The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-05-06
Especial Letter.)

HE National Balloon Park
!: ]. !. :: !: !. !: !: !: :"
~ which our army is building
vi at Fort Myer, across the
III Potomac, near Washington.
1H will be the most modern
VIZ post of the kind In the
world. 1t will concentrate
signal corps instruction to
ous place, the posts at Fort Logan,
CaI The Preside. San Francisco, and
Son Antonio, Tex, having Deen abol-
ished
One Of the largest balloon barns in
az world has been erected within the
,,ow mark. This is a great, rectangular.
oorrupated iron building with a slant
inc roof and great doors which throw
oren the entire front end of the struc-
+nra The size Of these swinging doors
Gives some hint as to the proportions
~ tbe monster which will make its ex-
frs and It's entrances through them.
dragon is to abide within the iron
walls Of this great barn. This dragon
is to be employed to help fight Uncle
Sans future battles. If all things come
IN mass as they are now being prophe-
sled by army officers, this war dragon
will belch forth fire, like its mythical
ancestors; will deyour men by the hun
.dreds; will wipe formidable fortresses
from the face of the earth.
Uncle Sans war dragon is the twin
brother Of the flying monster with
which the German army lately equip
ned itself. 1t is an airship which COM
bines all of the virtues of the man
carrying kite and captive balloon;
which eliminates the evils of both. To
stray rather broadly from classical
smile, 1t may be best described as a
giant sausage, tilted up on one end and
having smaller sausage curled up
over its lower extremity after the fash
ion Of the squirrels tail. This smaller
envelope sucks up air which presses
against diaphragm or partition with
in the larger envelope and thus keeps
the covering Of the latter always snug
ly tight regardless of how much the
gas contained therein may expand or
contract: The entire balloon is held by
a cable and remains poised at the same
angle which the kite presents to the
upper air currents. Like the kite, it
flies higher and higher the faster the
wind blows, whereas the ordinary cap
tive balloon dips lower and lower as
the speed of the breeze quickens.
Inside the great barn is to be in
stalled every equipment for filling the
monster and his consorts with gas. For
initiation hydrogen will be employed. A
complete plant for its manufacture will
be an interesting adjunct to the big
balloon house. A smaller corrugated
iron building has already been erected.
The gas manufacturing and compress
Ing plant will later be installed within
1t. The hydrogen will be compressed
into cylinders eight feet long, three or
four inches in diamether, and with CON
tents Of one cubic foot of the gas, very
highly compressed. Hundreds of these
tubes, after having been charged at the
new COMPRISING plant, will be borne
70 the balloon house in wagons and
connected to the main valve of the new
by rubber pipe.
Inc army now has two other new
captive war balloons. Both of these are
d the pear-shaped class. The larger
. ~ feet In diameter, has a capacity of
L4'VVV cubic feet of gas and will carry
our men. The smaller holds $4,000 Gu
DC reet OF gas and will carry three
men, with all necessary signal appara-
JUS,
Inc envelopes of these two pear
mapped balloons are made of goldbeat
u SKIN, a membrane taken from the
'ntralis OF the bullock and subjected to
.arlous stages of curing. Each animal
urnisnes one piece, about is by "a
inches in diameter.
Ultimately, regularly scheduled bal
oon drills will be held at the new
ost
some time ago it was prophesied in
10 pubic prints that Uncle Sam
ouiu nave to equip himself with a
6eC OF modarX, =.