Morris tribune., 1908-08-15
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 Omaha-Great Pre-
cautions Taken to Safely Anchor the
Structure.
Omaha has the first steel balloon
house ever erected. It was built by the
United States government in order that
balloon experiments may be carried Oh
extensively at Fort Omaha, which is
strictly signal station.
This monster building is going t.
cost the government $4,000. 1t was
erected by Minneapolis company
It is entirely Of steel. Not an atom
Of wood is in the building Even
the window castings are of steel. There
are nearly 800 tons of steel in this
monster balloon house, which is 200
feet long, 80 feet wide and rs 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 .. ..- ... a.
It is what is known as the Church
truss" building, having an angular toy
with 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 seventy-five
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 $4,000 steel
rlyets. The skeleton of the building is
covered with sheets Of corrugated iron,
which have a 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 /,
practically impossible for the building
to be torn loose. Even the window
cases are of steel, and the entire af
fair is fireproof. There is a 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 anchorages arr
fourteen feet apart on either side of
the building. The rear Of the building
is anchored similarly. +
On either side OF the front is a high
tower which carries a 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 tha bal
looms will really begin. There will be
ut least two balloons, dirigibie and
q spherical. captive balloon. The gov.
ernment intends to spend any amount
Of money on these experiments. this
being the first steel balloon house own.
ed by the government There Is but
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
were made by the steel company
which put up the building. Capitals
who Is now in charge Of the
fort and who is practical balloon
man, having made many successful
lights, will doubtless have charge of
the experiments with the big balloons.
The big balloons will be taken out
from the front entrance for expert.
ments. The big doors are a marvel OF
and have excited the ad-
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 be
early in the field.