The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-03

be Steered the fszilu31 must fayA u
motive power, by which Il can be moved
forward, and upwards or dosTnwarsts
when Ii Is necessary to take II out OF
csirreat of wind superior to as own
speed. For az we discovered the rate
OF speed Of the wind varies according
30 the attitude You find layers OF at
nDsphere, if I nsay use that express
SION, one above the either. moving at
very different rates OF speed The mo-
tor must have a screw, because the
screw is the most powerful means OF
! propulsion os q body through q fluid
thai is known Just as 1T Is the best
means OF propulsion for a ship IN wa
te~. Ii Is best for ship IN the az. whicll
is only a filsid OF less density than wa
ter. Similarly the shape OF the bal
leon should resemble that OF 8 ship. be-
cause the same conditions are appli-
cable TO the one as TO the other, that
is TO say, ii should be Of an elongated
der. placed at fits stern. made of stun.
smooth and taut fulfilling the same
functions ard obeying the same prin-
ciples as the rudder Of a ship. A bal
loon of elongated shape. fitted with O.
screw set in motion by a nlotor and
with steering gear, such ash have de-
scrIbed, swouldssaH as surely in any di-
recfion that might be desired as a
steamship in the sea, as long as the air
is still. It is the opposing force OF the
air currents. that is To say. OF the wind,
which makes the steering OF the air
ship matter OF SO much difficulty.
When the speed of the air, coming in
the face of the balloon is equal TO that
generated by the balloon itself. the air
ship remains stationary. when 1t is SUI
perior the balloon is driven back. The
problem Is TO find a motor OF sufficient
power TO maintain a rate of speed SUI
perior TO that OF the strongest air cur
rents. All kinds OF motors have been
tried without results in the past. The
first motor essayed was the car worked
by the aeronaut himself. This was the
invention OF Blanchard in 1854. He
claimed TO have solved the problem and
to have been able to direct his balloon
against the wind by meansfof his oars.
which are worked by hand, much like
the oars of boat Similar attempts
we're made in the came year by Guyton
de Morveau and Able Bertrand at Di-
jon, the oars III this case being more OF
the form OF paddles. made of silk tight
ly stretched over a light wood frame
and worked by hands. like the wings
OF bird. Able Mlolan and his COM
par,ion, getting nearer the truth about
the same. experimental with a balloon
which was fitted with one gigantic oar
worked like a scua oxer the stern OF
boat. say that they got near to the
: f,-av I,z>< n.,
worked over the stern of the boat. that
the idea of the screw was taken as a
means of propulsion. and it is in the
screw only That the hope of the modern
aeronaut lies. But all these expert
merits were from the outset destined to
remain impracticable for the simple
reason that mans aIm-power is too
feeble to compete with the wind
even at the ordinary rate of speed. AS
to the next development, which was
that OF the use of sails, 1t cannot but
have proceeded from a perfect ignor-
ance of the most elementary principles
OF physics. A NJ. Tissandier de la
Mothe, he was no relation of mine, sol
EMMY proposed to the Academy of Sci
ences an invention for applying to the
'aerostatie globe the same sails that
are applied to ships in water. 1t was
an absurdity, because the balloon rela-
lively to the air by which ii is sur
rounded, is in a state OF such absolute
immobihty that the flame of a candle
lighted in balloon does not flicker and
that a soap bubble q have tried this
myself again and again laid down On
any part OF the balloon. even in the
strongest hurricane. would not receive
a breath of air. 1t is fair TO the Acad-
envy of Sciences of the time to say that
they at once saw the absurdity OF NJ.
de la Mothe's proposal. But de la
Mothe was not the only man who. from
want of elementary scientific krowl-
edge. thought to solve the problem of
the steering of balloons by the use of
sails. An Englishman named Martyr,
a certain Guyot. who by the way pro-
posed that balloons should be made in
egg-shape; a savant named Robertson.
who ought to have known better, and
NJ Terzuoio, who proposed as late as
In 1855, that the sail to be fitted TO the
balloon should be inflated by air gen.
Grated by hand-pump. all committed
the same error. About as absurd as
Terzuolo's idea was that of the inventor
who proposed 10 me that the balloon
should be constructed of ma gnetiZesi
material. by reason of which it wotfld
be attracted. invariably. in the direc-
ton OF the north pole. ! think that
have his letter here" said NJ. Tissan-
der. taking down Il box and opening
a number of paper cases. which as he
showed sne were impressed with the
water-naark OF Montgoliier brothers.
descendants OF the famous Montgol-
fiers. who are engaged In the manufact-
ure OF paper in the center Of France.
The water-rlark Is a balloon.
Although IL had long been established
that II was useless hoping for any rrac-
teal results In aerial navigation until
a motor OF sufficient power could he dis
covered. IL was thought that, in the
meanwhile, by taking advantage Of the
very forces which had to be combatted
some sort Of practical result as risal-
Ter might. be obtained. ! fancy that
Il was M. Durtiof and myself I'm our
ascent on the 18th of August, 1868. near
Calais. who first demonstrated that. by
using the various air currents. one
might more or less sail IN the direction
that Il was desired to take. At a dis
lance Of 500 metres from the surface Of
the earth the cir current blew from
northeast to southwest. Above that
height there was an air current which
blew i'm exactly an opposite direction
Between the two was thick layer OF
clouds Thus by rising above or sink