The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-24
"How Bombarded London From Balloon"

ferent instruments and checked by dis-
ferent observers We're taken "a of the
interval of the return of the echo, (2)
of the height the balloon had assembled,
while the actual locality over which
each cartridge was fired was also noted.
II can claim that the results are both
| important and instructive. The atmns
phere can certainly not be regarded as
always in such a state as Professor
Tyndall pictured at the time of his spe-
cial experiments 80 years ago. Unqucs-
tionably it is in the highest degree un-
certain and capricious, and if this fact
were but more generally recognized we
should hear of fewer disasters, such as
that of the Stella or the Mohegan. In
stead of laying down for the guidance of
mariners that certain definite condi-
tions and properties of atmosphere ex-
list, it would be wiser and nearer the
fact to point out that conditions are in
finitely diverse and cannot with any
confidence be predicted.
THAT still moist clouds everything the
face of the country greatly aided the
aerial cannonade there can be no rea-
sonable doubt: but to assume on the
strength of certain isolated trials of a
generation ago that all fogs aid sound.
is to open the road to just such disas-
ters as of late we have had occasion to
lament, and happily among practical
men it will be found that this fact is
now pretty generally admitted A bank
of fog rolling up may be the cause of
most perplexing results, as also will
worthless or cross currents of air Of diff
ferent densities such as may be eX-
pected constantly, say in the channel,
or as may be found any day above the
London housetops. We had good proof
of this. In one quarter the laundering
signals overhead penetrated like can
non shot, while hard by they were
scarcely noticed, save by their echoes.
Again the directions in which the ex-
plosions were heard farthest were de-
termned apparently by invisible ave-
nues in the air far more than by drift
of wind. Some authoritative state
ments, based largely on theory, have,
it would seem, done duty all to long and
must inevitably be modified. Pro-
fessor-(almost our latest authority
lays stress on the peculiarly fitful hear
ing of the Westminster clock in fog
across Hyde park. But could more
unsatisfactory ground for experiment
be chosen? Was he not testing not so
much the effect of London fog as the
| fluctuating and distracting noise due to
the traffic of hundred streets and the
aerial disturbance of 10000 chimneys?
AT any rate the hearing of an aerial,
| that is an unobstructed source Of
| sound over a district of the peculiar
| nature of London and the suburbs, has
| now been tested at the hands of a null
| ttude of witnesses.
Mr. Bacon informed me, in the con-
| Guiding explanation of his experiments,
| that it would be necessary to repeat
| the tests on a larger scale to arrive at
| a thoroughly satisfactory result Let
| a signal of vastly increased proportion"
| said Mr.. Bacon, "a true artificial me-
| teorite, be fired at a yet greater height
| so as to be capable of being heard over
say not 90 miles only, but 100, and let
| il be within earshot of sea as well as
| land. Further. let the time of firing
| be kept strictly secret, and let observ-
| ers state with accuracy what they hear,
| and when That such would prove n
| fruitful as well as interesting expert
ment there can be little doubt, and
| that it will be carried out in the imme-
| date future 1 may venture somewhat
confidently to predict"