The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-19

The idea of using balloons in warfare IS
more than d century old, the nrSt at
tempt TO put the project into execution
being in 1I34 Napoleon organized a pal
looming corps for his second campaign III
Egypt, but before il could be employed
the wagons containing the accessories fell
into the hands of the British. During the
seige OF Paris in 1870. balloons We're eX-
tensiyely used and news was carried by
that means from the beieaSuered city TO
The provinces.
For years all the nations of Europe
nave been engaged in attempting to bring
she science of aerial navigation to such
perfection that it might be of use 10 them
on the occasions of international con-
nct 1t has long been realized that If
ever this science were made really prac-
sical neither the best drilled army nor
the finest navy seen would be able to
prevent the destruction OF city by
military balloon armed with explosives.
As ftle result countless Experiments
have been made and there Is scarcely
country in Europe that has not established
Ats school for instruction in This science.
Tor instance. there is a great military
school of ballooning at Adershot, which
Is wholly responsible for the theory and
practice of aeronautics in the British Ar
thy, ana this Institution has It's counter
part IN many sections Of Europe
It Is the duty of such institutions not
only to test every balloon destined for
service, but also to instruct those whose
facilitate the employment Of balloons
generally in time OF warfare.
A LONG SEARCH
In spite of all these efforts, however, the
nations of Europe have long been at 4
practical standstili in regard 10 this
science Balloons Of new shapes have
been made. 1t is true and some Of them
ave Tf1ai-
Gecessors Other changes have been made,
come Of them of the greatest advantage.
but despite this, the device that would
make the war balloon destructive and
practical under all conditions has not been
discovered. In each case something has
been wanting to make the device a perfect
One.
It is not believed, however, that this
great problem IN warfare is about to be
solved and that the solution Is TO come
through the agency of that much her
hlded and extremely mysterious science.
wireless Biography The man who claims
to have this century-old puzzle and who
Is only waiting the opportunity to put
his theory into practice is William a.
Eddy. the American inventor, whose eN-
perfence in kite flying has proved of such
tncalculable advantage 10 the scientific
world.
According TO Mr. Eady's theory it will be
me easiest thlDS IN Inc MpIII 10 Apply
wireless telegraphy in the work of drop
ping explosives into beieaguered towns
from passengerless war balloons. In the
wireless telegraphy the signals Involve only
the clicking of an ordinary Morse sounder
and he insists that such a click would
spring deiicately-adjuste3 catch, Which
IN tarn would operate to release strong
spring that would drop the heavily
explosive bomb from the balloon. This
dismissal could be arranged to occur at
any distance within from thirty-siN TO
forty-tive miles al sea, but at j much
shorter distance above the land.
While 1t is true that the exact distance
made in transmitting Marcodranas over
the earth IS as vet undetermined, signals
we're sent from B,ue Hill Observatory 10
Boston, short time ago by means of kites
at Blue Fill. the receiving station being
III Harvard College Cambridge, and the
distance about ten miles. On the occa-
sion of these experiments it was found
that many of the signals were made un;n-
teilieible by trolley sparks, which were
positively traced as the disturbing cause.
near Cambridge, and II is possible that
other disturbances might have been made
by Other sparks many miles away.
EASILY MANAGED.
Mr.. Eddy has made a most careful in
Testisation of his theory before publishing
It 70 the world and ne firmly believes that
not only would tia bombs be discharged
ny the Marcoai key on land, but they