The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-30

| NoNlu VIC Nu4lc NHetE enthusiasm iva vac
way,
Accordingly Captain Glassford chief
Sgnal officer of the department Of the
Colorado, recently advertised for bids
and furnished a list of material that
scarcely savored in the line of NUM-
| lions of war; First Of all he called
| for 800 yards of pongee silk nineteen
| inches wide, of the class that usually
sells for from 80 to so cents yard,
according to the unique wording of the
| advertisement, TO get this in shape
| for the requirements of the aeronauts
the specifications are supplemented by
| three dozen spools of silk thread, ten
pounds OF cotton rope thirty pounds of
cotton Irvine, twenty-five gallons Of pure
| linseed oil, twenty-five gallons of benz
zine, and one valve. With these mater
| ials at their disposal the men are now
| experimenting on the use of various
kinds Of needles that, not having been
| embraced in the specifications, will have
TO be contributed by the men.
The proposed balloon will be a new de-
parture in the annals of the army, as
heretofore all such devices have come
through the agency of importers. Cap
tain Glassford conceived the idea that
a balloon of superior quality could be
made in Colorado, and as the initial
step ordered this radical move. The
preparation of material for war ball
loon has been a tedious process involv-
ing patience and the possession OF a lot
of technical lore that the war depart
ment bowed to as the chief attribute
OF long experience in Europe. Captain
Glassford is too practical to allow the
experience of others to serve as stum-
bling block now that he has demonstrat-
ed that the costly membranous con-
struction is not essential. The old way
has been to use gold-beaters' skin fa-
brio, at a cost of about $1,S00. The
membranes from which the fabric Is
formed are obtained from the entrails
of the bullock. Each animal furnishes
membrane from is to 80 inches long
and 10 to 20 inches wide. The mem
branes are sailed until ready for use,
and are then placed in a vessel of soft
water to which a peculiar kind of glue.
obtained from the Caspian sea sturgeon,
is added to give an adhesive quality.
To make the envelope of the balloon a
model of cotton cloth is prepared. The
surface of the model is oiled and then
the inflated model has scaffolding
built around it upon which worlmen
may stand in placing the membranes.
Each membrane is taken from the wa
ter and stretched upon the surface Of
the model and smoothed down. The
edges are allowed to overlap so that
when the first layer is completed the
entire model is covered with an envel-
ope, forming homogeneous whole. A
Iua ;,I ic
on the first and second in the same
manner, after which ribbons of the
same material about an inch wide are
laid like lattice work over the third
layer, forming diamond shaped figures
This precaution Is taken to prevent the
balloon from tearing Three more lay
ers of skin are added and the body OF
the great air traveller is completed
The cotton model is then drawn OUT
through the neck OF the skin envelope
after having been separated from the
pattern by force of air pumped between
the two. A circular opening is cut In
the top of the air ship for the valve
the netting is adjusted to the outside
and the balloon is ready for its flight.
So much for the European method
which is noted for the delicacy and
l GAdClItSS 4Ola every utldIi. Il oliAQLG vi
! any part of the inflnitesimal detail
might develop faults that would result
in the condemnation of the vessel after
completion, and the whole tedious oper-
alton would have to be done over again
Captain Glassford did not relish the
idea Of such a complex machine for
the practical usefof the war, and afte,
: a long series Of observations concluded
that the ordinary balloon of the parks
: and gardens would suffice at least fol-
} the experimental purpose of the bal
| loon school at Fort Logan. He breach
ed the subject to General Greedy, and
that officer promptly acquiesced in the
suggestion. Glassford then had to con
slider the art Of manufacturing, and in
course Of inquiry ran across Ivy Bald
win, the professional aeronaut, whom
he induced to enlist in the army, so as
, to give the government the full benefit
of his lifelong experience. A close ac.
quaintance that amounted to intimacy
sprang UP between the men, for the
rigid rules of the army failed to keer
them at the usual long distance range
that exists between officers and the
men of the rank. Long conferences
: were held away from military lines
where the discipline would not hay,
sanctioned the protracted intercourse
Glassford was an enthusiast. He rel
egated the distinctions of rank to thu
background In his desire to perfect him
, self in the art Of sailing through thu
air During the talks it developed tina
! the practical aeronaut had the utmos
, contempt for the theories of the hide
bound officers of the line, and with hi