The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-03-04
9mGeraoa ysseIligenses.
Balloons in War Times.

The last big European war taught
the French more about b%allooning
than they would otherwise have learn
ed in a generation. AT the beginning
of the war the government rejected
many proposals from balloon makers
to construct a number of war balloons,
but when they were shut up in Paris
they gladly turned to the balloon to-.
help them. They turned all their dis
used stations into balloon factories
and sought the service of the, few
experienced a%eronauts then available
for the teaching of the Use and man
agement of the balloon to the people.
During four months 66 balloons left
Paris, of which number only three
have never been accounted for. This
is remarkable when it is remembered
that no lights were allowed in night
ascensions, and the balloons could
only be sent up under cover of dark
ness.
One hundred and sixty persons, in
Guiding Gambctta, were carried safely
over the Prussian lines, and $500, 600
letters were sent. The balloons also
took with them pigeons, which were
sent back TO Paris with letters and
dispatches. The messages were writ
ten 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
a microscope and the message read.
One Of the balloons, the Vile
d'Orleans, left Paris at II o'clock at
night and arrived near Christiana Is
hours later, having crossed the North
sea in it's remarkable voyage. Most
Of the aeronauts were sailors, who
were chosen because of their familiar
|iity with the management and steering
Of boats at sea, and they proved very
capable. During the entire siege bal
looms formed the only means Of COM
munication with the outside world for
the imprisoned inhabitants, and moth
ing could have taken their place.
Since then ballooning has been made
an important branch Of military study,
and the course through which the bal
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. 1t
is not large enough for two. 1t is al
ways. captive-thatis, tits secured to
the earth by a cable. 1t is seldom
emptied of its gas and is therefore al
ways ready for action at a moment
notice. The equipment Of q balloon
corps. besides the balloon itself, con-
sists essentially Of two wagons, one
large and heavy, somewhat resembling
a lumber truck, and the, other consid-
erably smaller. The former is used to
fasten the balloon to and is provided
with large reels containing about 1000
yards Of twisted wire rope. The
smaller g is filled with iron pipes
containing gas and is technically call
ed the tube wagon.
At the word of command the bal
loon, already inflated, is released and
bounds upward to the height of sew"
eral hundred feet, uncoiling the rope
after it. The officer in the car takes
up with him maps Of the surrounding
country and a feldglass. The posi-
tion and arrangement Of the enemy
are marked down on the maps with
different colored pencils, indicating
cavalry, infantry, etc. These marked
maps are then placed in a leather bag,
which is attached to a ring, which
slides down the cable to the ground,
where a mounted officer awaits it and
carries the message to the general
command. Other means of commun-
icatiug the information have been
tried, such as by telephone and pho
Biography, but many officers still cling
to the colored pencil method, which,
they say, is very sure and effective
| CHICAGO Record.