The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-11-13
A LEY|ATHAN
OF THE AIR
Full Description OF HippoIite
Francois Monster Airship.
AT THE WORLDS FAIR
1T is EXPECTED TO PROVE THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL OF ALL
WILL CARRY TWELVE
PERSONS AND GO 80
MILES AN HOUR.

Special to The Bulletin.
st. Louis, Nov. 1l.-A great deal OF
enthusiasm has been aroused among
the Worlds fair visitors and citizens
generally by the trial trips of the two
balloons which have already been
proved to be really dirigible-Bald-
wins California Arrow and Benbow's
Montana Mascot This Is particular.
ly true of the former, which on its
first. second third andy later trips,
made innumerabe evolutions at yari-
Gus heights above the exposition
grounds and the surrounding country,
frequently in The face of the wind,
maneuyering as skillfully as a yacht
or bird Other aerial crafts Of en-
tirely different patterns from either Of
these. are to make ascents at the eX-
position during the next few days;
but by far the largest dirigible bali
Don here, and the one which many eX-
Dect to prove the most successful Of
all. Is La Vile de ST Mande. invented
and owned by Hippolyte Francois of
Paris,
Description of Francois Machine.
This machine has a gas bag 105 feet
long. 50 feet in diameter and III feet
in circumference weighing 902 pounds
and having a capacity Of $4,000 cubic
feet II is made Of a peculiar kind
of cotton canvas invented by Mr..
Francois Tor this express purpose
which is much stronger than any of
the stuffs from which balloons are
made commonly Very great strength
was necessary TO resist the accidents
Of travel and the pressure Of the i'm
mense body of hydrogen gas that it
contains. Within il is a smaller bag,
or bellonettc, about on@quafNer as
large az the other, into which dir is
admitted to take the place Of the gas
that is allowed to escape, aud thus
preserve The shape of the outer bail.
Don.
Length of 1t.
The car is about S. feet long and
six feet wide. and weighs 3100 pounds.
1t has long beaks fore and aft Of a
triangular construction, consisting Of
a single rod above and two parallel
rods below, these longitudinal rods
being connected at intervals by cross
bars which form a succession of com
plete triangles, set vertically and
transverseiy. as in the case of the
Baldwin airship The central portion
or car proper. is about ten feet long
and is a solid platform surrounded by
4 railing and firmly braced to the
other portions Of the structure, The
car il made of pine wood except in
the parts subject to he greatest
strain, which are of steel
The solidity Of the construction in.
sures perfect rigidity and equilibrium,
so that no energy or time are lost in
balancing When a. rest the car il
sustained at a length of two or three
feet above the ground, by tore and
aft supports heavily braced.
viii Hold d Dozen Persons.
The car is capable of holding a
large number of persons, as was dem.
onstrated a few days ago when Miss
Helen gould with her party Of twelve
or fifteen persons climbed into =. at
the same time and were accommodate.
ed without any excessive crowding
But no more than four men, over and
above the provisions and other imped-
imenta or long voyage, are ordinar
lily expected to travel in it a. once.
the lifting capacity of the gas bag be-
ing only about four thousand pounds,
and it being desirable to leave a con.
siderable margin of reserve power.
Where the Power Comes From.
In and under the floor of the car,
directly in the center, is a Lambert
gasoline motor which supplies the en-.
crgy by which the craft is driven. II |
Is the invention Of Prosper Lambert |
Qf Paris and IS the most perfect that |
modern science can provide. II has |
four cylinders and a working cspacl. |
~ Of .wenty-eight horse power. An |
electric battery at the side of the car |
explodes the gasoline and the engine |
is kept cool by a coil Of water pipes. |
fed from two reservoirs one On each |
side closesto the forward rail Stretch |
ing across .he front is a double radi. |
ator through which the water passes
In order to be kept at low tempera.
'urc Attached 10 the engine, under
meath the car. is muffler which |
makes II run much more smoothly |
and noi-lessly than gasoline engines
generally do Most 81 the weight of /
Inc apparatus is in the center and be.
ow the floor The gasoline tank Is at
.ached 10 the after rail in such wise
g. % countsrbalsnce the WAFER res
srvoirs forward The machinery can
90 elk or eight hours straight without
-eCharginE and il can be recharged
without descending
How Power is Propelled.
On each side Of the car, in the
ENTER. IS a wheel about four feet ~
iiameter from which the power g.
by means Of broad
Gather belts. TO the propellers which
ire two-bladed lateral fans, one at
.ach corner Of the central car. The
liades are six inches in width and