The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-06-20
<BALOONING IN WAR.

BALOONlNG IN WAR.
All Modern Armies Now Use Eal-
looms While Operating Against
an Enemy.
Germany is further advanced than any
other country in the development of the
war balloon. The most effective type Of
the war balloon was invented in Ger
many. 1t is known as the Kite balloon.
It looks very like German sausage.
The large bag OF this balloon in an elon-
gated cylinder with hemispherical ends.
This bag is flied with hydrogen gas. 1t
hangs at an angle of forty-ive degrees,
due to the fact that smaller wind-bag
hangs at the end Of it and partly sur
rounds it., 4 This wind-bag is in fact the
rudder to the balloon. ...
A German war balloon is made Of cot
ton cloth. " 1t is composed of two thick
| nesses OF this. cloth coated with rubber.
This is the heaviest fabric used in bal
looming. and This fact Is very much
merit, however, that the silk balloon is too
strong i conductor of electricity, special
~ when coated with rubber. Some years
ago, when silk balloon was sent up in
Berlln, the man handling it received a
violent shock, and then the balloon burst
! one man and I'M uring five others. Since
that time rubber-coated silk has not been
| used in military ballooing in Germany.
But in the United States there have been
silk balloons used for war purposes, and
| IN the experiments made in Colorado by
Capt. Glassford Of the signal service,
pongee silk, treated with linseed oil, was
! used successfully.
Some very expensive experiments were
| made abroad with goldbeaters skin.
This is the membrane obtained from the
! entrails of the bullock. One animal fur
inches long and 10 to 20 inches wide.
These membranes are sailed until neeil-
ed. Then they are placed in a vessel
with salt water, with glue obtained
from the sturgeon of the Caspian sea.
A model of cotton cloth having been
tlated within a scaffolding. The mem
branes are taken from the water and
stretched on the inflated cotton cloth.
| their edges overlapping. In this way the
model is covered completely. Two more
! layers of membrane are laid on, and then
rs to form a lattice work This pre-
vents the balloon tearing. On this rib
bon structure three more layers Of skin
are; laid. Air is then pumped between
the surface of the cotton model and the
first layer of skin, and in this way they
can be withdrawn. These membrane bal:
looms cost $500 each. The regulation
field balloon Of the German army costs
about $3.50.
The kite balloon is not surrounded by
netting This saves great deal of
around the balloon at the bottom. and to
this cords are attached, which suspend
the basket and also g i've connection with
the ribbon through cable system
When the balloon rises, the small bag
at the lower end is filed automatically
to keep the head of the balloon always
to the wind.
The war balloon is always attached to
a cable. The outfit consists Of eight
wagons. One. holds the balloon. one the
reel and cable and six are filled with
balloon. Twelve tube wagons are tax
en- into the field in time Of war. Six OF
these, holding twenty cylinders each, will
carry enough gas to fill the balloon; the
other SIX are reserve.
In the field, the balloon is inflated and
let out at tbs end Of the cable. When
it is desired to Withdraw it, it is reeled
in by hand. It takes sixteen men to reel
GOO meters Of cable in twelve to fifteen
minutes.
The regular balloon corps is a branch
Of the German military service attached
a course of instruction both physical and
mental, and ascensions are made in all
weathers, and observations are made to
perfect the observers in drawing con-
ciNs,ons as to the movements of armies.
the plans of forts. etc, from what they
| photographs are also made from the bal
loon car, and from fairly good maps.
Balloonlng IN war is by no means nov
city. and the late Gen. Fitz-John Porter.
nearly forty years ago, had an expert
ence with runaway balloon at York
town, while making observations of the
from the cable and Gen. Porter was in
danger, several times of being carried
into the enemy's country. He was
actually travelling over Dixie for a con-
siderable part of the time he was in the
ar, but he found favoring current
which brought him back within the Fed
eral lines and allowed him to make
landing there
1t was President Lincoln who gave or
ders to have the balloon used for max
ing observations at the beginning of the
War OF Secession, but after two years
OF experimenting, the balloon was aban-
doned: Its failure was due to lack OF
scientific opera tions. Today every great
! nation has its balloon CORPS attached tn
the army. In the United States the sip-
nal corps has charge of ballooning. and
has recently made many valuable exneri-
ments: To be sure, the balloon in our
| war with: Spain was a source of some
| criticism and ill-feeling, because it was
said the great gas bag which was car
| ried along the: Santiago road told the
enemy accurately the position Of orr
advancing column. Probably in this
! place it might have been better had #
not been used, but there are places where
its use is extremely valuable, as the
experience of other nations has demon-
strated.-Boston Herald. ~ : -