The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-19

PROFESSOR MEYERS EAhM
dollhouse system of balloon culture, in
vading even his parlor in the search
for place where the freshly vanished
silk can dry rapidly.
He is at all times willing to talk
about his occupation and will go to
great pains to give the visitor to his
farm an adequate idea of the industry
that is carried ON there. He soon let's
his guest know that balloons, like pri-
vate yachts, are not things in which
the average person can indulge, point
ing out that a three man balloon from
twenty eight to thirty feet in diameter,
with netting complete. will cost from
$500 to 81 800, according to the grade
Of material used.
In the higher class balloon the pro-
fessor uses pongee silk principally.
This comes in pieces about nineteen
yards long and nineteen inches wide
and is sewed together, in strips 100
yards long before being carefully var
nished. These strips have then to be
thoroughly dried, else the complete bal
loon would be failure.
Mrs Meyers is as great an enthusiast
as is her husband, and like him she
does not believe that careful aeronaut
can ever meet with disaster. She her
self has made many ascensions and
holds the record for the highest ascen-
sion made in America with natural
gas balloon. 1t took place at Franklin,
Pa, several years ago, Mrs. Meyers as
cending over five miles. Just how high
she really did go can never be known,
for she went beyond the recording
limit of the aneroid barometer with
| which the balloon was equipped. Her
knowledge of air currents is wonder
full, and the professor relates how it en-
abled her on one occasion to make an
ascension in Utica and land at their
home, as she had said she would do.
1t is not only in balloon making that
Professor Meyers can lay claim to fame.
In 1900 there was exhibited at st.
Louis an aerial torpedo manufactured
by him. This little machine, for the
model shown was only about thirteen
| feet long, gyrated around the big area
in which it was exhibited. and its evO-
lutions were a source of perpetual mys
tification to the experts. The motive
power was in evidence, for the wires
through which an electric current was
furnished trailed behind it. But the
| problem was to discover how the oper-
ator, seated at his switchboard on the
| floor of the exhibition hall, could make
the machine rise, dip and revolve. That
part of the little ships demonstration
remains a mystery yet, for Professor
| Meyers declines to give the necessary
| explanation.
1t is expected that the war depart
| ment will put the aerial torpedo
| through a series of tests at the balloon
farm here this summer. for if it fulflls
| the claims of its inventor it would he
| found very serviceable to drop torpe
does on the forces or ships of an en-
envy. <~s.
| The latest device to originate in the
| professors fertile brain is an airship
built on new lines. Its inventor is GER
| tain that he has solved the problem Of
/ dirigible ballooning. A model Of the
new a1rship is now hanging from the
ceiling of a large room in the farm
house." and Professor Meyers promises
that before long "a practical machine
patterned from the model will be ready
/ for use.
The completed airship will be As feet
long and 10 feet IN diameter; but, ac-
cording to his description it will be a
great deal lighter than any other form
kerosene explosion device Kerosene,
Professor Meyers declares, is the only
| motive power that can be applied to air
/ navigation with success.
HENRY BAILEY.