The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-07

Washington. Sept. 25.-(SpecialD
The part American balloons are
taking in the war Is thus explained
by the committee on public informa-
ton:
Up to a few years ago. III TIE pub
lie mind, all balloons were associat-
ed with parachute bumpers, county
fairs and circuses. They were used
very much like their rival, the old
side show, full Of freaks, solely to
draw a crowd. Today Uncle Sam is
making balloons and training their
operators for distinctly another
purpose. The ungainly old balloon
of circus days is now rival Of It's
smarter and more modern broth
er, the airplane, in the job Of be-
ing eyes for the army and navy.
Swinging far aloft at the end Of
cable these elephants" as they are
now called, support trained observ-
ers who by means of powerful field
glasses and telephones give range
and direction to batteries. These in
turn, with we'll directed shots, put
enemy batteries out Of business onu
break up infantry forming for at
tack. The most accurate informa-
ton of course, can be given from
treetop, the higher this point. up to
a certain limit, the better. There
fore a stationary balloon four or five
thousand feet in the air is an ideal
place for an observer.
So Uncle Sans parachute jump =
ers are being instructed today, not
as entertainers to draw and thrill
crowds by leaps from the Clouds
| but for their own personal safety
and the safety of their records made
at high elevations, when shell or
an enemy airplane rips their bal
loon and they have to jump. For
although their balloon may be de-
stroyed. the men in the basket US
ually come safely to earth and bring
their maps and photographs with
them. 1t is a life full Of excitement
these men of the balloon corps lead,
and to be member one has to have
plenty Of nerve, courage and daring
in his makeup.
Uncle Sam Revives a Dead Industry.
In order to make use Of the bal
loon for war purposes the govern
ment practically had to revive a
dead industry. Uncle Sans army
types, are not of the spherical va
riety which some of us may have
seen at circuses and fairs; in fact,
! they are not free balloons at all, but
captive balloons staked to the earth
and shaped something Like a great
legless elephant, from which they
take their name.
Since a free balloon after leaving
the ground, is controlled entirely by
wind currents, it's use for observa-
! ton purposes is nil. The same is
true also Of the old spherical balloon.
AL ctr Ha
acts exactly as does a toy circus
balloon on a string bobbing and
swaying from point to point never
remaining quiet long enough to per-
NIT any sort Of observation.
| 1t was, therefore, necessary to
design a special balloon for observa-
ton purposes, something that would
remain steady and on an even keel.
Some years ago Germany developed
fairly satisfactory yet somewhat
| treacherous balloon. France and
England also conducted balloon ex-
periments, but the old German
Drachen balloon dominated the field.
| In the United States the only work
done was by one manufacturing con-
| Germ. On the Mexican border in
| 1915 the United States army had
only one locally designed captive
|
tionaI guard battery. So at the be-
ginning of the present war there
was no really satisfactory observa-
ton balloon in the army, and abroad
anti-aircraft gunnery had improved
so rapidly that German Drachens, as
well as other types, were not able to
reach q safe height near the lines
nor the required altitude for obser-
walton far behind the firing line.
French Balloon Leads The Field.
Captain Caquot of the French
army was the person who developed
the present balloon, and it was i'm
medIatelv copied by the Germans
This balloon. named the "Caquot
Type" after Captain Caquot has
stood the tests Of the last two years
of this war and is still the accepted
standard
The present American and allied
observation balloons are built aloha
the lines of the "Caquot." They are
non-grid and designed to remain
steady in varying winds and to