Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-15
THE RISE OF THE BALLOON ADVENTURES ON WAY UP E5e

cross-bar of a telegraph pole, enabling the occu-
pant OF the basket to escape. Another, when it
struck the ground, overpOwered by company
of men, who bounced on the monster and wrestled
with it, finally getting on top and holding it down
by their combined weights. OF the first three bal
looms used by these men, two dashed themselves to
pieces against the earth, and yet in each the
occupants escaped uninjuTed
The balloonists might almost be justified in be-
lieving that they under the protection of some
deity of the air, so often have their lives been
spared when death seemed certain. One balloon
for example, was struck by lightning at an eeva-
ton of six thousand feet, and fell to earth burn
ing wreck. The basket struck a barbed-wire fence,
one of the posts passing clean through it, but not
touching the occupant The wires of the fence acted
springs, that the basket and the man bounced
off, and the actually landed without scratch.
He is probably the only individual who ever fell
that far and lived to tell about it.
One of the most spectacular feats was performed
by balloon all by itself. 1t broke loose with no
in the basket and flew around for number Of
days, dragging its heavy steel cable across four
states. 1t killed horse picking him up bodily by
a sudden jerk which wrapped the cable about him,
and dashing him down again. 1t also picked up
specimen of that modern rival of the horse, the
1ivver, and carried it two city blocks before
dropping it again. The owner of the machine said
he didn't mind only the steering gear was thrown
trife out of adjustment.
This balloon simply got in one of the great cir
cular air currents which always in motion, and
which bring our variations of weather The wealth
er bureau was always able to predict with consider
given time It finally fell to earth and recov-
cred.
The great danger in all balIooning is that the
big gas bag will catch fire. 1t is filled with hydro
gen, and this gas, when mixed with air, is highly
infammabIe Thus the tiniest leak means point
of in1ammabfity which may be touched off by
static electricity or by flash of lightning. One
man whose gas bag caught on fire and who could
not make his parachute work, succeeded in putting
out the fire when all but bit of the top of his
balloon had burned up. By coolly and cleverly
h;c In do tOff ahr
act parachute and let him down to earth IN
harmed.
These adventures with burning gas bags both
happened in free balloons''-that is, balloons not
connected with the earth by cables nor driven by
engines but simply floating free of all control save
what the pilot may exercise by throwing over ball
last letting out gas and rising, or falling into
air currents moving in the direction he wishes to
go.
The free balloon is the most fascinating and the
least useful type The captive balloon which has
now been highly perfected is used for directing
artillery fire, and for making observations. The
drigibe driven by an engine is indispensable for
coast patrol work. now that the submarine has been
developed into a craft and can go almost anywhere
in the world. The free balloon is used at present
only for training DEMONSTRATING them used to
the sensations of flying and teaching them to
manipulate the gas bag.
Colonel Prentiss believes that the free balloon
has great future in the study of the air, so that
it may be made safe for other air craft 1t is wen
known that the safety of all air craft is dependent
upon accurate knowledge of the atmosphere at high
elevations and upon accurate weather prediction.
Our own weather bureau has been making valuable
studies of the upper atmosphere by sending up tiny
balloons with instruments attached to them Colo
ueI Prentiss favors the establishment after the war,
of a great government balloon field which will at
once develop the science of ballooning, and make
possible a more competent study of the air by
carrying the weather expert up to any elevation he
wishes to study. There would be nothing imprac-
ticable about carrying whole laboratory up to the
elevation of say ten thousand feet, and there max
ing observations covering period of many hours.