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

was to have the glory Of the latest mill
tary auxiliary for the edihcation of the
world, Phereupon Baldwin suggested
that the balloon men seize upon the
opportunity to make q reputation and
a balloon at the same time. He had
number Of what the women would call
patterns, and this relieved the army of
furnishing red-taped Specifications with
voluminous details of construction that
only the most expert masters of the
art could understand. General Greedy
was about tired of the balloon business,
but the enthusiasm of the young re-
| cruit carried him away, and reluctantly
he gave his consent to the new depart
| ure in army work.
The balloon, when Impressed into SER
| vice, is inflated with hydrogen gas gem
Grated at Fort Logan, and for opera
lions outside the fort the gas Is stored
In steel cylinders at pressure Of 101
| atmospheres. These cylinders are cas-
| lily carried about in wagons, each wag-
| on carrying thirty-flve tubes holding
| charge sufficient for a single ascension.
| The balloon when inflated Is transport
| ed ON wagon built for the purpose.
AS 1t is captive balloon, never rising
more than 1000 or 1900 feet from the
| earth, the wagon is arranged with
suitable gearing, having drum around
which Is wound steel wire. A small
| engine is carried to wind or run off
| the CABLE which has an insulated con-
nection through a wire in the centre
conveying messages by the Morse code
or telephone The outside strands COM
| plete the circuit. Professional aero
nauts declare that the new balloon will
be better than the General Myer, and
| model for the manufacture Of similar
ships for other nations.
Captain Glassford has added to the
| safety Of the airship by a oontrivance
| which will reduce to minimum the
| risks OF an airship in times of war. 1t
has been asserted that a well-directed
| shot from the enemy striking the bag
would empty 1t of gas and bring it to
the ground at a rate that would be
fatal to the crew. The new device over
comes this danger. 1t consists essen
| TALLY of an iuminum tube fixed as a
hoop around the middle of the balloon
and attached to the envelope and net
ting. A perforating shot would con-
vert the collapsng balloon by the nat
ural effect Of descent into a para
chute
THE war balloon may be used in
great number of ways" said the cap
tain, in reply to an inquiry. "It affords
| a means Of overlooking the camp of an
| enemy, and by means of signals or tele-
graph the officer In command Of the
balloon may learn the disposition of
the enemy's force In battle, and may
be prepared to meet any movement,
The telephone may be worked both
ways, and the observer at a safe dis
lance near the clouds is in a position
to answer promptly any questions that
may be asked from below. A powerful
searchlight may be thrown upon the
enemy at night, and the electric flash
signal may be used to important advan-
tage. Instantaneous Photographic views
may also be obtained to good purpose"
Captain Glassford takes little stock
In the claim that the balloon in time of
war would be the mark for sharpshoot-
ers Tests with the most expert marks
men In the German army showed that
they could not hit a moving object mod
erately high in the air only one out OF
sixteen times. The captain argues that
a balloon at / 900 feet Is so small to the
eye that 1t becomes an Immensely diff
cult mark to- hit 1t is wholly out of
range Of the most powerful rifles owing
to the attractions of gravity, and no
cannon has as yet been invented that
can be accurately aimed toward the
zenith AS to the theory of the ex-
plosion Of noxious gases from mortars,
which has also been advanced as a
means Of rendering the balloon ineffec-
tual, the captain says that the most ex-
perienced balloonist would not fear to
stand that kind of music all day.
While taking observations on the Eu-
ropean continent Captain Glassford Wis
lifted the celebrated school of aerostation
at Mendon, France. This school is the
Oldest Of Its kind in the world, and is
maintained at the expense of the French
government as an experimental arm OF
the war department The greatest Sc
crecy is maintained as to its operations