Evening star., 1896-07-25

Baron Dickson added an equal amount:
and a private individual in Stockholm
brought the amount up to the required
f7,22O by u donation of f3O0 This practi-
cally closed the subscription, but Col. Sell
stroem, pa triotic Swede of Buenos Ayres.
sent an additional f2Oo. as he put It, for
extras that are sure to be required.
Having thus secured the means for his
undertaking, Mr.. Andree went to work in
earnest. He Travelled in England. France
and Germany, adding to his knowledge OF
balloons and their manufacture On his
return he carefully revised what he had
seen, drew up the plan of airship such
he wanted for his purpose, and gave 1t
10 NJ. Lac namnre, the famous balloon man
ufacturer of Paris, 20 construct at cost
of 1900.
The Balloon.
The finished balloon is 10 English feet in
height from the appendce, opening, to
the summit. or % feet in all from the cap
to the bottom of the basket, or gondola. In
which the air navigators will have their
sleeping place during their sky voyagng.
The upper two-thrds Of the balloon proper
are made of three thicknesses of silk the
lower third of two thicknesses, the whole
being stuck together with varniSh. In ad
dtion two coats of varnish are given to
| the outside Of the silk, and two to the in
| side; the network in which the balloon Is
inclosed is of Italian hemp five millimeters
| in thickness (about in.). At the balloons
| largest diameter. the meshes of the netting
are about 13 inches square, decreasing in
| size. of course, as the balloon narroWs up
ward and DOWN. ard. The balloon has no
valve at the top, as is generally the case,
| but has instead two on opposite sides OF
| the equator. and third at the appendice
This latter is automatic, and is designed to
prevent the entrance of air into the bal
| loon. 1t opens by pressure equal to ten
millimeters (about ino of water and lets
| out superfluous gas The upper valves are
| opened by lines attached to them on the
| inside, and passing through the balloon
| near to the automatic valve. The upper
| end Of the balloon is protected by a cap of
vanished silk. This is to strengthen 1t
against snow and the rays of the sun.
All the ropes-forty-eight in number
coming from the network terminate in the
suspension bearing ring, the strongest
! part of the whole apparatus. This ring is
made of wood and is seven meters fabout
| ~: yds0 in circumference Strengthened by
| cross bars it serves as storage place for
| reserve ropes, anchors, etc.
| The spaces between the ropes descending
| from the network to the suspension ring
| are covered on the outside by canvas. In
| side the canvas are sewn pockets in rows
| one above another. They number some 800
| IN ell In some are stored meat in tins.
| in others provisions of various kinds, while
| in others are the materials for collap
sibe boat, a tent, and three sledges. This
store house. We may call 1t, is 10 feet
| in diameter in the higher part, and has
| circumference Of 80 feet, while its depth
| is 6e feet.
StceFlHS AppuFutuS.
The bearing-ring, of course, supports the
basket and the apparatus for steering.
! This steering apparatus is new feature
| in ballooning, the invention Of Mr.. Andree.
1t consists of guide-ropes and sails. The
| suide-ropes are three in number. and are
attached by means of gearing to the sus-
| penSion-ring, hanging thence to the ground
| or the water, as the case may be, and drag
| ged along in the wake of the balloon. The
| ropes are of different lengths. the shortest
| being 80 meters (about .O17 feet in length
| the next 800 about ,O42 feeD and the long
| est 80 meters about 1.205 feeD. and they
| weigh a kilogram (about 2 IA pounds) per
| meter. The difference in length is designed
| to prevent them from hanging close to-
| gether. in which case, if any of them got
! lodged, all would be lodged. and the balloon
| would be stopped in it's progress. But if
| any of the ropes catch separately the bal
loon can be freed. either by the rope break
| ing at its weakest point Especially con-
trived or by its being detached from the
balloon by means of a screw imbedded in
| the rope 100 meters (about 32S feeD from
| the suspenson-ring. Supposing one of the
| ropes were to be caught in something, one
| of those In the balloon would twist the
| rope at the top and this would have the