El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-05

M IN the preparation OF our
armies for service in Europe.
one Of the most important items de-
handing attention is the manufac-
ture of great number Of sausage
balloons. The war department will
send many hundreds OF them abroad
such balloons are. in an even more
important sense than flying machines.
the eyes" of an army. They are sent
up usually about four miles behind
the firing line. so as to be relatively
safe from gunfire. and are distributed
at intervals Of not more than SIX
miles
1t is their business to direct the fire
Of the artillery They are captive
or course and suspended from eacn
one is a car big enough to accommO-
date two observers. who. from an ele-
walton of 1000 feet or more. are able.
with the help Of binoculars and tele-
scope, TO survey wide extent of ter
ritory.
The balloon is carried Cdeflated) on
a specially designed motor truck. pro-
vided with a windlass and winding
urum-the machinery being driven by
the trucks own gasoline engine. on
another truck are transported a num-
her of steel cylinders containing ny
drogen gas under pressure.
Thus at brief notice the gas bag
containing ordinarily about $4,000
cubic teet may he inflated and sent
Zap. In fact. this is so quickly accom-
piished that within % minutes after
calling halt the balloon is 1000 feet
ND In the air. carrying i'm its car the
observers and their Instruments. of
the latter the most important by far
are telephones. by the aid OF which
they maintain Communication with
the ground
on board the motor truck below is
a telephone switchboard. from which
wire runs skyward 10 the car
through the cable that holds the bal
loon. The switchboard IS connected
with all the batteries Of guns. over
many miles Of distance. by wires
which are carried 10 the latter by men
on motorcycles who lay them across
country as they travel
No Time l. Wasted.
No sooner does the balloon company
come 10 a halt than the mOtorcyc-i
start out with the wires. and so by
the time the sausage" is uD in the
air. all connections have been made.
the switchboard is in operation. and
the observers in the car are in direct
communication with the commanding
officer OF every battery in the neigh
horhood-
The observers are themselves highly
trained artillery officers one of the
two acts as assistant to the other. The
Ia Ter Is res fHtlIl~I Na- LII the 4aEFELNfNLa
of the fire of hundreds of guns Il is.
of course. difficult and arduous work.
and the men operate in shifts the ball
loon being hauled down every few
hours for this purpose
Being able TO talk at leisure with
every battery commander. the observ-
ers ND aloft can correct range and
aim constantly by the spoken word.
saying. as shot succeeds shot. Over
nder- Right Left Hit" and
so on
our own school OF fire. at Fort sill.
where the war department IS training
officers and enlisted men in all
branches Of artillery work Cparticu-
iarly. Of course. craftsmanship with
big guns) has a supplementary course
in ballooning for those who wish 20
take up that branch Graduates from
this course 20. for the completion OF
their education. to the balloon school
az Fort Omaha. which is run I'm CO.
operation with the school of fire.
study Balloon Navigation.
st the balloon school they are incl
0eutally taught how TO navigate free
balloons branch - the art not 20
DE neglected. inasmuch as il some
times happens that an observation
balloon breaks loose from 5ts moor
iues. and must be operated as a free
balloon IN order TO insure a safe land
Ing All the balloon observers who
serve with our armies in Europe must
he field artillery officers and gradu-
ares of the balloon school.
Already large numbers o. our Of
ficers and enlisted men. graduated
from the balloon school have been
formed INFO balloon battalionE." and
the requisite equipment for the latter
is being provided as rapidly as possi-
ble-everything or the latest and most
uptodate description. including motor
trucks OF special design, nurse" bal
looms. etc
Ordinarily the machinery for gen
Grating hydrogen is installed on rail-
road cars AT the nearest rail point.
and thither the gas tanks are taken
To be refilled at frequent intervals.
An observation balloon. though Won
derfully gas tight loses about 300 GU
bic feet by leakage every "a hours.
and this loss fwhen the balloon is in
actual service1 is replaced at night
often. however II is found more
convenient 20 use nurses" which are
small balloons that can be filled with
Eas at the generating station and
fetched on motor trucks to the place
where the hydrogen is wanted. There