The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-28

changed to few points northeast The
san or the windward side of the balloon
would be set with the oblique as to veer
TO the left But II the wind kept on bear
ing to the right. and II became evident
that the course was describing the arc
OF q circle. what would then be the In
eWtable effect Of the sail. on the course
OF the balloon7 Only this and no more:
The airship would describe a somewhat
larger arc Of circle than would have
been the arc without the sail. The sail
would simply hold the silken sphere to a
somewhat wider radius and this, should
the ship once head f. of NE, would be
OF no practical consequence.
precisely the same thing would occur
In case the ship went TO the left of north
and finally W. of NV. The fact is, his
guiding feature would only be of utility
when the ship was sailing straight, but a
trihe to the left or right OF given point
AS provision had been made and calcutta
tons based on using this drag, we may
assume that II was brought into action.
and quite probably within from four to six
hours Of starting.
II may now be understood that the thor
oughly equipped meteorologist would not
have bothered with this drag-rope append
age, because of its very doubtful utility,
but neither would the thorough meteoroi.r
gfst have gone into this project at ar
IL may aid to an understanding of the
situation to know that the men engaged
In this serious enterprise were necessarily
novices in polar ballooning. pioneers In an
entirely new field OF human endeavor, long
on zeal and self-confidence but short on
discretion. But let us mentally follow
these voyagers and see what NAV be the
effect of this cable trailing. not over the
landscape, but over the ice and water
scape, If the terms be allowable
Inevitably the top and Dubious mart of
the ship would incline forward as the
surface to the wind is there greatest and
the free movement is handicapped. Theo-
retically the three ropes are to trail, each
In Its own path, as the outside cables are
tieo on opposite sides of the ring and are
eight feet apart. with the other cable
midway between. In unobstructed water
or sand. the device would find its ideal
conditions. but we are about to recog-
nize the very widely varying surfaces. OF
the Polar sea
Ice there is. beyond question. 1t may be
stationary or in motion, and II NAV be
both. The ice movement one chance In
twenty. may correspond with the airship's
direction, and II may cross the ships path
at right angles. dragging 1t from its
course. The ice masses will grind as they
are squeezed. will be heaped up In huge,
irregular ridges. crosswise. lengthwise or
Otherwise. but through all this horizon
bounded waste OF icy confusion, three
ropes are trailing down from overhead.
with colossal airship at their aerial ex-
tremity. One will notice that these ca
bles are not trailing In separate paths.
but tumble onto each other at the bases
or slopins ice and, In freezing slush. would
form compact mass. As we are looking
on they are wedged fast and carried I'M
der by blocks Of many tons Of weight
with grip that may be indefinitely pro-
longed.
The effect on the airship? II moving
rapidly. disaster would be imminent 1t
had Its momentum OF some tons OF weight
TO be overcome, and the first consequence
would be. coming down to the sea in
a nearly horizontal position and, like a
railing star. describing through the en-
pyrean segment OF q circle whose center
Is the wedged twist OF ropes In the ice
or course the ship will again right itself,
but several things may occur in the
meantime. As this 10 a situation that was
almost inevitably TO be encountered II
IL worth while to consider II more specf-
neatly. In such lurch. the car occupants
would hold fast TO save themselves
though in the confusion some articles
might dump over, as the ship lay to so
unexpected an angle. The ropes cannot
at once be cut. In this short time when
the balloon is on It's side the five tons
OF upward pressure are not bearing
against the triple thickness OF top and the
closer cable meshes there provided
but this buoyant force is now
shifted to another part OF .hs
structure. The force II exerted
against the weaker side, which is now
uppermost and where the meshes are