The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17
FLIGHTS INTO THE AIR
IN MODERN BALLOONS.
Jamestown Exposition Show What Has Been Accomplished the
Problem Of Navigating the AIR The Latest
IN
Things in Balloons.

1t may be blowing hard, but you feel
NO wind. You are going with the wind
as though you were part of 1t. 1T
really is too blissful to be practical.
That's why they are making dirigibles
that can go against the wind. You al
ways have to face the elements when
YOU turn to being practical. Utlllta-
rianism means BLUM and hustle and
buster; the pitting of virile strength
against the blow. In these days we
don't wait for winds and tide and time.
The steamer Dokes her nose up stream.
wind and tide, fayorng whether or no.
Her aggressive screws climb up waters
that are running down and she turns
them into long ribbons of yeasty, fluffy
stuff and faunts them from off her
shapely bows and leases with her dap
Der heels That's the mean way Mind
has Of eXultinS over defeated Matter.
The Earlier Efforts.
If YOU don't think air is matter, 1t
at least is heavier than some other
things. 1t was away back in 1913 that
Torricelli discovered that air has
weight. That led to the theory that
something lighter than air would rise
In air. even as chip Of wood. being
lighter than water, will rise to the SUR
| face. The chronicles of the Middle
| struct vessels that would meet the re-
| auirements of air hotation and OF at
; tempts to emulate the flight of birds,
| but 1T was not TIL in 1906, when Ca
| vendish discovered hydrogen gas. that
| the dream of flight gave promise of
| materIalizing. Then 1T was only In
| the soap-bubble stage In fact soap
! bubbles filed with the gas at that
| time were probably the first balloons
| t,c 10 Car JnI m M
| New York Aero Club, But hydrogen
| gas was expensive at first, and SO 1t
remained for hot-alr to give the first
! lift to real balloon.
| 1t was in 1883 that NJ Pilatre de
| Rozier made the first balloon ascension
| In Montgoltier fire balloon. From that
day to this, or to within few years,
| the progress in air travel has made
little advance. Balloons have been
(. common and great attitudes have been
reached and long journeys made, and n
degree of comparative safety attained.
through improved materials used. and
as a sport 1t has become less expensive
than 1t would have been at one time.
| Thus the cost OF gas for a balloon the
size of Nirvana, whose capacity is 6O-
900 cubic feet. Is a dollar thou
sand A trip costs SEQ. Still, from
z a practical standpoint, balloon un-
indeed it is worth less than raft
adrift at sea
1 But the balloon had to be perfected
before the dirigible could be developed
DR.. Thomas Ship.
Nirvana Is good example of a first
class balloon Of the old type. DR.. Juliar
r Thomas. her owner, now of New
York. Nas a Georgian. Seven years ago
in very delicate health, he went to New
York for treatment, and he has become
a diet specialist having been cured by
4 a diet OF uncooked or partly cooked
food For three months ne lived or
uncooked wheat, Raw eggs and onions
are also fayorltes of his. To-day DIR
Thomas for amusement goes into per
iods OF training for contests In weight
lifting. and recently he defeated pro
fessional strong man In all tests fol
| strength exceptssome specialties of TIL,
strong man. His nerves are under per
feet control and lie says this Is usefu
In aeronautlcs, which he took Y
for pleasure.
On one occasion some idiot in tn,
city caught hold OF the drag rope
thinking no was doing Nirvana, IA ser
vice. but he simply caused the balloon
to bang tile basket against church
spire with such force that the passen
gers were thrown to their knees
Sometimes IT Ia an advantage to b
strong ballooning, as when you aligh
IN q tree and have to- do some fame,
= climbing to eXtrieate Niryana and he
meshes from the branches.
The Nirvana.
NIryaaa IL made Of cotton balloon