Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-05-01
MILITARY BALLOONlNG.
SeIf-PropuIsion Observation-Disclosures
Steering Devices.

Steering Devices.
The French Militaire gives an inter
esting account of some experiments
in military aerOstation which are
about to be carried out by the French
military authorities. I'm the school
of military acrostatiOn at Chalais no
/ great belief is entertained Of the pos
sibility of driving an aerial machine of
any kind. or of directing it's course
under adverse circumstances, by
means of a motor It is believed.
| however, that by the aid of proper ap-
/ paratuS the wind may, in very many
cases, be utilized to take a balloon in
any required direction, and it is to test
the appliances which have been de
signed for this purpose that expert
ments are about to be undertaken.
! Tie first series of trials will be
carried out over the Mediterranean
The balloon used will be spherical in
shape, with a capacity of 5000 cubic
meters. 1t will be filled with hydrogen.
and arrangements will be made by
means of a continuance carried in the
case to keep the balloon constantly
fully inflated. The balloon will ascend
from the isthmuS of Sablette, from
strip of beach sheltered by Cape
Sicie, in front of the great harbOr OF
Toulon. and the object will be to reach
the shores of Algeria AS the wind
will probably be favorable in June
and July, the ascent is announced for
the last fortnight In June, the car be
ing occupied by Count Henry de la
Vaulx, who last year won the prize
offered for long distance ballOOning.
The apparatus carried for the pur~
! pose of keeping the balloon in the
right direction will consist Of two
| distinct cOntrivanCes One is de
| signed with a view to keeping the
balloon for any desired period uniform
ly at any desired altitude, in order
that layer of the atmosphere NOV
! ing in the desired direction may be
utilized The invention can only be
utilized when sailing over water, and
| it is for this reason that 1t has been
| decided to make the first experiment
over the sea. OF course, the attitude
| of balloon can always be varied by
| throwing out ballast, or allowing gas
! to escape, but as neither gas nor
| ballast can be replaced the number OF
| times the height of the balloon can Dc
varied by these means is very llInlIeo'
| whereas, by the COntrlYance no" ue-
! signed. it is claimed that the aItIIuue
may be altered whenever and as oiteH
as may be desired without dehatlhS
the balloon or changing, except TEN
porariIy. the weight carried. The de
Yiateurs." which it is not pTeIehu7"
will make the balloon travel against
| the wind, but which it is believed VIII
cause it to move at an angle 10 Ihe
direction of this latter, are OF Sohe-
what complicated construction.
AS a. general description it may be
| said that they consist OF concaVe
plates so arranged that they can De
folded together or expanded at WIZ by
simply pulling a light cord. These
are suspended below the car by TWO
such cords. When these latter are OF
equal length the deviator does not ACT
at all, and the balloon simply dr1fts
with the wind, but by pulling on and
! shortening one or other OF the cords
the plates of the deyiator are made 10
assume position more or less obhque
to the wind, as may be desired, and
thus. much as the direction Of boat
is moved by a rudder, the balloon is
made to deviate more or less from the
direction of the wind.-United States
Gazette