Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-04

has capacity of $4,000 cubic feet of
hydrogen. and will carry one olscrv-
or l090 yards. or two observers 43G
yards, Owing To the fact that hydro.
gen gas has not been manufactured
in this country as II by-proluct since
this balloon was purchased abroad. il
has never been inflated. but its dupli-
cate has been used with success by
the German army.
To overcome this gas obstacle the
army will in the next few months he
gin the construction OF its own hydro
gen gas generating plant and com
prcssor. Here the gas. having been
generated, Will he stored by the com.
pressor into steel tubes suitable for
shipment and transportation with an
army in the field. This method was
deemed absolutely necessary when IL
was seen that the apparatus by which
foreign armies generate their balloon
gas in the field is so cumbersome that
II could not keep up with troops on Il
rapid march. In the tests now being
made with the new war balloon ordi-
nary Illuminating gas is hcing used.
but this is twice as heavy as hydro
gen, and hence reduces lifting mower
TO onc-halr. Each of the tubes contain
ing the compressed hydrogen will he
about eight feet Ion Gand three inches
In diameter, the gas inside hcing AZ
Il pressure of 1000 pounds TO the
square inch.
The new balloon and its prototypes
will not be flown Captive" in the or.
dinary drills. but are designed for
Tights to great heights and over long
distances. The attempted long dis
lance flight of Captain c. De f. Chan
der. of the signal corps. and j. c.
Mccoy, of the New York Aero Club.
in the balloon American on April 30
last from st. Louis to the Eastern
scaboard was preliminary 10 these
trials. II will be remembered that
they started off with Instruments to
show the altitude and speed attained
and that they took with them mum
Der of carrier pigeons. but met with
contrary winds. Captain Chandler has
been put in charge of the now war
balloon No. 10 and Mr.. Mccoy accom-
panied him lately on the first trial
flight over Washington.
The new war balloons will i've
equipped with the most improved tele-
photo cameras, which combine the
functions of Photographic and telc-
scopic Instruments. This instrument.
first perfected by Dallmeyer. an Eng.
lish Optician, was used by the Japa.
nese as early MS their war with China.
a view can, without such cameras, be-
made Of fort city or whole bat.
tlciield from a height of two or three
miles If the air Is clear. 1t has been
discovered, too, that such cameras re
veal many objects on the surface of
the earth which escape the naked
eye.
Enthusiasm over ballooning has in
creased in the army since Lieutenant
Frank p. Lahm, of the 9th Cavalry.
won the BALLOON contest in France last
September, defeating the fifteen other
aerOnauts entered. His record of 40
miles between Paris and Flying Dalcs.
in Yorkshire. England, was largely
due to his foresight in considering all
Of the meteorological conditions to
be encountered. Major Jersey, of the
United States weather bureau, who
accompanied him, examined the latest
weather reports before starting and
saw that the heavier and faster outer
currents would be down He also
figured that the wind. revolving about
known centre from left TO right.
would inevitably change their diroc-
ton and carry the balloon northward
toward England. Consequently while
Lieutenant Lahm's rivals were vainly
testing the upper air strata of the
America remained close to the earth.