The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-26

outer covering, but did not impair the
inner coat in the least, and the balloon
reached height of something over
1000 feet.
The material used in the Germany Ar
my for the making of balloons is the
costliest pongee silk obtainable. For
cheaper balloons percale is used, hut
this Is undesirable where great distances
are to be reached and where the observa-
lions will consume considerable time.
Germans still have on exhibition, how
ever, parts of the famous Deloourt bal
loon, made in 1889, of something like
20, 900 pieces of very thin kid, all pasted
together.S Another material used in
the experiments two years ago was a
thin plate made of an alloy of tin and
copper. But this proved as unsatisfao-
tory as did an aluminium balloon test.
The pongee sill k having been selected.
every inch of its surface IL tested, and
this proving successful the sections al Q
cut out and turned over to about 800
girls, who sew 1t together by hand, no
machines being used.
The finest of silk thread Is given the
workers, and every portion of their work
undergoes the most careful scrutiny.
Sewing machines are not used for the
reason that it is almost impossible to
work them on the seams near the end.
Some of the French<aeronauts insist on
having the balloon cloth sewed in what
are called "zones,'' from side to side.
Germans prefer sewing longitudinally,
claiming that it strengthens the balloon
greatly and adds to the power of expan-
sion.
After the sewing is completed var
nishes are applied along the seams, and
the work of adjusting the net and the
basket begins. The ventilating .appara-
tus is applied to the bottom Of the bal
loon, and this takes up fully two weeks
of the practical asronaut's time. The
dead weight carried by the famous Hum
boldt balloon, cot including ballast,
was 1,750 pounds. Those now being
made Garry dead weight of over ton,
and including ballast, aeronauts, etc.,
over double this.
The fitting out Of balloon basket is Z
task requiring great ingenuity. II
| addition to meteorological instrusnen
there is complete supply of instruments
for the inhalation of oxygen. ibis is,
| however, only necessary where ballooni
are intended to be carried into an at
mospherio zone Of very rarefied air. Tht
military aeronaut watches and carefully
superviaes every phase of balloon max
ing. Even while the monster is being
filed he will take his place inside It,
and by the deft touch of the hands make
tests of the strength of the inner surface
At present there are four of these bal
looms in use in the German army. AL
Of them are made on the general plan O.
used, which is, as stated above, the bes
lpongee silk obtainable. The apparatus
for emitting gas is altogether much i'm
proved, and no difficulty whatever 10 ex
perienoed in reaching the ground.
The training of the military aeronau
is not complete until he knows how tt
roll up the empty balloon. This is 1
work requiring weeks Of practice, and
when it is thoroughly understood tn
compass of the collapsed and folded bal
loon is just about the area of the basket
in which 1t is placed and oarted to th'
nearest military station.
The balloon manoeuveys in the Englisl
and Russian armies have been conducted
much more secretly than those of Ger
many and France, and there are thos'
who assert that the advances made b,
the English aeronauts border on thu
marvellous.
In America the aeronaub has no blood
thirsty ideas in his work. At present
aside from inventing flying machines
he is..devoting most Of his time to per
| fecting a balloon which will be able Il
improve the signal service. In fact thu
day is not far distant when we will hav,
air stations for meteorological osberva
tions, and these will enable us, 8,
Weather Prophet Moore thinks, to fore
/ cast storms much further ahead than II
at present the case.
| r. REGNAULI.
EXPERIENCES WITH A PRODIGY.