Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-24

20 be expected, aud the conditions for n
successful voyage are almost as FAVOR
able as could be desired.
The longest and quickest balloon voy-
age ever made was that OF Wise and La
Mountain in 1859, In spherical balloon
propelled by the wind. They sailed from
st. Louis, Mo-, on the evening or July
LIST, and landed the following afternoon
at Henderson, Jefferson county, N. T.,
having travelled 1,l50 miles in nineteen
| hours and fifty minutes, a speed OF more
| than fifty-seven miles All hour, passing
| over the States of Illinois and Indiana In
| the night over Ohio and across Lake
| Erie into New York State the following
| dav: thence across Lake Ontario, into
which they descended, but rose again ana
| landed at Henderson.
The next longest and quickest voyage,
| as well as one of the most perilous, was
made during the siege OF Paris in 1917
| by Roller and Dechamps, In a spnsricai
| balloon. They left Paris at u:4O L. NJ
| November 24th with military dispatches
| letters. and carrier pigeons, In the battle
| villa d,Orleans. passed safely over the
| German investing lines. and the Following
| morning found themselves far out az sea
| ,n tnnninent peril OF drowning. and sur
| ferine so intensely from cold ana wet
| that they at length resolved 10 enc tnen
| misery by 9ischarging the gas pu'' lot
| tunatey. found the waive frozen ,aS''
| Throwing out bag OF man, tne oano s,
WAS liebtened sufficiently 10 rise again
ana at 2:s5 p. NJ. they landed on the sum-
Nit of Mt. Lifted, in Norway, having
| travelled $50 miles in fourteen hours anu
| Hftv-fve minutes, speed or more tnah
! fifty miles an hour. - e..
Tn landing. one of them jumped out
| safely. but the other, I'm attempting 70
| do so, was caught by the netuns' IN"
| came near being carried away oy tne
| Tightening balloon. but was rescued ny
| HE companion. who seized rope Just IN
.,r,a 20 save him. They did not know
| where they were, and were in freezing
| condition. I'm Tight clothing, on this bleak
| northern mountain; but descending. they
| found n harm with plenty of hay. into
| which they crept, and were soon snug
and warm, and slept there soundiy TIL
| late next day, when they found herds
mans hut near by, where they were most
Hospitality entertained, and discovered
| that they were In Norway.
The balloon was one OF sixty-nve winch
| left Paris during the siege, carrying lbO
| passengers. and about 100000 letters.
| Fifty-eight Of these landed safely, while
| FIVE were captured and two lost, about
| II per cent Of the entire number, com
! paratively small percentage of loss thus
| giving a practical demonstration OF the
value OF the balloon for military pur-
poses.
| The highest balloon ascent ever made
1 was by Dr. A. Berson. German aero
! naut. near Kiel. in Germany, December
| 4, 1884, In the Phoenix, spherical PAL
| loon. inflated with 706oO cubic feet OF hy-
| drosen, and supporting guide rope 600
| feet long The ascension was begun at
. nj no reached
| height OF $500 feet in the first fifteen min
4 utes, q vertical velocity Of 433 liz feet per
minute, after which II assembled more
slowly. and finally attained It's highest
altitude, 5000 feet, or es-l0o miles.
The temperature increased AT first,
rising to IL degrees Fahrenheit at an al
ttude OF 1900 feet, after which II began
| falling, and at 1900 feet was at zero. At
80 O00 feet tho greatest altitude, Il had
fallen to 81 degrees below zero, and the
barometic pressure 70 91-S inches. less
than ore third the average pressure at
the earth's surface; and the air was
very dry.
AT an altitude OF 13,sco feet Dr. Berson
began to experience the first weakness
or heart action, and at 10. 100 feet he had
light paipitation and mental confusion.
AT Zl5O feet he began TO inhale oxygen,
Ii supply Of which he had with him. ard
at 26.250 feet this inhalation was increased
| TO one inspiration per second with bene-
fcial results. At 1880 feet he swooned,
but soon recovered, and was able TO
ascend TO the height already mentioned.
Not deemlng II safe 10 ascend higher, he
descended. landing at 3:B p. NJ. having
travelled 1& miles in S hours and a. min
utes, speed OF about IS miles an hour.
investigation OF the atmospheric condi-
lions preva ling n the upper regions Of the
atmosphere is one OF the important things
! to be accomplished with the balloon, and
| extremely high ascensions, like the one
just described. gives us valuable practical
Information about atmospheric tempera-
ture. pressure, and humidity at those high
| attitudes, and the rate OF increase or de-
| crease in these conditions with increase
of altitude. which otherwise can be only
theoretically calculated.
In a balloon voyage made by Herr
| Andree from Stockholm. October -. 1898.
In which he crossed the Baltic Sea, he as
| cended to height OF $500 feet, and found
| that the dinhinution OF temperature for
| the first 400 feet was at the rate OF one
degree for go feet. while at the highest
| point the rate decreased to one degree for
| 400 feet, the surface temperature at start
ing being IS degrees Fahrenheit. He also
| found that the relative atmospheric HUI
midity decreased from 100 per cent. al
600 feet altitude. to per cent. at 7.Wv
! feet.
I, 1t II not necessary, however. that aero
| nauts should risk heir HIVES In extremely
! high ascensions to ascertain these facts.
| as was done by DIR. Berson and others.
when they can be ascertained with sufil-
| csent accuracy by means OF captive bal
| looms carrying seif-registering instru-
| ments Such balloons can ascend 10
/ heights where Il would be Impossible for
| an aeronaut to live. even With oxygen In
| haIation: so that n IL not impossible that
| tho atmospheric conditions prevailing al
| an altitude OF even ten miles or more
may yet be aseertaIned In this way.
| Captive balloons have various other i'm
/ portant uses They are employed for both
| military and naval observations, one OBJ
| feet OF which Ia 10 locate sed reconnoitre
| the enemys position IN w4F. which can
| be thus ascertained oven ween far below
| the horizon OF an observer IT the mast
| head Of ship. or on the v<tch-sower ~
/ fort.
Another important use . which they