New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-23
BALLOONS AND PONTOONS.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR SENDING THEM TO
THE FRONT.
HOW THE WAR BALLOONS WILL BE EMPLOYED
IN cvBA--LooKING OFT FOR TRANS

PORT SHIPS.
1r,or,o,. nrenaro;ions have been made for the
.rorsnor,a,Ion of balloons and bridge pontoonS
% tho front for army use in active operations III
tho irvasion of Cuba. The Quartermas ter $ De-
nartuent in the Army Building received notce yes
terday TO hold Itself in readiness 10 transport DOT"
10 Tampa Fla. The large balloon with "hlc" ~
periments have been conducted at fo'' Logan
Colorado for several years was recently oioue"'
10 Fort Wadsworth, on Staten Island ihAV "ns
before any orders for troops to proceed 10 the Gun
coost mad heen issued The conclusion was dfa"h
that rs the balloon brought TO us POM II
was 10 he used for the purpose OF observing 'nPs
AZ soa and learning when they were aPProao''''e
with hostile intent ID
THAT conclusion Is entirely Incorrect. sai'
Lieutenant Hale at department headquarteFs on
Governors Island yesterday "A balloon wou'u w
practically useless for such a purpose as II 10
nossible to see a ship from fort or other emil
nence as far away as 1t Is within range u ''''
heaviest artillery. and any observation III aaNd"'e
Of that would he useless for practlcai purposes
no war balloons are only Of use IN hcd opera"
lions for the purpose OF discovering troops "'e"
they cannot be observed from the surface OF the
cronnd at tho highest points owing to irreGu-
laritics Intervening woods and other Obstacles
Then a balloon "a OF immense practical value
" IL only recently that captive bal oons IN t's "d'
have been made Of use. and II IS In france an"
Germany especlally that tho most has ueen Hohe
in the organization and training OF balloon corps
The balloon AZ Fort Wadsworh has been pliceu
IN the hands Of expert men Of the sigma service
who hsv. had experience with balloon WORK on
Western plains md In the Rocky Mountains Two
more large balloons have been contracted TOT IN"
az soou as they are delivered here. probably In
day or two balloon train vii! he lcaGei WIN 'ls
equipments and sent to Tampa. Fla. where II VIII
be ready 70 have the balloons transported with TIE
troops to Cuba.
It is understood that the plar OF operations IN
cludes the formation Of TWO armies OF invasion
one to land in the Havana region ana the o'her Il.
the eastern end Of Cuba. and each VIII ne equipped
w.th balloon for observations in The hed. ana VI"
thifd balloon will be available IN emergency or tn
case OF acciden; to the others. balloon corps
is 10 he organizc under the direction OF Lieuten-
ant Joseph T.. MaxHeld. who Will hc under tho I'M
mediate orders OF Captain James Allen. the siFna
Office on the stan of General Miles Each Ia .
loon has three wagons 10 form It's tram one
contains the gas bag. basket and netting. togetef
with the rec. and about one thousand feet OF STOUT
wire cable to hold the inflated balloon captive. on
the other wagons arc carried the stout steel cyn-
ders filled with hydrogen for initiating. the sand
bags for ballast. and the apparatus for use hF nc
obscryers. This Includes telephone. camera and
fed glasses. When the balloon rise Il c"IrI'S ~
aeronsu. and signal officer. and the result OF OBJ
seryatona ia communicated AT once 70 headqiaE-
tiers. enabling operations 70 pe m''IHs ta.u! IN
Quoted within radius OF thirty or ioriy miles
observation.
The material USED for the best modern balloons
IS godbeatcrs skin. made from the outside mem
brane Of the large intestines Of the on ms -
h8ht and strong, and Practically iHlp"rVious 70
gas. i is much better. although more eNpthsltc
Than o',cd s!ik As the cost Of each inhan9n OF a
large balloon Is IN the reighDourhood " W no
experiments Will he made Ln" are not a.,2iHieiy
in the balloon operations viii be scFgrant' bald :
win. Kennedy. Burnett and Myers, al Of IN signal
Corps. They cxpec, 10 90 from Fort Wadswor;h
TO Tampa early next week. and Will form the
nucleus OF ~" balloon COPS, ,,u,o- -, .,,o r.rc,
neer Corps az Wl.ets Point. Was ia the city yea
terday securing the equipment needed for making
vnioh pom G0 w s p Po 41foa lgo rse q
neers has had training IN the use q pontoons In
VIII 60 TO Tampa in =. NV dayr win rh~m VIII
also go tho ponioons. wheels FOR Transporting
;hen cf us il brdsiaF is siTcss ana also for usias
them 10 effect landings from vessels whero the
water IS too shallow - allow TRANSPORTS to get
the shore To-day the steamboat General
Megs will begin the ,fanspofia;lo n OF the pom
toOns and equipments from Nillets Point 70 Jersey
Assistant Quariermasier-Gcneral K!nibeu has
received orders TO hurry the delivery OF All the
other supplies ORDERED Tor use IN The ncld lie
In regard 10 arrangements Tor irarsrofilng troops
he has secured list Of available vessels. which
could carry an army OF 100" mon
Capta1 Allen received order. Yesterday to ho'd
himself In readiness 70 70 TO Washington and to
assume The duties Of signal officer on tho star Ok
Genera Miles II is understood that Colonel John
! Rodgers. who Is the comma rdrg officer ~ the
9th Artillery but nlls tho pos oi artillery Inspector
and ordnance officer the stan of General Mef-
rltt. is likely TO be detached and sent Nashfrg-
ton 10 serve as artillery officer tho ~t1N OF Cen
eral Miles Colonel Rodgers e. regarded az of.o
OF the most expert artillery officers IN tho Army
lie has servod on both the Pacific and IA" Atlantic
coasts. and understands Thoroughly all the work
OF artillery practice. Colonel Rodgers came hack
yesiercay from Washington. where lie was attend
Ing ineetrg Of the Board for Regulating sea-
coast ARTILLERY Fire. usually known ns the Board
or Fire Control
The report that prisoners confined in Castle VIII
iams. on Governors Island wcrc asked 10 accept
Their freedom II they would eo with tho i7fh In.
inntry 10 Tampa was denied at Army Iiead.uar
tiers yesterday NJ such offer was made as the
men who are prisoners there are all charged with
serious offences, Of which they have been found
guilty They have 10 serve terms OF imprisOnWcnt
ranging from a few weeks 10 Eve wears and also
have 10 serve IN the Army their fun terms Of
enlistment beside None 81 fh,f are 'hcr, for any
petty offence, as these punished I'm the guard
houses at tho several forts In the vicinity. while
only the serious offenders are sent TO Governors
Island.
Al some Western forts prisoners charged with
minor offences were set free unon their expressing
desire 10 10 the front with the troops recently
sent, but this was not done any OF the forts in
New-York.
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