The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-26

was the method by which the Parisians
communicated with the outside world, and
the story of their trials and triumphs new
er ceases to be interesting. Even after the
war had begun, the Parisians delighted to
demonstrate TO each other the mathemat-
ical impossibility of the investment of the
city; but in a few short weeks they were
shown their error, and they were surround
ed by an impenetrable line of German SOL
diers Paris was well fortified, armed gar
risoned and provisioned, but they now had
to- solve the problem of communicat tons
from outside.
There were within the Notifications
about 100000 people, a quarter of whom
were under arms, and 1t was remarkable
that the beleaguered capital should have
succeeded in obtaining almost constant
communications with the departments dur
ing the sege-a circumstance which was
only rendered possible by the rapid adj
vance made in the few preceding years in
science. The stubborn resistance which Pa
ris offered to the enemy was due 10 a con-
siderable extent TO the facility with which
they communicated with the outside world,
for the mental anxiety consequent upon
the complete isolation of hundreds of thou
sands of human beings units them for
resolutely engaging in struggle of length
ened duration.
On Sept. Is, 1870, the last regular dis
patch of letters from Paris was sent and
at o'clock p m. the early mail train was
forced to return; but on the goth, the
postoffice authorities attempted to send out
the mails in three light-colored vehicles,
drawn by three horses and accompanied
by horse and foot couriers; but, with the
exception of one of the latter, they were
all driven back by the bullets of the Ger
man sentr1es. UD to the oath of Septem-
Der number of couriers were sent out
but only few succeeded in passing the
German lines. The majority of these mes
sengers carried with them dispatches in
cipher, which were carefully secreted. At
last the plan of sending out these men was
abandoned. Paris, at this period, was far
from depending exclusively upon the pos
tai couriers. After the time when the land
route became practically closed, and wa
ter communications being impossible, re-
course to the air was taken
Naturally, the idea of EMPLOYING bal
looms TO take out letters early suggested
itself to every one. On Sept. 81. the d.
rector of the Paris postoffice gave notice
TO the public to write their letters on ex-
tremely thin paper and to dispense with
the envelope and it soon transpired he had
made arrangements with Nadar, the we'll
known aeronaut and photographer, to es-
tablish a regular balloon service.
On September g. the Neptune" in
charge of M. Duruof a well-known aero
naut, assembled with three mail bags con-
tanning 250OO letters. The Prussians pointed
cannon at the balloon, but the balls ex
hausted their impetus before the balloon
was reached, though some of them arose.
sufficiently high TO cause the balloon to vi
orate pereeptibly. The infantry peppered
away with their rifles, but did not damage
ana the aeronaut amused himself by show
erhg down quantity of Madras address
cards upon the heads of the Prussians In
tRree-quarters of an hour he alighted near
EVreux, and his mail and official dis
patches promptly delivered. The departure
OF the next balloon, the Citta di Firenze
took place on September %, carving 1O4
kHogrammes of letters, and with great diff
nculty the balloon succeeded in making a
successful voyage From that dav The
transit of Paris mails through the air was
an accomplished fact and by degrees the
weight of all letters was limited to one
eighth of an ounce.
Energetic steps were at once talxep 10
construct number of balloons for postal
purposes. All of the balloons in the citv
were utilized Grst. An aeronautic cornnony,
was formed for the manufacture Of tbe
balloons. The cost of each was to be $500
including the cost of gas for it's imitation
Inc aeronaut was to receive $40 for each
ascension. A number of small naner baI-
looms IL feet in diameter We're also co,
sructed which would be capable of Brais
ing rather more than a hundreduyet.~bt
1hese Tree balloons as they were stvIed
were abandoned to the mercy of the winds
without any aeronaut, and they only cor
contents of which We're TO be read nv the
postal authorities before being disnatcbe1
so as TO make sure they contained no IN
formation likely TO prove serviceable TO tn
enemy Inc cost of transmission was fxad
al TWO cents each. A regular system of
lookouts were organized in the denart-
Inehts TO watch for these free balloons
lhey were only sent up when the wind wa,
favorable. "-'-N was
balloon factory was organized at tho
care dOraeans and under the vast iron
ana slass-arched roof of this railroad Ga
tioh me balloons were built Sailors hal
anced themselves on the metal eirdars GA
trusses and suspended long strins of I.I;lI
reaching almost to the ground. ana fror,
the orders already hung wickerworlr ca,.s
traihng ropes and graphing irons A score
OF women were either occupied in straign+
ening out and ironing long pieces of ma
terldl OF else soaking the calico to ret
ria or ITS stiffness and dyestuff Ha,,in,,
peeh hunS up TO dry, the material was
then cut TO the various patterns and arter
preliminary vanishing a hundred or
more girls, seated at long tables. and en-
penntended by Nine. GODDARD, proceeded 70
sew the seams with mathematical exacti-
tude. Then came a second coat of varnisb
both inside and out. The balloons were
then inflated by means of a metal ian
which caused the varnish to dry ouiclxer
and Facilitated the detection of anv holes
that might hitherto have passed INNER
ceiyed. The netting. ropes and other tackle
together with the cars. were all made Inv
sailors. The balloons were 81 feet g inches
in diameter, 1872 feet inches in clrcumfer-
enee and had a capacity of Y. 234 cubic
CUpEC VIDNCV O NON