Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-22
THE BRITISH HOPE
TO PREVENT MAJuDA HILL DisAs-
TIERS IN THE FUTURE.
TRAINED BALLOON CORPS TO Be USED
Aeronnuts Win Military hirships
Now on the Way 90 the Cape-"ire-
less Telcgrsphy VIII Probably h'
Used ns Means OF Communication.
,y,sb Military Airships



London, October IA Those who
arc I'm The know" with regard 10 tns
war prepAIatons hero are responsible
for some ugly talk. II is no longer
secret that the Boer campaign IS 10 DO
one in which every barbarity known 10
the makers OF modern means OF kuling
Ia battle viii DO practiced. IL viii DO
war with aerial dynamite and dum-dum
bullets aimed at Boer lives. The British
want no more Majuba Hills and viii al
low no fine feelings 10 lead 20 re-
petition Of that calamltous nght. Inc
balloon detachment OF the British army
that is en- route Tor the Cape Is designed
especially for the slaughter OF the Beers
By the dropping OF aerial explosives mo
their lurking places. Tho boer WIZ ma
that the art Of war has made great
Strides since MajIba iii. Inc sharp
shooters who crouch behind cTaBs ana
pick on the British soldiers will be mace
ACQUAINTED with the terrible eject OF
dynamite shells. Experienced south
African fighters who have studied Bo0E
character predict that one experience OF
this kind will take all the tight out OF
the Transvaal forces. With me balloon
exports Of the British army going 20
South Africa for the purpose Of attacking
the Beers from the clouds, IL Is Well TO
review the expert testimony Of both for
eiCuors and Englishmen on the probable
efficiency Of the English balloon service.
II half OF That the British experts claim
for their new aerial contrvances IS wei
founded the Boer war viii soon end IN
the defeat Of the farmers. II cannot be
denied that the English balloon corps
IS a highly trained and efficient body OF
men. and il is well not 10 ignore what
the Beers are pleased 10 believe are VAIN
bOastires, prompted by John Bun ma
tural vanity and egotism
OF course. it VIII De cOntended that
the Beers are no parlor maTksmen; that
they Will hit the balloon as soon as IT is
above the tree-tops OF course, they will
nit II. and hit IT many times, but it IS
quite strange that In this age OF widely
distributed knowledge, people can be
found who do not realize that hitting
balloon does not mean bringing 1t down.
in fact. e. balloon may be pierced by
50 large 4 missile as shrapnel shot,
and yet soar for hours. and then sink
as gently 10 the earth as bird alight-
ing upOn a bOugh. II may even be nd
oiled with bullets, and yet stay up Ions
enough TO decimate whole army. This
IS easily enough explained. 1t can be
readily seer that every hole made in
balloon results In an extra loss Of gas,
and obviously decreases It's sustaining
power; but IL can also be readily seen that
O great bag containing ten or twelve
thousand feet Of hydrogen will stand
such a small leakage, as Will be caused
by a few bullet holes, for considerable
period Of time.
The difficulty of piercing the modern
balloon. too. must be considered. Ii is
made OF tough. thick silk. or Of gold
Deater's skin. and is covered with close
network Of ropes and, when we reflect
that a ducks feathers viii de'cct gum
shots at 80 yards distance, it IS not diff
cult TO understand the detection Of a
Mauser or Krag-Jorgenscn bullet from
this tough. smooth fabric at the height
Of 500 or 2.GO0 feet above tho surface Of
the earth.
In addition 10 this probability OF deilec-
ton there exists another strong argu-
ment contra 90 the "collapsing" theory
II has been found that o bullet-hole be
meath the middle zone of the balloon
does not affect il materially. for, as gas
always rises upwards. the pressure is in
tho top Of the balloon; so IL will be seen
that to cause any marked escape OF gas.
balloon must be shot through
and through. which. owing to the tough
ness Of its fibre and ifs network OF ropes
Is a most difficult thing 20 accomplish
md. even when the feat is executed, IT
does not mean tho collapse OF the bal
loon for probably hours afterwards.
Thus il has been shown that the Beers