The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-08-24
HISTORY OF BAiLOONING.
THE ART OF AERoNAUTICS TOLD
FROM ITS FANCY.

The Latest Inventions HI EurOpe Aro
Steered Against the Wind - Bal
looms In Warfare.
TT is only Ill years since the Mont
golfer brothers sailed in the air
balloon filled with heated mir,
& crude affair Mt best; now the
latest Developments and Investigations
of Langley, Maxim and Holland are
becoming we'll known to the public.
But it is only within a few years that
any real progress has been made. On
tho 5th of June, 1888, Joseph Mont
golfer, at Annonay, France, assisted
by his brother Stephen, sent up n
balloon made of vanished paper.
They are credited with being ''the
first that ever burst into that un-
known sea-"
The first ascension with passengers
was undertaken by tho Marquis d'Ar-
hnde, and Plate de Rozier, coming
down in twenty-five minutes at dis
tancc of five miles from the starting
point. DIR. John Jefferies, graduate
Of Harvard, made, in 17S5, the first
passage by balloon from England to
France, with the aeronaut Blanchard,
paying him over $500 for the cost of
the trip. The trip occupied two hours
only. A monument was erected Mt
the point of d0bnrkation, and Mr..
Jetfries was much feted by the munic-
ipal council of tho city of Guines, in
France, and it's Compte de-
scended in the forests of Guines. I'm
provcments were made soon after in
tho safety valve, hanging the car in a
net, the method OF using ballast, etc.
Gay-Lussac and Blot reached au OLE
vation of 1000 meters, or 81, 900 feet.
No further progress was made in tho
construction of balloons and tho sci
entitio development OF aerial naviSa-
tion for nearly q century.
The employment Of balloons in war
fare was found to he practicable dur
ing the siege of Paris, i'll 1870, when
Nadar and others established the bal
loon postal service. Gambctta him
self did not hesitate to escape from
Paris In this manner. In Tonquin, in
tho late French war, balloons were en-
ployed. The balloon roso to n height
of $50 meters, or during battles to go
possible to inform the commanding
officer as to the point where the pro-
jectiles fell, the strength of the enemy,
etc, by raising the voice, or by drop
ping writtcncommunicatio weighted
with stones. 1t WAS also through this
means that the Chinese were prevented
from retiring from Bac- Mini, and that
place was taken without firing firing II
shot.
The use Of the balloon III the recent
great military maneuvers in Franco
has perfected tho science greatly, rs
shown by NJ. Debureaux, an officer Of
engineers, in his report. In conclud-
ing his report he claims that if Ma
poleon at Waterloo and Bazaine at
Saint Privat had had balloon service
at their disposal, = different result
might have been expected from both
battles, and thereby the course of his
tory would have been changed. NJ.
Debureaux thinks that ut distance Of
three miles the balloon would be be.
yond the reach of artillery, and would
command the ground for distance of
more than six miles; and even at night,
the country is sufficiently illuminated
to be compared with map. 1t is diff
Iicult, however, to distinguish the
movements of troops in n wooded coun-
try, and there are other drawbacks
If tho proposed balloon ventures
succeed n new era will have been in
augurated in aerostatics. The greatest
of these is the navigable balloon,
based on the theory of Lieutenant
Clement do ST. Marco. 1t consists in
sending an electric current to motor
placed in easement, which is sus-
pended by n balloon. thus operating n
propeller situated in the anterior part
of the easement, the current to be son.
able cable towcd by the balloon, aud
sliding along an elevated aeriel way
by means of q trolley. The balloon
is an elongated or cigar-shnped
form. The ccntra! part of the
easement is the governing station,
where the motorman has access to all
tho actuating levers. The anterior
part is reserved for passengers, fitted
up like n saloon steamer, and will nc
CoHiiilou'tte IWeuty y -iiNe W IulTGy peO-
pie; the postcrior part is reserved for
machinery. Hero is located motor
of 145 horse power. The speed of the
balloon is estimated at twenty-five
miles an hour. The electric current
is generated by two dynamos Of 200
horse power each. Tho track is to bo
laid from tho house in the city to tho
fair grounds, distance of about n
mile
The other venture in nerostatics -
10 chateau ncrian. consists, rs its
name suggests, in having II castle sus-
pended III mld-air by means of n
balloon. The gigantic enterprise is
not expected to be in operation until
lnto in the summer. Tho basket or
''chatcau" will hold 100 persons at n
height of 1909 feet; connection be-
tween the chateau and tho ground il
to he established by means of fast
elevators between heavy cables. The
balloon, the chateau and the elevators
nro to DO equipped with parachutos,
in case Of accident. The moorings of
this aerial monster will consist of
forty steel cables, 40 arranged that the
81, g., l,., -,