machine VINO "''
m found thoroughly practicable ana mana s
almost certain. That when a machin" OF ms h,u
succeeds IFS first great use VIII Dc lor "in''iH p
,oses soens coually certain on this subject N"A'"'
is onotcd as having recently said "Such "","'"e
will ut once become an engine OF war TO. guy W
reconnotre the encmvs POSITION. but ais" oil carrying
md dropping into The encmy's Hines large "o''"'
charged with Igh explosives H.,
THO signal CORPS of tho United states Army is aiiVe
n the recent progress made In haIoonins ny Io'iS'
military authorities. During the last year 'he o'o
=, odarc balloons 10 each Nying telegraph train mas
received careful consideration Ivy General "rTcN no
a consequence Of the subjects importance al u".
h,ste has been observed. and result OF earnest
efforts made the Army possesses To-Day "o'''"
captive balloon. The annual appropriations are 30
limited that Gcncral Greedy has only bceh ape y"
rrocure one balloon this character but II expert
or,s warrant the expenditure Congress will he re-.
onestcd TO authorize the purchase oil others ihe
Armys present balloon arrived from Paris by steamer
n few DAYS ago. II has been shipped TO lineage
-horc dnr,nc the Worlds Fair It will form feature
AZ the country's military exhibit "enerai "reclS
s,sonts eypect TO have number Of practical expert
ncn,s made with the balloon at n" Far eronhuS
Captain Richard f. Thompson. OF The Sichai .o'Ps'
has viven particular attention 70 the subject OF ''S
oaloonInc and he will doubtless conduct whatever
experiments are made at Jackson Park In f'h'rai
~ov the Army balloon when Inflated for service re-
scmhles those In general Us" by aeronan'S' Nh'h ho
inflated the balloon resembles at shsh' o''nno'
large md carefully folded pack OF thick parchment
II Is transported from place 10 plac" on heavy "ue
t,rea v,rons such rs those In by the Army II
seid service. Accompanying the balloon wagon ar'
three others. which carry the tubes coh'l'"'"s "'
gas for iDHaiIng purposes Unlike III" D"''"i
nesum IN general usc-coal gas-thc army balloon VII
be inflated with hydrogen gas. the lifting power
which Is sixtvfyc pounds per 1000 cubic lec, ~
against thirty five pounds 10y coal gas Inc hFu'os'
gas will be generated by the common method OF pour
ing suphuric acid on zinc.
The captive military balloon which IN" Army ma
.curcd * made OF god-bca,cr skin. its capacity 1
1000 cubic feet. and It has been constructed VIII
view TO contact, with severe winds and vnryin
oumo,c Influences. It's shape Is spherical with dr
allowance for the necessary elonga'ion OF INC h'oA
u was constructed with the greatest care ana nicer!
~ from five TO six aninac OF the best quality oil Skin
.c,rIv ccmentcd together to form a honosencou
..,or. tp,ncrrrcab', 10 hydrogen gas over the en-
,o,or. and between the layers OF the material Is II
serted rs IN the English balloons 'riahs"a'eu
- cross cords OF animal membrane 10 increase IN
,r.,c,b of the entire fabric, ana 10 prevent tcaI
,,cnd,nr through all the layers. ihc envelope Il as
.oxcred with varnsh known rs Inc La'hampi
oooes Outside of all a netting OF ia" b'st i,aiia
hemp Is worked about two-'hroS oi inv p','oo'
A, tbe mouth Is fastened larg" BRASS wave ''sn,'
.h, In diameter having steel springs. arranged
hermit the rapid entry or oHon"ie' " .
r"m strength OF the fabric is about 40 to DC
,o,,sg IN 1868 sauaIe inches. lis weight Is "oo'
nr,v 20 seven pounds per square yard A''aeh'
.. -, ho,,om will be a tr.pczc. dynamomeier' col
oa,,raune ring a rope safeguard sufficiently s'ro'
N hear the strain OF captive asccnSi"n'' 'h" ~
apn,,onccs usually required. telephone e"p,' -
w. a,,oc,cd IN the rope which holds The baiio'
co,,,ve and inside the car. which IS willow "''N
nasLet about Is inches long and 80 ihchcS WIN al
aeen will he telephone receivers and trnhSni''rs'
nerm,t communication 10 be held with Inc camp
harrison below. The cost OF the bhhooh' WIN
appliances Sl.sOO.
The hydrogen gas with which the balloon Il u
inflated viii be carried In steel tubes mo""'"
nests and transported by wagons The tup's GU"
CHARGED ut any convenient time at power s'auo
They are feet long, IL Inches III diameter III
have o normal interior capacity OF one cnbc 100
They weigh seventy pounds each and are c'p'pl'
withstanding n pressure OF 200 atmosphcrcs t'''
poupds) to the square inch The three wagons W
~srry 1875 tubes. In the arrangements made by Gel
eral Greedy 1t Is intended that the tubes shall
allied M some secure place where the power genera;
,y safe from the enemy's fire. This IS the custo
,o,,oved nv the English, and saves the labor al
Danger Of Transporting machinery on The field
... rho French method Is 10 have the generatil
49, ,,,,h tho balloons at all times. The stora
-. 10 .oooly effective, and permits lghtness
continent and rapidly ana SaieS VI ae''on' Ia