The Dickinson press., 1894-06-09

Balloon Attachments for Governing
Ascent and Descent.
some fish glue, which adds to their ad-
herring qualities when making the fab
ric of the envelope.
In making the envelope, says a cor
respondent in the A%eronautics. Il cotton
model balloon with Il neck was made
of the same size as the Gen eral Myer
and its surface oiled. This cotton bag
was then inflated with air by Il blower
and the neck securely fastened so as to
retain the air. The model vas kept in
q state'o tension by applying the blow
er from time to time as the air undey"
pressure within leaked through. The
model thus fully inflated was suspended
by ropes attached to the neck and to
the top or opposite hole. This suspcn-
sion permitted the balloon model to be
turned as upon an axis, and thus
brought every part of its surface in
rotation within easy reach Of the oper-
ator. A scaffold framework, having
a height nearly equal to the semidiame-
ter of the model, was placed around one
side, VI semicircumference, thus pre-
senting to the workmen IL nearly verti-
cal surface on which to lay the mem
branes. The nice task of placing the
membranes forming the fabric of The
envelope was done by wOmen i:..ir!l
membrane was taken from the -.
| stretched out upon the surface o: HE
model, smootlled down by hand. and
| sides or ends. where irregular, We're
| cut off by Il pair Of blunt-pointed shears
which the wOmen used most deity.
Being wet and charged with the solu-
ton of fish glue the membranes stretch
| cd taut over the surface and adhered
while damp to the model. The men,
blanes in this way We're placed side by
side, tile edges overlapping. until the
entire surface of the balloon model was
covered with one coherent layer Of the
old-beater's skin. Over this first layer
Il second and third were put. III like
manner, except that the membranes in
each alternate were placed ut right
angles to the longitudinal direction Of
the preceding series. Over the third
layer were placed, from the top to the
neck, long ribbons about an inch wide,
Of the same material, laid in lattice.
These ribbons were made by stretching
O layer of gold-beater's skin upon q
long and smooth oiled board, and
superimposing thereon five additional
layers successfully, and after drying,
the fabric, which resembled parchment,
was cut into narrow strips. These in
terlacing ribbons, or cords. appear rs
diamond-shapcd figures, increasing in
size from each pole to the equator, and
strengthen the balloon fabric and limit
its tearing to rents no greater than
about sixteen inches at the equator,
in case the balloon should come II
contact with any shlrp-pointed object
Over these strengthening cords three
additional layers Of gold-beater's Skin
were placed similar to the first three
Around the top and about the nccl
an additional layer was placed to fur
ther strengthen these parts, where thu
strain is great. After the fabric wa
thus completed the air was pumped on
of the model the neck of the cotton ba,
was separated from that Of the OUTSIDE
fabric and air was blown into the tru'
balloon envelope between the skins ant
the cotton material, gently separating
the skins from the oiled surface of tn
cotton model and permitting the latte
to be pulled out through the neck o