The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-31

: sN; .ppDly f'S q. Witch w S'f &c had Win iani him. Os snS a
one Inspiration per. second, with bepeiciSi
results. AZ $1,000 feet he swooned. but
The height already mentioned. Not deomihs
u safe 70 ascend higher. he de;cended; land
IN Q a" hours Snr' and Is mlnutcs s'I a speed Of aboSs
35 miles an hour.
Invc,tlsatlon Of the atmospheric con.
atmosphere IL one of the important things
TO be accomplished with the balloon. and
described. gives Us valuable practical infor-
nation about atmospheric, tempcrature.
iudes, and the rate o. increase or decrease
IN these cond tons with increase of altitude,
which otherwise can 30 only Theoretically
In = balloon voyage made by Herr ,Andrec
from St ,sI holm. 2 ess H. H. isgsi p 70 r = S.ir pc
Of $500 ivet. aud found. that the diminution
Of temperature for the first 1000 feet was at
for 400 feet; the surface lemr"rature At start
found that the relative atmospheric humidity
decreased from 100 per cent. at 5000 feet alti-
tude, to 4 per cent. at 800 feet.
should risk their lives In extremely high ascen-
sions to ascertain these facts, as was done by
certained with sufficient accuracy by means OF
captive balloons carrying self-registering In
heights where II would be impossible for an
aeronaut To live, even with oxygen Inhalation;
so that 1t is not impossible that the atmcs-
pheric conditions prevailing at an altitude Of
even ten miles or:more may yet be ascertained
Captive balloons have various other impor-
tant uses. They are employed for both mill
tary and naval observations, one, object Of
which Ia 10 locate and reconnoitre the enemy's
position in var, which can be thus ascertained
even when, far below the horizon of an oh
server az the mast head of a ship or on the
Another important u.s. 70 which they are
now applied Is to convey the life line from u
wrecked ship to tile shore: several hundred
small balloons having recently been ordered by
purpose. \ ship provided with one or more u
these balloons, II wrecked or, a lee shore. can
Il laG Might fsHS be a im rlns od sso tS s shoot sae o SS,I SS m whsq
Or a line can lie sent from the shore to the ship
where the wind is favorable.
While the employment Of the balloon for eA-
ploration. for war. and for other important
purposes indicated in this article is already
well assured, its limited capacity, comparative
ly large cost, and lack NJ experience in its man
agcment render its use for commercial pur-
poses, as the carrying OF passengers OF freight,
practically impossible under present conditions.
There IL. however, one way which has not
been indicated in which it may possibly be
used for the transportation Of passengers and
freight. if financial success in competition with
existing means. of transportation can be as
sured. This is ny the construction Of a suita-
PIE electro line, and the use In connection with
such a lin" could be constructed with sub
sthntlAl poles OF steer OF VOTu, located ~ bnOTt
distances apart. and carrying on suitable .brack,
et5 a double line. consisting either OF stout
wire cables or light rails, similar to those
used as conductors on elevated electric rail-
roads. the two branches OF the line being in
sulated from each other, 80 as to make a COM
pieted electric circuit. Over this line navi-
gable balloons, Of the elongated type. could
be propelled by electric motors. obtaining their
currents from the line in practically the Same
manner as they are obtained by electric cars,
and connected with 1t by stout flexible conduo-
tors, terminating either in trolley. wheels or
sliding shoes, by which tho balloon should
be held to the track with sufficient force to
resist strong winds and the comparatively
slight onward pressure.
Az the propelling apparatus would consisG
only OF the electric motor and screw. q motor
Of sufficient power to produce II high speed
coIld be used without absorbing so much Of
the lifting power by it's weight as to rcd uce
the load ct passengers and freight below
and propulsion. the strain on a we'll con.
structed track by the force Of the wind
against the balloon would not be sufficient
to disturb IL or endanRer the balloon. espe-
cially as the sailing altitude need be only q
few feet above the track, just sufficient to
clear ill instructions.
An inter-urban passenger line Of this kind
would soon become very popular and at
tract large patronage: not only on account
OF this method of travelling. gliding almost
unconsciously through the air at q high rate
of Speed. without noise or Jolt, dust or smoke.
Such IA line would have all the advantages
of an elevated road. and could be constructed
at a mere fraction of the cost, especially N
a rough. hilly country. as no grading would
be required. PHILIP ATKINSON. Ph. II.