The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-02-23

the words spelled out in this manner,
yet the information thus gained would
be totally unintelligible to him, as
everything is sent in cipher.
An exhaustive system of signaling,
by means Of flags and heliogrnph by
day, and at night with rockets, bombs,
flash lanterns and electric searchlights,
is in vogue. Messages can be sent,
under any and all sorts of conditions,
and in the face of seemingly insur.
mountable obstacles, 50 that com.
mander may at all times be kept fully
advised of what is transpiring in any
or all of his commands.
Military ballooning has also adj
vanced to such a state of perfection
during the past few year that it will be
perfectly within the range Of possibil.
ity, in case of war,t accurately photo.
graph an enemy's position, obtain &C.
curate maps of his fertilization, ETC.,
without sending any one within his
lines. There is at Fort Logan, fully
equipped balloon field train, ready fol
service mt any moment.
The balloon train consists of three
wagons, similar in construction tt
those described above, and whicl
transport the field telegraph parapher
MALTA. The balloon itself,a huge affair
has place in the forward end of the
wagon. AT the rear end there is {
large reel, upon which are carried sew
eral thousand feet of stout cable. LII
q middle compartment to tho balloon
wagon, room is reserved for the basket
and netting. In the second wagon are
stored the hydrogen gas tubes needed
for initiating the airship. These tubes
are constructed of steel and are as
light and rs strong as it is possible "a
make them.
There is generating plant for ga,
at Fort Logan, and it is there that the
tubes are filed. They are shipped, in
such quantities as may be needed. to
various points throughout the country,
A supply sufficient for several infa
tions can be carried with the field
train, and if larger supplies are needed
additional wagons are pressed int
service. The balloon d. itself is con
structed of the finest and most costly
material, gold beaters' skin being uset
for this purpose. The heavy wagon il
of sufficient weight to hold the balloon
captive, and If change of base il
necessary during an ascension, the
wagon has simply to be moved in til,
desired direction, Telephone com
munication is maintained through thu
cable which holds the balloon, to thu
| wagon.
AS the members of the Signal Corps
are also Typographical engineers it il
a simple matter for them to prepare
accurate maps of the country beneath
them, while suspended out of harms
way above an enemy's camp. Ths
adoption of teleophotographic lenses
also gives them means by which as
accurate photographs can be made as
if the artist were actually in the
Notifications.
Statistics show that it is almost i'm,
possible to hit captive balloon will
musketry fire when at an elevation o.
1000 feet. The balloon is kept NOV
ing almost necessarily, and in tha
lies n great measure of its safety
Nearly all the standing armies of tn,
world are now equipped with balloon
corps, and the value of this sort o
aerial surveying in time of war is in
calculable, at least it is so admitted b.
the military experts, and they ough
to know.
| Whether or not experiments hav,
been made in the use of explosives
dropped from balloons, 1 have no
been able to learn, but, from what on,
can see of the use of these aeria
monsters at Fort Logan, it would no
be strange if the widest dreams o
moderns may soon be realized and thu
terrible eath-dealing airship may sool
evolve, as did the Holland submarin,
boat, from Jules Verne's "Twent,
Thousand League Under the Sea-"