Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-23
CORRESPONDENT
MAKES TRIP in
KITE BALLOON

Balloon Remains in Air four
Hours and Effective
Ranging is Done.
Behind British Lines IN France.
Feb. Observation-Disclosures Of the AS
sociated Press.)-"Would you care to
20 mp" asked the polite British Of
f;cer in charge Of the big kite balloon.
one of the long line Of captive sau-
sages, the Eyes Of the Army" which
swung as though pendant from the
clouds all up and down the fighting
line from the British channel to the
Certainly" replied the correspond
ent.
So an extra warm overcoat and
muffler were brought out and donned,
and most important Of all, the para
chute harness was fitted on
BY this timeeth balloon had been
connected up tdDthe winch and every
thing was ready. The officer hoisted
himself into the q with an agility
born Of long lpractice. while the visitor
men," who then hooked the para
chute harness to the parachute which
hung just outside the little wicker
car.
Jutting out from one side Of the car
was a board on which was pasted a
large-scale trench map Of the district.
In pockets inside the car were maps,
air photographs and field glasses. On
the rigging of the war was a dial to
show the altitude and an indicator
registering the force Of the wind in
miles per hour. Just above dominat-
ing all, was the huge bag OF floating
fabric, only kept in place by the crowd
of soldiers holding the handling guys.
The slender cable and its sister tele-
phone wires stretched lazily across
the grass to the winch on a big motor
lorry nearby.
The observer fixed the telephone re-
ceiver to his head. He tested the line
change, and the chart room at the
balloon section headquarters. Salts
fed that all was ship-shape. he waved
his arm to the flight sergeant on the
ground, who ordered crisply: Let up
hand over hand and \then:. Walk
toward the winch"
The ground began to sink away.
The first impression was that the bot
tom of the basket was going to fall
ooSs VI a 4S" AAlOtllCAS SAlS 1lIlHEcS.
sion was SO strong, that it was physic-
ally impossible to look yer the side.
The view was excellent, but the mood
to appreciate 1t was absent. The Off
GERS enthusiasm, as he pointed out
different objects of interest in the
Landscape, seemed somehow overdone.
Gradually this first impression OF
insecurity passed. The altitude dial,
comfortably close at hand, snow indi-
| Gated that TIM ho114@~ ho5 ~>~~A-S
$500 feet. The thermometer already
showed a drop of twenty degrees. But
the balloon was still rising. There is
a light ground mist" explained the
officer. and experience proves that
under such circumstances better re.
suits are obtained from higher alti-
tudes." So it was not until the pointer
slentned 1900 feet that he telephoned
down>the order stop the winch,"and
the business Of the day began.
Artillery observation was the OFF,
GERS appointed task. A British battery
was going to take, on" a German bat
terry, and the observer made his prep
aratlons accordingly. He had the po-
siuons OF he two batteries marked on
MS map. but he wanted to make sure
OF the position Of the balloon. SO he
leaned out over the side Of the car,
verined his landmarks. and tetephon-
Let me know when tpnu
ready" said he. There u,.s 49,
Then a short monosvllah ic cnrt,essn
tlon. and the balloon officer gave the
order Fire" and adjusted his glasses
to his eyes. -"'ee'
For the next fifteen minntes - H.
Mcer was too busy to pay any atten-
in ranging" but fron, tin,e ssse
he passed down a remark H,hIch .hnnrD
ed that he was not ~cnrar,nS snow-
tention to ranein1 o1,ns M. ~ ~
an alert eve for Hssha. - .au aiso
anywhere within his RANGE ~ ohsn.a
walton. The range of visinn .re vussI-
ly twenty miles. vas ousn-
After the first ord.r >. "e...
the Iheh hsan INDICATED that
loon officer frou,ned I s;sy inc pal
phoned a correct;on s' H INC tele-
the battery a%nnounc.H n moMen later
was ready and th;s asa.n tnat II
was better. The n.o .,n.e me result
Once the observer 100 continued:
into direct 10 De put
battery, and the exchanea 49, sne
accordingly. Apparently ~ asIamged
this conference wa S+,sfe Jesuit OF
soon the observation Came tbro,;y LOT OF
A few NOR.
requested the h.tt. ana the balloon
for effect. While th;ssx to start firing
another h, tta :. ms was being done,
ranging done IN " rung up and
balloon observer e ano.her Target, the
ing his glasses to the a ale switch
that the mrs u,oro olu target to see
Now and again the 'obsasve correctly
Biank-Blanl; is active" Blank BlanE