The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-07
FOR THE KIONDIKE.
THE NOVEL CONTRlVANCES OF TWO
CANADIAN INVENTORS.

A Balloon For the Journey and Patent
Digger For Working Frozen Ground
The First Is Like an Airship and Cigar
Shaped.
The public will soon sec a conveyance
that the inventor expects will revolu-
tionize the traffic over the snow covered
paths to the Yukon goldfelds. 1t is the
Klondike balloon, the invention and
manufacture of Joseph de l'Etoile, who
has been successful in many scientific
inventions.
Mr.. do l'Etoile is in the employ OF
the interior department in Ottawa,
Canada. From what can be learned
about this latest invention it is an air
ship, rather small and cigar shaped
On the bow is placed two bladed pro-
peller attached to a shaft which extends
to the rear. On the stern is peculiar
steering apparatus. Directly underneath
the balloon is Car, in which is placed
small engine Of special design, which
will furnish the motive power and gem
crate the hot air with which the bal
loon is to be filed. The car is covered
in ON all sides and will hold about eight
passengers, with provisions and all
necessary apparatus to complete the
trip. From the car the course and speed
of the machine will be directed, as the
steering gear will lead from the rudder
to it and chain or belt will communi-
cate with the propeller shaft. On top Of
the balloon is trap by which the sup
ply Of hot air may be controlled and the
vehicle brought to the ground or raised
with ease. Aluminium enters largely
into the construction Of the balloon and
all its parts
It is not many weeks since the prof.
ect was conceived, but during that time
everything necessary has been accom-
plished and the machine completed and
made ready for it's trial. Mr. de l'Etoile
has been studying this invention for
years A company Of Ottawa capitalists
took hold of the project as likely
means of overcoming the difficulties
and hardships of the journey to the
Klondike and invested a sufficient
amount Of money to make the building
of the balloon success. No concise in
formation will be given before the trial
trip, which is to be made within the
next few days. The promoters Of the
enterprise have confidence in the scheme
and expect that the Canadian govern
ment will utilize their machines for the
transfer of mails between Edmonton
and the goldfelds, the proposed passen-
ger route Of the airship.
E. B. Haycock, mining engineer
of Ottawa, has secured a patent on a
continuance which is expected to obviate
the difficulties of mining in the Klon
dixie. At present mining is carried on
there only with great difficulty in the
frozen ground. The ground has to be
thawed out with wood fires and when
the pay dirt under the fires is thawed
the ashes are scraped off and the soft
gravel is removed. This operation has
to be repeated, and it generally takes
four men 16 days to make hole "a feet
deep. Washing out the gold from the
gravel can be carried on only for two or
three months in the year, owing to
the scarcity of water, and during the
remaining months the miner works at
getting out his pay dirt.
Mr.. Haycock's invention is designed
to overcome all these difficulties and
render mining and washing out opera
lions possible the whole year round It
consists of thawer and excavator. The
thawer is a continuance of the size of
the hole it is desired to make. It is
heated to high temperature with hot
air and driven into the ground as fast
as the soil beneath it is softened. The
heat is increased by the action of anoth-
er apparatus, whose working Mr. Hay.
cock will not disclose
After the gravel beneath the thawer
has been softened it is drawn out by the
excavator, which raises it to dump
ing platform, where it is put through
the sluice boxes. These boxes have been
so contrived that the water passing
through them can be used over and over
again, with very little waste. By means
OF this machine, Mr.. Haycock believes,
eight men can sink shaft "a feet deep
in one day. The cost in operating also
will be greatly in favor of the machine,
the estimated expense of making a hole
"a feet deep by present method being
$500 and by his machine $160.-New
York Sun.