Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-31

Thus" Lowe said In his report with the
balloon above their heads, myself in the car
directing the management of the ropes. the men
getting and of the trestle work. with col
umn of 'tillery moving below, and 100 feet
still lower the deep and strong current rushing
the rocks while the sky was dark above
the scene novel, exciting and not little
dangerous"
TOR the next month, until November 10, 1851,
I Lowe directed the construction of balloons
and gas generators. With the building Of aodl-
tional gas bags. Lowe took on more experienced
aeronauts, and the various craft were given
diffe ent stations. He hired his father, G.
Lowe and q number Of expert balloonists, IN
ciuding James Allen Z. S. Allen, Capt. T.. Sea-
yer, J. B. Starkweather and william Paullin.
The balloon Constitution was stationed At
Budds Ferry Va: the Intrepid at Halls Hill.
the Union at Poolesvile, Nd; the Washington
shipped to Port Royal, s. c., and one bal
loon was shipped to Cairo ILL.,, where 1t vas
used by Commodore Foote at the attack on
Island No. 10 during the Mississippi River cam
paisn.
During the bombardment o Navy officer as
cended and discovered that the Union shot and
shell went beyond the enemy and by altering
the range the Union forces were soon able TO
compel the enemy to evacuate.
The balloon which had been stationed at Budds
Ferry just below Mount Vernon George Wash
ingtons home worked IN conjunction with an
other balloon on q boat In the Potomac. and
their observations disclosed information which
led within few hours to the breaking up of a
river blockade that had been costing the Gov
eminent 81 600 600 q day for the previous two
months.
From the middle Of October 1861. until the
first of April, 1862, Prof. Lowe principally
engaged in constructing new balloons visiting
the different balloon stations keeping every
thing in order, and making frequent ascensions
himself near Washington.
On the Sd of April having taken a number Of
balloons by boat down to Fort Monroe, near
Norfolk, Lowe was ordered to accompany Gen.
Porter in his advance on Yorktown. McClel-
lans Richmond campaign starting, and
Lowe was destined to play big part in it.
NEAR Yorktown frequent ascensions we're
made Gen. Porter himself went up and
stayed nearly two hours, within a mile Of the
enemys works On descending, he called the
generals together, and, with the aid of maps
which draughtsmen had made from the bal
loon that day, decided where to attack.
From then until the evacuation of yorktown
the balloon was in the air almost constantly.
ION almost every ascension" Lowe wrote,
"the enemy opened upon the balloon with their
heavy siege guns or rif1ed field pieces until it
had attained an altitude to be out of reach and
repeated this fire when the balloon descended.
Prof loves final comprehensive report to
the War Department, written after he left the
Army in the Summer of 1863 contains nearly
40 900 words including hundreds Of oficial
orders various military correspondence and re-
ports sent down from the balloon by him. So
it can be seen there is room here for but
small portion of these documents.
1T can be said however that Lowe was on the
] scene through the Seven Days Campaign,
the battles OF Fair Oaks and Gaines Mill anu
distinguishes himself by his aerial observations.
Msny times he actsally saved the day by so-
CostssUed o. Tkirtee~th Peee