American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-02
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ABOARD II. M. 5. SAUSAGE"


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The miraculous stunts of the air
plane nave rather overshadowed its
humber cousin, the kite-balloon. The
work is no less dangerous If it be less
dramatic, and even more fortitude is
required to hang high in air tethered
at the end of a cable, a mark for
enemy guns, since there is one of the
exhilaration that accompanies the
dash of the flier. But H. NJ. S. Sau-
sage, as the anchored balloon is cal
led by the "Tommies," is an impor-
tant adjunct to the air-fleet. The
London Post says of the value of these
unhandsome craft:
They are employed along the whole
length of the battle-line, sporting"
for the artillery at heights and dis
tances from the firing-line which ex-
pose them all the time, not only to
shell-ire, but to attack from enemy
aeroplanes. Picture the situation of
the devoted observer, perched some
thousands of feet above the ground,
swaying hour after hour at the end
of his cable like a ship at her moor
ings, and offering a tempting and con-
s%picuous mark for every enemy gun
ner in search of a target, and for
every enemy airman OF a rowing COM
mission over our lines. II is a duty
that asks some nerve in the true per-
Torrance of it, is it not?
y But if the kite balloon is the ready
prey of enemy attack, it is not in itself
Uncomfortable to the occupant. It's
design has been vastly improved from
the type of the old German dragon
balloon which held the field at the out
break of war. BY an ingenious and
simple arrangement it has been found
possible to make the kite balloon keep
always head to wind. That is the ex-
PLANTATION of that "bustle"-like ar
rangement at the end of the ship by
which the wind is transformed from
a disturbing into a steadying influ-
ence The sausage shape of the bal
loon is another device for preserving
steadiness and avoiding the teetotum
motion to which the spherical balloon
is liable.
In days of high and gusty wind the
sausage balloon naturally pitches a
good deal-the resultant motion from
the windforce and the resistance OF
the lettering cable-and the inexper-
fenced observer may suffer severely
from seasickness in such conditions
but in genial weather the sensation is
soothing and even luxurious; and thu
fercest ground heat gives place to
delicious GOODNESS at quite a moder
ate altitude.
But the observer has to be trained
no only to the work of observation
but to federation, as the doctors woul'
saw. of height. He has not only t.
learn to watch his pressure cages ant
.other instruments, while picking GU
2 every significant object and porten
on the horizon and maintaining con
slant telephone communication Wit
the earth; he has also to become &C
customed to the sesation of height
oil complete detachment from mothe
earth-and to the changed aspect G
the landscape and its most familia
objects from his new point of view.
No one who has not experienced
can believe what the bird's-eye view
really is-how rare and strange tn
face of the countryside appears at
height of three or four thousand fee
II is to accustom observers to tines
conditions that the old spherical ba
looms are still useful. That accoun'
for the spectacle, which is often pr
scented on a fine day, of several
these spherical balloons drifting ov'
London. They carry prObatione.
training for the certificate of the Ro
al Aero club, an dthe popular idea tn
these balloons are a part of London
defenses against air raids is, one feai
f~allacious.
The advantages of the kite ballo'
for observation purposes are now IL
" recognized. The observer is IN
rect communication with the groul
u while the aeroplane pilot is natural
in rapid flight, his position changi
constantly and his communicate
with the ground less sure and dire
The Post says:
But it took some time for the for
of these considerations to be fully {
mitted. The achievement and pote
TALLY of the ~aeroplane not unnatur
" overshadowed everything else; a
so it fell out that the kite balloon v
neglected. Artillery commanders
sisted on aeroplanes for their "sp
ting" and the officers of the kite b
loon sections too often met W
greetings where no kindness is"
deed. it is related-though it wo
not be wise to take these mess-ro
p~leasantries too literally-that /