Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-11

sharp to come and join US, thinking that
the two professors would be good company
for one another.
who was always interested in everything
that was scientific and useless, was might.
tly Interested in ballooning, and instead OF
being disappointed when he found out tnat
Montgomery was an ignorant chap, who
couldn't speak ten words of good grammar,
he was just delighted to find that the man
was a practical balloonist. The TWO got 10
work and talked balloon till you couldn't
rest Van WAGNER said that 1t was his
belief that balloon properly constructed
ought to be able to stay in the air TOT
month or a year at tlm ts,a anu m snn!t
possible. Van Wagner wanted him to e4-
It's plain enough says the balloonist.
When your balloon rises and gets into
thinner air the gas expands and escapes
through the mouth of the Dag. Even II
1t didn't escape it would always leak out
through the silk or cotton, or whatever
stuff the bag is made Of That's the rea-
son why you can't stay up only few
hours. No man amt never been able to in
vent a balloon that won't lose gas, and
nobody ever will invent one, for 1t can't be
done
"If 1 make balloon that can't possibly
leak a single cubic inch OF gas, will you
make an ascension with me and attend 10
the practical management OF the mach.ne!
says Van WAGNER.
"'You can Just bet I WILL says the other
chap. Why man, thered he an everlast-
ing fortune in such balloon. But what's
the use of talking about it? The thing
can't be done, as you'll find out when you
set down to invent your gaS-tght balloon
well the upshot of it was that Van Wag-
ener set to work and made balloon that
even L could see was going to meet his re-
uuiremant. The main balloon was big
globe of aluminium, and on top of that was a
bag of thick rubber, connected with the
globe by an automatic valve. The idea was
hold jt,cyf rCy, 20
to float the balloon at a height of 200 feet
above the earth. Now, being at that height,
If the balloonist wanted to rise, all he had to
do was to light big spirit lamp that would
heat the gas in the globe and make it ex-
pand. When it had expanded to a certain
point it would flow over into the rubber
bag and the lifting capacity of the machine
would be increased about one-tnlrd. VI
course, the balloon would rise, and when
the balIoonist wanted to descend again, all
he would have to Go, according to Van Wag-
ener, would be to put out his lamp and lei
the globe cool Off 1t was mighty ingenious
contriyance, and Montgomery, who began
by having no sort of confidence in Van Wag-
ener ended by thinking that perhaps ne mao
really invented a balloon that could be maze
to stay up forever.
Nothing would satisfy Van Wagner but
that 1 should go along on the trial trip OF
the balloon. / wasn't in the least anxious
to do it, for solid ground was always good
enough for me; but Van WAGNER being an
old friend and liable, like all scientific chaps
to get himself into difficulties when he did
not have some practical man to look after
him, 1 finally agreed to go. The ascension
was to be made from my back yard, where
we would be out of sight of Mrs. Van Wag
ener and the general public. The machine
was carted over to my house after dark. ano
the next morning, when we were ready tC
start, no one knew anything of our inten
ton except my colored man, and he knew
how to hold his tongue.
Il was surprised to find that Van Wagenc
Of tts, ,oI
loon so closely that he knew to an ounce
just what weight she must carry In order t.
feat, as he meant her to, couple OF hun
bred feet above the earth, and stay RICH
there. Consequently all, three of us had t
be weighed, and we were good two hour
In reducing the weight OF things In ou
pockets or of increasing our weight will
bits of gravel until at last Van Wagene
was satisfied that the whole weight of tn
machine, with US and our instruments an,
traps in it, would be exactly what he cal
CUlated that it ought to be- Then came TIL
filling Of the globe with pure hydrogen mad
en- the spot, and consequently 1t was
o'clock in the afternoon before everythin.
was ready and We made our start. TIL
balloon rose slow and gentle, and when
was up to about the height of the steepl
of the Roman Catholic Church it gradual,
ceased rising and hung there perfectly quiet
There wasn't breath of air stirring, so tn
thing had no sort of drift, and promised t
stay just where she was until the win
should rise The professor mightil
pleased. and to my mind Montgomery ough
to have been satisfied that the invention wa
all right, but he seemed little uneasy, S
] asked him what fault he had to find wit
the balloon.
"'We're all right so far says he, but tn
difficulty is going to be in keeping outweigh
Just up to the standard and no more. T.
have more confidence in this yer thing whe
the trial trip Is over, and nobody killed
There's one thing that 1 don't exactly SCI
and that is how going to descend
1Aaf nr II frrrrA ~ to 10 L.
says Van Wagner. However, it will b