Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-10
MILITARY BALlOONlNG.
Inc Most Interesting Feature Of the Army
Signal Service.

II.
| 'di o0r' Tor the first time in the East
us maneuVerS were watched with in
| terest, Tor il is upon the balloon corps
'hd' the city will depend, to a greater
OF less extent, for it's first KNOWLEDGE of
~ "pploacn OF an enemy. The OBJ
| server in its car will have Il range of
1''H"st l'o miles to sea. and, with the
| powerful telescopes with which he is
ioNt"ed. VIII be able TO detect a Span
.sil "df-shlp should one approach. long
"eiofe the vessel could possibly he seen
itoih ihe observatory at Sandy Hook
-i"dhS 81 instant communication from
the balloon To the earth have been pro-
Nldeu III the cable which Will hold thu
@eilal monster captive. Both telephone
ana telegraph wires find place in ii, and
other methods of signalling are also at
mana to he used in ease of necessity
!he statloning of signal sergeants al
various exposed points along the coast
mas been arranged. telegraph and tele-
phone lines viii be laid from point to
point With the greatest rapidity. and all
sorts Of interesting ana valuable
lnaneuN"rs by The signal corps viii
occur.
Aerial military maneuvers have ad-
Nanced To such a degree Of perfection
within the past two years that it will
be perfectly possible for the observer
IN the car II not only discern an
enemys snip, but. at q distance of sew
efai miles. To accurately photograph it,
Al the same time. the balloon. high in
ar VIII present such Il small speck in
the Sky as to render ii an impossible
target for the sunners either With ord
nance or small arms. II has been prar-
tlcally demonstrated. too. that bullets
from small arms render little appre-
cable harm To d balloon. for the rea-
son tnat the slight aperture made bv
the passage of the bullet through the
SILK Is Immediately closed. or nearly So,
by the pressure of the hydrogen gas
10 those not ConNersant with the
subject II would appear an impossible
task to transport q balloon with its
equipment into the teld in an aSgres~
SlNe campaign. Means have haen pro-
Vlded, however, ny which this may. be
perfectly accomplished. and by which
the balloon may he sent UP at very
short notice at any place TO which army
wagons may be able 10 transport it,
The balloon train now at Fort Wads-
worth consists of three wagons and 4
lot of miscellaneous paraphernalia.
large enough to load a small ship. The
balloon itself, when debated. is COM
pactly rolled, and has place in a COM
partnent built especially FOR it in the
forward end of one of the three
wagons. Al the rear end Of this wagon
is a reel. upon which is wound a cable
several thousand feet in length light in
cf I I.i1r hl,t
| compartment. located in the middle of
| the wagon. carries the wicker ear and
netting. together with the necessary
ropes used in initiating and sending up
the airship.
Gas is also carried by the balloon fe!l
| train in Il quantity sufficient to .nlldt,
the balloon several times This gas
heretofore has all been made ut Fort
Logan and compressed into steel tubes.
each about six feet in length. but 50
constructed as to Withstand ! severe
pressure and rough handling. From
these tubes the gas is turned into tha
balloon as needed. The gas-maki0g
plant has been transferred to Fort
| WadsWorth, and it IS from that post
therefore. that the tubes win be shipped
| 10 whatever points on the coast it may
| be necessary TO send them for the use
of the corps. Should a campaign be de-
| terinned upon and a necessity likely to
arise for the need of more gas than is
| carried in the regular field train equip
ment. additional army wagons may Ia
impressed and a limtIess supply taken
along The balloon itself is made from
the best quality of silk. prepared IN a
Imanner to ec0nOmizo gas to the great
Fest possible extent. The wagon in
(Which the balloon is carried is Of suff-
1cient weight to act as permanent
Ianchor when the balloon is in the air
i 1t affords another excellent use also,
\ for. in case of an enemy's fire becoming
| unpleasant. the wagon. by being moved
! from place to place. drags the balloon
/ with ii. a constant movement Of the
aerial body is thus maintained. and it
| is next to Impossible for a marksman
| to hit it.
| The usual equipment Of the aeroraut is
| a telescope telephone and AZ times 4 tel
| egraph instrument. The cable contains
| a telephone and telegraph wire by means
| of which constant communication with
| the earth may he obtained. In the actual
work which the corps will begin tomor-
| row tn" equipment viii be Il mystery 50
far as the laymen of New FORK are con-
prepared and Will be at oncc put into
| practice. As the sergeants. or more es-
pecially the officers OF this corps, are to-
| biographical engineers. the Valu" Of tht
aerial service may we'll he imagined, when
| it is stated that the position of an en-
envy. in all its details. even AZ distance
| of ten miles may be accurately mapped
ana Photographed from tn" balloon by
| these experts. Nearly all the standing
armies of the world with The possible eX-
ception of Spain, employ the war balloon
in military mancuNcrs.
| Field telegraph and telephone trains. as
we'll as signal corps officers in charge Of
heIograph detachments will be sent to
| various Southern points on the coast
where the infantry is modifying. 1t is
the work Of this corps to transmit orders,
messages and instructions from one diNlS-
ion of the army to another in the least
| possible time. Ii is also their work to
lay telephone and telegraph lines from
| the very front Of a lighting force to the
headquarters of the commanding general.
no matter where that may be. ana to
keep up an unbrokcn communication un-
der any and all circumstances. The
method of laying these lines is unique
and interesting.
Like the balloon corps. the telegraph
and telephone detachments have wagons
in which to transport their parapherna-
Df n,