The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-31
WAR BALLOONS.
Many Of Them Used During ths
Siege Of Paris
An Excellent Method of Getting within
the Enemy's Lines-Ballooning Has
Since Become an Important Branch
of Military Study.

The last big European war taught
the French more about ballooning
than they would otherwise have
learned in a generation. At the begin
ming of the war the government re-
iected many proposals from balloon
makers TO construct q number OF war
balloons, but when they were shut I'D
In Paris they gladly turned 10 the bal
loon TO help them. They turned all
their disused stations into balloon
factories, and sought the services of
the few experienced aeronauts then
available for the teaching of the use
and management of the balloon 10 the
people. During four months GO bal
looms left Paris. of which number only
three have never been accounted for.
This is remarkable when it is remem-
bered that no lights were allowed in
the night ascensions, and the balloons
could only be sent up under cover Of
darkness.
One hundred and sixty persons, in
Guiding Gambetta, were carried safely
over the Prussian lines. and 100000
letters were sent. The balloons also took
with them pigeons, which were sent
back to Paris with letters and dis
patches. The messages were written
and photographed down very small on
exceedingly thin paper. This was
rolled up, inserted in a quill and at
tached to the tail feathers of the
pigeon. When it was received in Paris
the photograph was put under mi
croscope and the message read. One
of the balloons, the Vile d'Orleans,
left Paris at II o'clock at night, and
arrived near Christiana, Norway, Is
hours later. having crossed the North
sea in its remarkable voyage. Most OF
the aeronautS were sailors, who were
chosen because of their familiarity
with the management and steering Of
boats at sea, and they proved very ca
pable. During the entire siege ball
looms formed the only means of COM
munication with the outside world for
the imprisoned inha bitants, and moth
ing could have taken their place.
Since then ballooning has been made
an important branch of military study,
looming corps has to pass is becoming
daily more scientific and severe. The
war balloon must be compact, always
ready for action, and very strong. II is
not large enough for two. 1t is always
captive-that is, il Is secured to the
earth by a cable. 1t is seldom emptied
of its gas, and is, therefore, always
ready for action at a moments notice.
The equipment of balloon corps, be-
sides the balloon itself, consists essen
tally of two wagons, one large and
heavy, somewhat resembling 1um-.
Der truck, and the other considerably
smaller. The former is used TO fasten
the balloon 10, and is provided with
large reels containing about 1900
yards of twisted wire rope. The
smaller wagon is filed with iron pipes
containing gas, and is technically
called the tube wagon"
At the word of command the balloon,
always inflated, is released, and bounds
upward TO the height of several hun
dred feet, uncoiling the rope after it.
The officer in the car takes upwith him
maps of the surrounding country and a
field glass. The position and arrange
ment of the enemy are marked dowD
on the maps with different colored
pencils, indicating cavalry, infantry,
etc. These marked maps are then
placed in a leather bag. which is at
tached to a ring, which slides down the
cable to the ground, where a mounted
officer awaits it, and carries the mes
sage to the general in command. Other
means of communicating the informa-
ton have been tried, such as by tele-
phone and photography, but many
officers still cling to the colored PEN I
Gil method. which, they say, is very |.
sure and effctive.-Chicago Record.