The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-19
MILITARY BALLOONS.
General Greeley says They Have Passed
Beyond ,ho Military stage.

beyond tho Military stage.
Whether the hostilities In which the
United states may at some time be en-
gagged TAX place on land or sea, the
oaiioon is sure to occupy an important
position. to be a factor which demands
consideration. The improvements in
the navigation of the AIR which each
year has witnessed have caused the
balloon to pass beyond the experiment
tai stage and to become one of those
tnlngs which are recognized as being
no longer chimerical. but practical in
point OF results.
From the lofty heights i'm which the
modern balloon is at home IL would be
possible to locate the position of the
enemys ships at sea, where otherwise
IL would be impossible To distinguish
them even from an observatory. The
United States Was the last almost of
the great powers to take the question
of balloons I'm warfare as a serious one.
and even though our experiments have
been onducte in a small way, they
have clearly demonstrated the utility
OF the balloon corps.
1t Is now possible to navigate the air
with a very great degree of certainty
In point of direction, several hundred
per cent more than a quarter of a CEN
fury ago, when John Fitzjohn Porter's
ideas on this subject. which first ma
terialized early in the war of the re-
bellion, began to again assume promi-
hence. Navigating a balloon in the
present day is much like the navigating
of a ship, only we have learned TO navi-
gate the air instead of the ocean.
The utility and Importance of bal
looms for obtaining military Informal
ton during field operations was demon
strated by General Porter. but, with
many other American ideas, such as
repeating arms, etc, the military bal
lnnn tt@nx-a1 too nANra nanA for tho tt,,A
and had to await recognition and devel-
opment by the military authorities or
other nations. While, as i nave said,
we were the last of all the powers to
take up the question OF balloons seri-
ously, as a matter of fact we were the
first to use balloons in war, as we were
to use the electrical telegraph and sig
nal appliances on the field of battle. We
have, however. been outstripped in the
balloon idea. which other important
military powers have adopted and inn
proved.
These important methods of equip
ment, manipulation n transportation
have come with improved Industrial
and inventive methods, but to the pres
ent day there have been no experiments
sufficiently satisfactory To prove the ad-
visibility of replacing the captive bal
oon OF General Porter by free balloons,
either for extended reconnaissance or
" III III III
part to be played in future wars by fires
dirigible balloons or by flying machines.
liz unQuestioned. and MIR. Maxim. the
great experimentalist, is justified in
saying:
"When the first flying machine sue
ceeds its great use will be for military
purposes. IL will at once become an en-
CINE OF war. not only 20 reconnoitre the
enemy's position. as has been attempt
ed by so-callec dirigible balloons. but
also of carrying and dropping into the
enemy's lines and country large bombs
charged with high explosives"
AS regards balloons extensive and
continued experiments have brought
the use of the captive balloon To such
a degree of excellence that It's utility In
any extended warfare h evident. The
efforts to construct n dirigibie balloon
which al be managed so as la have itc
movements under satisfactory control.
have so car been inconciusive. There is
no question that Julien Glrard. Tis-
saudie-. Campbell ard other private in
vcnto-s. have constructed balloons
which have actually been propelled in
any desired direction.
Captain Fullerton. 2 member q TIE
royal engineers o. tine British army. has
pointed L hat a s~a.isfacto-y wa ball
loon must carr three or four pas7sn-
gers. explosive shells. a machine gun
or two. ana he able 70 travel about
20 miles an hour n cain woatae-. The
balloon shoul1 ave n iif'ing cipacit~
" about $500 pounds. OF which 100
should be IN p~asseagc.s, instruments.
ey .los!ves a-i ballast. The French
military dir,Ribie balloon. new as
the ChailaIs-N eudcn. was successful az
a low rate OF speed In calm weather
Only. but vita q total weight of 100
pounds. Il was only abs TO carry $40
pounds q p~aFsergerf ard 40 talast.
TT. .~parfn.erta NJ nuch able S-fen-