The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-08-23

having weight or $50 pounds,
which is warranted to run constantly
and steadily for as many hours as
we wish. In this new airship the
propellers, which are of the same
type as those used in French military
airships, are placed in the centre of
either side of the vessel They con
sist of two blades of steel eleven feet
in diameter and capable of $50 revo-
lutions per minute.
The living quarters of the airship
are in triangular bunk-like spaces
within the inclosed car. These are
capable Of accommodating ten or
twelve men and twelve dogs, together
with our provisions and equipment.
Suspended from the roof of the air.
ship and running on light rails is a
tank containing 600 pounds of pro-
visions, which by means of a windlass
in the navigating room can be run
the entire length of the car, so as to
supply our food wherever necessary
and also to balance the ship. The
total weight of the steel car and tank
is 1900 pounds. The motors, screws
and machinery weigh 1850 pounds.
We carry in our tank 5000 pounds
of petrol, capable of running the
motor for $50 hours at a normal
speed of fourteen knots per hour,
giving total radius of action from
the liquid fuel of 2100 knots. The
weight of the cargo we carry dimin-
ishes on an average 500 pounds per
day by the consumption of petrol for
the motor, while the loss of lifting
power by leakage of gas through
the skin of the balloon will probably
not exceed $50 pounds per day. The
net result of this is that we have on
an average day $50 pounds to 500
pounds of lifting force no longer
required and represent just so much
gas to be disposed of and to main
tain the equilibrium of the ship.
Ordinarily the surplus gas would
be allowed to escape through the
valves, but inasmuch as hydrogen
has a very high calorifc power we
have thought it pity to waste good
fuel, and by actual experiments we
have found that we can burn the
surplus hydrogen in our motor with
the result that we have a further
thirty hours of motoring from waste
gas, giving a total of $50 hours at
fourteen knots per hour-that is to
say, we have a total radius of action
OF $500 miles, or double the distance
from our base to the pole and back
again. If we can get but two-thirds
of the value of these figures we shall
still have fifty per cent. margin over
our needs for our journey from Spitz-
bergen to the pole and back.
ut is our intention during our
voyage to the pole to be always in
contact with the earth by means of a
guide-rOpe. We shall never ascend
more than 900 feet to 500 feet, and
our guide-rope will trail over the sur
face of the earth. The guide rope
is absolutely essential to the safety
of our navigation and is of consider
able weight Instead of employing
steel line we have made what l call
a leatner serpent htteen inches in di-
ameter and 40 feet long and weigh
ing about 400 pounds. This is
packed full of reserve food, weighing
1900 pounds, and is suspended from
the airship by means of a steel rope.
1t is covered with steel scales to pro-
| tect the leather and to make the
whole guide travel smoothly over
ice and snow. 1t will also float on
the sea. By means of, the enlarge
ment of the airship and food con-
tanned in the guide-rope we are able
to carry with us a total of 5000
pounds of food. or enough to enable
the crew of the airship to subsist on
/ its own store for period of ten
months without having recourse to
game or outside supplies. Wash
ington Star.