Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-25

Balloons For Warfare Almost An Accom-
plished Fact-France and Germany
Have Flying Fleets-Danger to This
Country From an Airship Squadron.
The appeal for money for balloon ex-
periments, addressed by the Chief
Signal Officer Of the Army to the
Secretary of War, is confession of
the weakness of the United States in
branch of military art which, accord
ing to the Detroit Free Press. is gain
ing Importance steadily. Our own
bureau of military intelligence has
been gathering information ON this sub =
ject very industriously of late, and the
Government is following closely all
that is being done in the direction of
aerostatics by foreign powers. At tthe
same time, nothing is being done in
TINS County te"oIu the eroation of a
fighting balloon service, though many
students of military science believe
that the war vessel of the not distant
future will be an aerial vessel--a fly
ing machine that will accomplish re-
volution in the practice of warfare far
more complete than that which has
been marked by the creation of mod
ern battleships, high power guns and
high explosives.
1t is an open secret that Germany
now possesses fleet of war balloons,
which in the event of trouble with
France would take most important
part in the operations against the lat
ter country. The French, however,
have balloons of their own, more or
less similar in type, and it seems not
unlikely that in the next Franco-Ger-
man conflict there will be actual en-
gagements between squadrons of air.
ships.
The balloons in question are cigar
shaped-that form presenting the least
opposition to the wind. They are op-
Grated by means propellers, and are
steered with rudders of some sort.
One of the newest French balloons,
with which experiments have been
made at the School of Aerostation at
Meudon, is described as being filed
with hydrogen gas. Inside of it is a
smaller bag, which is pumped full of
air, so as to keep the outer envelope
stiff. In the car carried beneath is a
powerful bichromate battery, which
runs an electric motor, driving very
large and light cloth covered screw
propeller. This machine travels tif-
teen miles an hour. An improved
copy of it twice as big is being built,
and is expected to "do" twenty i've
miles an Ii our.
Rumor says that the Germans have
evolved a balloon that is readily
steered and carries a great weight; but
they are extremely anxious not to give
out any facts. The French and the
English also have tried captive bal
looms with success in campaigns-the
former in Tonquin and the latter in
Africa. Even ow-going Spain is in
~e7tisating the subject, ana proposes
to employ balloons to watch the rebels
in Cuba.
Sooner or later Uncle Sam will be
obliged to have feet of war balloons.
Balloons are the only means Of de-
fence against balloons. A hostile
feet of vessels could not approach our
shore without fight, but squadron
of air-ships could sail in and hover
over our great cities without the
slightest effective resistance. No fort
that can be built is able to withstand
high explosives dropped from aloft.
1t is easy to imagine two OF three bal
looms hanging in the air over New
York like gigantic birds holding de-
struction in their claws, ready to de-
stroy the town unless bought off by a
fabulous ransom.
True, such air-ships could not fly
across the ocean. But what is to pre-
vent vessels OF war from bringing them
over and sending them up from short
distance off our coast? The balloons
may be placed in very small compass,
and the hydrogen gas required to in
fate them can be carried compressed
in steel cylinders. Imagine flock OF
such flying foes launched toward oul
shores! What could we do for de-
fence? Notanything. That is to say,
we could do nothing unless we had
balloons of our own. We would be
obliged to surrender and pay whatever
war indemnities might be demanded.
On the other hand, no hostile fleet
would dare to come near our coast il
we owned few war balloons. Ac
cording to the latest estimates, nearly
800, 600, 900 must be expended in OF
der to establish proper coast and har
Dor defences. Millions of dollars
would have to be spent annually fol
the maintenance of the system thus
created; furthermore, the system it
self would have to be remodelled every
few years in order to keep in from be
coming obsolete. VASTLY more effec
tive," say Professor H. A. Hazen
"would be the protection afforded by
half dozen aerial batteries of fOu
balloons each stationed at differen
points along the Atlantic seaboard
To establish these batteries would cos
not more than 5000, 900, and the ex
pense of maintaining them would b.
only q few thousand dollars per IN
mum. They could easily and prompt.
destroy any foe that ventured nea
our shores. The wind at high level
is always from west to east, and at tn
shortest notice they could float sea
ward and assail hostile squadron
dropping torpedoes upon the decks o
the ships and blowing them up. Hav
ing wiped out the enemy, they coul'
return by the use of propellers.
The war balloon needs no gun. al
it has to do is to drop explosives
which would be best made up in tn
shape of cartridges. A single car
fridge of moderate size, loaded witt
nitro-glycerine, will render a first
class cruiser hors du combat; three o
four will destroy O battleship.