The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-02


many times stronger az there are Ines
around fhe equator Of the balloon. ana
/ the lines Of the netting must be adj
| lusted to am exact nicely over all.
When the envelope Is dry the valve r.
placed % its very top. This valve a
made n wood. aud is so contrived that
I f. opens precisely as the navigator Wills.
But besides the valve there IS sewn into
| the side 81 the balloon Tor emergencies
an ollorg arrangement called the rip
cord. TIE use Of this viii be apparent
! immediately
The balloon is now ready FOR an asccn-
Sion The sfatuscope which indicates
| the attitude. and The barometer. which
/ Indicates the afmospter.cai pressure. IS
adjusted iu the car The neck ~ rho
balloon IS fastened in its pince and the
| globe Is ready FOR infution. 10 is weighted
I down and niled with hydrogen gas This
I rs the best gas for % looming because q
IS Aghfcst. ~ Is manufactured by rlsc-
INK in inrEe cnidrou suiphurlc ucid over
/ iron. The resclian; fumes are conducted
by meatS % pipes into another caldrau.
where they are percoiafef through trr.e
Inches ~ water into another pirc. which
conducts tl-fl th-nugh iiup and then
I they enter the balloon. It costs about
So 20 Initiate an ordinary balloon
The balloon ls now soaring in tte rir
if is supposed 20 Dec 70 the mercy % the
cir currents. This ls lot entirely true.
says Mr Stevens. You can fate % Dol. iri-
[ leaf ian and steer DC almost anywhere
you desire. 10 is extremely susceptible
% any Vibration whatsocver There IS
ore tting that is surprising 20 novice
The higher you 20 fhe eufffer is your as-
cent The explanation for ths is chat
4 ihe air 10 tAe surface ~ the earth gives
tho most rcsistnlre. ana flc higher yon
mornt che Jess resistance thcre ls When
your stnfu-role warns sou rhat 10 is wise
/ Co descend Dit sou pat ynu- band up 10
/ little white bag 90 oae side az fhr rsr
and pul the rope end yos rli therein
I This Is gre valve rope. As soon as sou
/ pull 90 certain amount 90 gas escapes
! through the opening % the valve doors
st the very top ~ fhe BIB loon. and Won
Immediately notice that yol begin 60 fall
The descent does NOT cease. although %
mobiles. when you close fle fnirrs. Your
next step to stop the descent U.s. g. take
/ little wooden spoon aud illlc our your
/ sand ballast uutl you uoucc that The tai-
loon floats steadily. bur suppose in fhe
meantime something LAS happened MAX
ing 30 Imperative that sou should gct
I down 20 elrth jlst as quickly as possible.
You put your hand up 60 a little red bog
on the other Side ~ tle basket end give
hard yauk 90 the rope end you tud
therein. This rips segment which is
sewn ln the side of the balloon aud per-
mlts the gas 90 dlsslpate witn much
greater rapiGlty than the valve. Should
the gas escape entirely the envelope VIII
/ form perfect parachute and deposit tie
passengers With very little Earring upon
the ground. There you have the story
I ~ a balloon pure aud simple. such bai-
/ loon costs from $500 20 $500 There are
about is 20 ~ % these balloons owned
/ 10y amateurs throughout the United Ststes-
/ u You nre member ~ the Aero Club OF
America you Will insist that every anna
teur shall have on board au expert pilot.
This pilot is licensed by The Aero Club
% France. Ir is put through au un-
usually rigid examination. ana is sup
posed fo have some acquaintance with the
treucherous wind currents which are ad-
mitfedly largely uucL4r.taile as yet Tie
man who kuew them best is tie man who
lost bis lie Ia proving h4s theory concern
Ing them. THAT was NorGuct. the souip-
tor. who died such sad death !ost spriug
on Long Island. There are only i've or
six professional pilots ln this country
Their fee Is so and an expenses paid,
and n they attend 20 the detail Of lnha-
ton you pay SO more.
The difference between q balloon and
an airship Is that one simply scars 10 the
air without any steering gear or machin-
cry. while the other generates its own
gas and IS steered by a rudder and pro-
peiler that is driven by an engine. Pc
gasus'' was the first successful airshlD
To- navigate with power applied in this
country.
Mr. Stevens showed me Pegasus" You
can see its shape ia the picture which
was taken during its drst night on Sen
TENDER 10 1902 Tho s.!E Of yhich the
envelope Of this balloon was made is 2
japanese silk that was woven especially
for this purpose. 10 cost the owner 5000
The only steel that lac could use for the
, car WAS brought from England. The en-.
sine. Bouton, was made in France. Al
together, the machine cost Mir Stevens
$4,000 when IL was finished
The envelope contains - 900 cubic feet
OF hydrogen sas. This lfts total OF
39S pounds. which is calculated TO be
equal 10 one person and 20 pounds OF
ballast, minus the weight OF the car.
The car is built Of steel. Just above. a
little 10 the rear of the operator. there
Is "a tank OF gasoline. The oil hows into
the carbOreter. which is the mixer Of the
air and gas and electricity which inJects
the motive power into the engine The
engine Is buit forward. aud all the In
struments necessary for manipulation are
well within reach OF the operator. Ia
front is the propeller. and in the rear the
ruddcr Just underneath the operate on
long bar running the length Of the car,
hangs torpedOshaped water tank. ms
tank chn be shifted 10y sliding m9ye-
mcnt anywhere the operator deslgcs TINS
is the medium that balances The car.
When the ship is TO shoot up In the air
the balance Is thrown TO the rear or tne
The navigation OF an airship simply Is
the same as the navigation or Doat IN
the water. Just Imagine ship IN a
stream using its prOpeiiers. The only dlr-
ference Is reversal OF the manner Ia
which the power Is utilized. a snip IS
pushed through the water by Its prOpci-
lers. An airship Is drawn through the
air by Its propeller.
OF the future Of ballOoniug and aerial
navigation for utilitarian purposes he has
very little 70 say lie does not believe
that the purely utilitarian purpose VIII
lie served for many years. But be thinks
that the bulk OF balloons VIII soon be
decreased by the discovery OF new
gas which viii carry more In a smaller
space. Al present one cubic foot Of by
drogcn gas carries one ounce OF weight.
One cubic foot OF coal gas carries Just half
as much with the discovery OF lighter
gas a great many difficult aerial nayigat-
Ing problems will he solved. one Of which,
Mr. Stevens thinks. will be that Il will
be possible TO use a fine steel for the pur-
pose OF the envelope instead Of textile
material ARNOLD kRUCkMAN.