New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-13
BALLOONS ~ ARFARE.
BULLETS MAKE LITTLE IMPRESSION UPON
THEM But sIIRAPNII. Is MORE EFFECTIVE

D1-IIETs MAKE LITTLE IMPRESSION UPON
THEM. But sIRAPNIL Is MORE EFFECTIVE
From Journal des Debats.
The aerial SPY has for some time been closely stud
ted by French German. Austrian and RUSSIAN ON
GERS and the results OF recent experiments are note
worthy 1t appears that II is not easy 10 shoot d3"h
a captive balloon. The balls or the modern I'nts
it are 80 small that the escape Of gas Is insignlss
cant This has been clearly proved by me ie ~ o
metres The only possible enemy OF balloon Is tne
been made with balloons at el.va'ioIs ; ,o -
200 TO metres ana at distance oi from ' ,%gr.v
sg me'r s6c rs0 the 'T Ru"sa artillery put we
ty-ive balls through haalVon n,} gr1 A. 1850 metres
f bNns uG baoon 20 high out Of twenysS
shrapne shells But when TIE alrshP o, wn nsr So'
metres in the air and the firing distance ooy Metrs,
three balls out Of eighty shells during the expert
ments last year In Austria o,o,,.es ara not pener-
aIlv mortal Indeed, It often HAPPENS thh thG smiP
mel and the broken keen be Balloon than The bhets OF
The sma-bore rifles With eight NOES IN rnn
vewer and those that brought down ran bSn3
slowly Ike parachutes: isu,, ' 10 MADE in f. tho
when a hug r rem v"P''"'
balloon droPS er "Spcriments the conclusion IS that
n rom npd al 70 keep the balloon beyond TIE reach OK
dangerous protectes, 1t must De KEEP 90 nI res
experiments the OSCILLATIONS OF III, htroa IN really
cnlated at twenty metres only, whereas d" ''"'''
trials were then recOHincnceu VIII ~
loon rolling and with frequent chaneeS II. ~ =.
lion The Budapest, which was ihe . Ga, -,
,.iIcor Ton metres in diameter and fourteen ~, ~
height A battery Of eight guns was p'I haa,,n I'M
metres from The wndlass ffriiA 49, DIs''' ,i"n
tbe balloon constantly changed rs Toslioh' -S,
in shelter moved the winllass ny iile"H 20 ,ng con-
This Obliged the gunners to alter thtlr '' e., ~
sta ntlv They fired eighty shells at ~ ma ,,hn
ali thai were allowed for the cHperlu'h AZ L ~
fhc balloon was hauled down II was iouhd W, haJ
were only three insignificant hOlts III H. -. ~
little or no effect upon its ascending iy"u' ra,,ei
should be remembered that the eishty inrir'.,
shells represented 1900 balls and pieces o. VI I'm
sheiIr 50 the Austrian officers came 10 slc al
ciusion that a balloon at that elevation ana NY.
/ in the manner described had very many chaiices "a
I escape all danger from the fire OF an enemy, al" III
that the efforts Of the artillerymen snouIi p w.
rected aalinst the windlass and the servants o '''
balloon. 10, .,,o.od tho ma vi
! mum Beyond that observations are unceTtdiiI -,
ni~tance from the enemy should be from clGht "
ton kilometres. Major Renard who has cnaFse 81
| The department of military aerOstaton az Ncuuon-
! chalais who compiled the documents thot we no .
here condensed says that IN order TO Toll the iITe oi
an enemv's artillery, II Is nos sufficient 70 move !"
haloon in a straight line, because II Is clear tHb
instead OF following II In its backward and forwHru
rnovements the enemy would confine hbS attention.
~ he extreme points OF its reach and fire upon ~
oncSsss,rv 70 vary the direction OF It's movement
and oven its altitude In this way the enemy wou.i
he compelled TO alter the pointing OF his guns con-
| stantv and while this operation went on the aero
maui Gould quietly attend to his business In the Inc
OF re nut the thng In nutshell the captive balloon
n Sbie 70 defend Itself With considerable fsciitS"