Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-08-28
HUGE BALLOON HOUSE
Uncle Sans First Steel Station
For His War Airships.
NOT AN ATOM OF WOOD IN 1T
Mammoth Doors . Special Feature Of
War Departments Experimental
Building at Fort omahs-Grsat Pre-
cautions Taken to Safely Anchor the
Structure.

Omaha has the first steel balloon
house ever erected. 1t was built by the
United States government in order that
balloon experiments may be carried on
extensively at Fort Omaha, which is
strictly q signal station.
This monster building is going 10
cost the government $4,000. 1t was
erected by Minneapolis company
1t is entirely of steel. Not an atom
of wood is In the building. Even
the window castings are OF steel. There
are nearly 300 tons of steel in this
monster balloon house. which is 200
feet long. 90 feet wide and 10 feet
high. Every steel worker and engineer
in the country followed the erection Of
the building with much interest. and
the government is keeping In close
touch with the outcome OF the expert
ment.
1t Is what is known as the Church
truss" building, having an angular top
with a circular lower chord. From the
spring line of the lower chord TO the
ridge OF the truss is twenty seven feet
One Of the special features OF the bal
loon house is the size of the doors.
There is but one entrance, facing the
north. The doors to the entrance are
mammoth affairs. being seyentyfve
feet high and weighing fourteen tons.
Yet so delicately balanced are they
that one man can move them. says
the Omaha World Herald. They are
TO be opened and shut by means Of
a lever, which can be operated By one
hand These doors follow the truss
slides in shape.
The building was begun April %
The steel was brought to the fort In
sections. held together by 1900 steel
rivets. The skeleton Of the building Is
covered with sheets Of corrugated iron.
which have new mode OF fastening
The usual method is that OF purlin
nails, but the Omaha building is put
together by means Of 10000 Norway
| iron rivets.
| The method of construction makes Il
/ practically impossible for the building
to be torn loose. Even the window
cases are of steel, and the entire af-
| fair is treproof. There is continu-
Gus anchorage from the concrete piers,
| which go seven feet below grade. to
| the spring line of the lower chord OF
| the roof trusses These anchorage are
! fourteen feet apart on either side of
! the building. The rear OF the building
Is anchored similarly
On either side Of the front Is high
tower which carries door These
towers are eighty-one feet high. The
total weight of the building is 325
tons. There are three parts to the
building-the central part. which Is to
hold the big balloons. which have al
ready arrived at the fort. and a shed
on each side for storage purposes.
The hydrogen gas house is at the
right of the balloon house and will not
be ready for work until September
when the experiments with the bal.
looms will really begin. There will be-
at least two balloons, dirigible and
n spherical captive balloon. The gov
eminent intends 10 spend any amount
of money on these experiments. this
being the first steel balloon house own
ed by the government. There is hu'
one other balloon house. at Fort Myer
Va. This is much smaller than the
one at Fort Omaha.
The government drew up the gen
eral plans. while the practical details
We're made by the steel company
which put up the building. Captain
Chandler. who Is now In charge of the
fort and who is a practical balloon
man. having made many successful
flights, will doubtless have charge OF
the experiments with the big balloons.
The big balloons will be taken on,
from the front entrance for expert
ments. The big doors are marvel OF
construction and have excited the ad
miration Of all who have seen them.
If there is to be any chance of air
ships taking an active part in the war
fare or the commercial interests Of the
future. the government proposes to bs
early in the field.