Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-11
Use OF BALLOONS WARE ARE
Value Of This Means for Overlooking the
Enemy and His Preparations
IDEA is MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD

France Began Experimenting in 1893
and England and Germany Have
Both outstripped the United
states in the Matter.
The great war balloon. with its extensive
equipment which is now in tho railroad
yards awaiting transfer 20 the exposition
grounds, will illustrate a phase OF modern
invention which military and naval experts
regard as one OF the most important develop.
ments OF recent years. The balloon has
risen above the level OF a county fair at
traction. and 10 its improved form is re-
ceiying the earnest attention OF all the lead
ing governments as an auxiliary TO mill
tary and naval operations. Its value in this
connection is now fully recognized. and not
only in this country, but on the continent
corps Of scientists and practical aerouauts
are working hard to develop a ballooning
system that will be OF more practical utility
in military operations.
The balloon that will be exhibited at the
exposition was used with some success in
the land operations around Santiago with
its assistance the American commanders
were able to definitely locate the Spanish
batteries and obtain a general knowledge Of
the fortifcatIons that was OF the greatest
| value. II the system had been still further
| developed and the feet had been supplied
| with an equipment that was equal 10 the
service required some Of the most serious
problems Of the campaign would have been
easily disposed Of. The modern balloon can
be used from a battleship as we'll as on
land, and If the Brooklyn had been able 10
send one UP OF Santiago harbor it would
not have taken half an hour to discover
heel he =
exactly the strength Of his forces Then the
hazardous scouts Of Lieutenant Blue would
have been unnecessary, and the feet would
have been able to acquire immediate ami
accurate information. The war has empha-
sized the value Of an effective balloon corps
in the minds Of fighting men, and il is BE-
lieyed that the science will now receive a
decided additional impetus.
More Than a Century Old,
| AS matter OF fact the United States gov
ernment has until very recently been some.
what behind the European nations in TAX
ing steps to develop this important branch
OF mlltary science. During the last hundred
years their governments have been giving it
| every possible ENCOURAGEMENT and axnsri-
ments undertaken at the public expense have
led 10 great improvements in the service
! tion.
The idea OF utilizing the balloon ,or Mill
tary purposes is said to have originated IN
France in 1898. At that time a series o,
experiments was inaugurated by the French
government and later a company Of mill
| tary aeronauts was organized. At this time
the promoters Of the idea were confronted
( by obstacles that have now been success
| tulIy disposed Of. They could not procure
sulphurlc acid in quantities and were com
PEELED TO manufacture their hydrogen bv
I the laborious process of passing steam over
iron filings The balloons were then made
| OF oiled pongee silk, and as these were
always inflated their transportation was
/ a difficult problem. 1t is asserted. how
ever, that even this crude system proved
OF marked value at the battle Of Fleurens
/ and at Charleroi. In the following year
additional corps were organized and were
used with more or less success Then the
idea was apparently abandoned and no
more Investigations were pursued by the
French government until within the last
| thirty years.
| 1t was during the memorable siege Of
! Paris when the city was absolutely cut off
from the world that the idea was revived
| Al this time a complete system Of aerial
| communication was organized, and sixty
! four balloons were sent out during the
! siege. These carried 1872 passengers. over
| 1000 900 letters and numerous portfolios
/ containing dispatches and other valuable
documents. Most of these craft were either
| destroyed or captured by the enemy, but
many Of them succeeded in CARRYING their
! freight into safety. Since then the French
! department has fallen behind England and
| Germany largely on account OF its refusal
! to adopt the improvements which these
! countries developed and which eliminate
/ some Of the most serious difficulties by
! which the French are hampered.
English and German Experiments
/ The department OF military aeronautics
| was organized in England in 1871. and an
arsenal was fitted up at Woolwick ex-
clusively for balloon construction. Here
were invented the steel retorts for storing
| compressed gas and which were OF the
J most important value. Previously the great
/ obstacle to the use of balloons for military
purposes had consisted in the difficulty Of
transporting the large amount OF machinery
and chemicals that was required for the
manufacture Of the gas. BY the English
scheme this could be stored and trans
ported in a comparatively small compass
and the idea was generally adopted except
! in France,
Germany has also been prominent In the
development of balloon service and the ex-
periments have been largely conducted under
I the immediate patronage OF the emperor
/ An aeronautic corps is a standing feature
Of the engineering division OF the German
army, and this has reached a high degree
/ Of efficiency. The central corps OF the
/ aeronautic division is stationed at Schoene-
| berg, near Berlin, and 1t sends out detach-
ments which are placed at the service OF
/ the commanders Of the various army corps
at every general maneuyer. The equip
ment OF the service represents the most
modern invention and it is susceptible OF
as rapid evolutions as any other branch
I Of .he service.
! The old custom OF using silk for balloon
/ construction has been discarded, 70 a con-
siderable extent. Rubber is now largely
used, and it is alleged 70 be superior to
| silk in several respects. The pure rubber
| is dissolved in benzine, spread on thin
layers Of cloth and then vulcanized. The
completed material consists Of two thick
| nesses OF cotton with the rubber layer in
] the center This is remarkably durable
and is also susceptible Of repairs in the
/ field in the event OF accident