Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-01
OVER The ALPS IN A BALLOON
Thrilling Voyage Of Scientists Studying
Atmospheric Phenomena.
FOUND WHY THE SKY is TINTED BLUE
Travelled 142 Miles in 344 Minutes
Threatened, but Eluded-
Valuable scientific Result
of the Expedition.

a report has Just been made OF the most
extraordinary balloon voyage on record. II
is OF the most intense interest to scientists
and everyone studying the problem OF aerial
navigation. 1t sets aside one of the objec-
lions which have been offered to the flying
machine as a mode of travelling, by proving
that man feels no serious discomfort either
from cold or from immense speed when at
q great height. And there were other scien-
tinc results of considerable Importance
which will be told Of farther on in this
article. The story of the trip itself as an
other triumph of man over nature is OF
thrilling interest to everyone.
-Four men in the balloon Vega crossed the
Alps from Stilten, in Switzerland, to Mt.
Soule, in France, some distance north OF
Dion. The speed was equal to that Of the
fastest European railway train, and at times
exceeded that of the most rapid American
express. A distance OF 142 miles was COW
cred in 344 minutes.
The expedition was undertaken for purely
scientific purposes. The captain OF the bal
loon was Prof. Ed Spelterini, who has made
more than Eve hundred successful balloon
ascensions. He was accompanied by the
eminent geologist, Prof. Albert Helm, and
Prof. Julius Maurer, the great meteorologlst
One passenger was taken along, a student
of Prof. Helm. The project Of ascending the
Alps in a balloon was preached as long ago
as 1891, but it was slow OF realization.
Money had to be collected for the construc-
ton of the special balloon required and
many other preparations were necessary.
The balloon was built for the purely scien- :
tific purpose of the trip. The diameter of
the balloon when filled was about sixty feet,
Its circumference was 100 feet, capacity 1000
cubic feet. 1t was made of Japanese pongee
silk, Of great strength, and was built in
forty-eight meridional chambers, consisting
of no less than 3,16S pieces of silk. The in
terror received six coats of varnish and the
exterior four coats. The covering net was
mdae of Anjou hemp, treated with rubber,
with 21,50i meshes. The weight of the
balloon, with anchor, ropes and all, was 994
Kilograms. The ballast, scientific instru-
ments and passengers added 2,096 Kilograms,
so that the balloon had to lift 5000 kilo-
grams as it assembled in air. 1t required Ave
days to fill the balloon with gas, and then
there was a delay of three days before the
weather appeared favorable. The wind must
be in the proper direction and the air not
too cloudy to prevent exact observations
Pilot balloons were sent up finally and
showed that the wind set in the proper di-
Tection to carry the balloon directly over
the Alps and the Jura, /. e., southwest.
The Ascent.
Four men held the ropes Of the captive
balloon, ready to loose them at the signal,
The passengers climbed into the car that
swung beneath it and threw out sacks OF
ballast equal to their weight. Captain Spell
terini cried "Lachez tout" (let go alb and
the huge balloon majestically rose amid the