CHAPTERLV.ON THE NECESSITY OF ASCERTAINING THE PROPER MODES OF DIRECTION, BY DIFFERENT AND FREQUENT EXPERIMENTS.On the Necessity of frequent Experiments, in different Modes of Direction.Section 296.THE Necessity of making frequent Experiments, in order to prove how far the Balloon is capable of Direction, by different Combinations of the mechanical Powers, is so apparent; that no Balloon shoud rise a second Time, without the Application of Machinery to that End.Each Candidate for Fame, as Proprietor of a Balloon forpublic Exhibition, ought to vie in his Pretensions to a Superiority of Manouvres.Their respective Performances woud appear in the public Papers; and Decisions be made to the Advantage of the Art.For it is probable, that by suchComparisonchiefly;—thecomparisonofexperimental BlundersandMistakes, and not by an Union of Theory and Practice, cemented by liberal Patronage, the Balloon can arrive to any Degree of Perfection, in a Country, which is the Scene ofperpetual Contention: where the Sum of Life seems devoted but toparty; and where thepreciousTime of thegreatis sunk in Luxury, and theirexaltedTalents lost in theLabyrinthof Politics.Precautions to secure a Landing.297.To strive against the Streamis proverbially impossible: and it woud be literally so, to attempt by any Kind of Machinery to force the large Surface of a Balloon, with any Degree of Velocity, againsta Stream ofair. (Section 201.)Ships, which have the Aid of an Element 800 Timesdenserthan theair, are obliged to waitin Port, till the Wind is favourable. But neither is this considered as an Argument againstmaritime Navigation: nor does thePerfectionof the Balloon require its Ascent in a Storm: tho’ the Preference due to the Balloon, on such Occasion, woud be decisive in its Favour: as the latter woud presently surmount the Wind, andlie to, in thecalm Air aboveit.Sect. 298. Art. 1. By Wings, or some propulsive Machinery, acting forcibly in a Direction required, and with Ease to theOperator;twouseful Manouvresmay be attempted, and will frequently befound successful.First Manouvre: to secure the Landing in windy Weather.298. Art. 2. First, Toretardthe Course of the Balloon during its Descent; in such a Manner, as to prevent the Wind fromdamagingtheMachine, orsnapping the Cable: and thus to land with Safety, and at thesmallest Distancebeyondthe Place assigned.Preparatory Apparatus: andSignal-Rope.298. 3. Asilken, or otherlightRope is to be provided: and to run throu’ asnatch Blockfastened to arudder, or to thecar, as in Crosbie’s Balloon.[98]Which Ropealonewoud lessen immediate and unforeseen Danger, by using the Balloon as a Sail, if it actually alighted on the Water.298. Art. 4. The same Rope beinga Mile, ora Mile and Halfin Length; theWhole, or a Part of it, might be suffered to run off the Wheel, and, falling on the Surfacebelow, inmistyWeather, woud serve as a Signal to determine whether the Aironaut was over Land, or Water.Also by winding up his Wheel, he might, if the Weather was moderate, bring himselfdownto the Grapple, which might be so contrived as torun downthe Rope, and remain at the Bottom, by Means of a Knot, or other Check.He might alsoloosehis Grapple, andriseagain: or when down; pull the Valve-Cord, and land.298. 5. With asecondshort Cable, snatch Block and Grapple, he woud be able tomoorthe Balloon, from which, he might, by procuring the Country People to load the Car with fresh Ballast equal in Weight to himself;—get out, and even leave the Balloon in their Care.The Precaution of knowing whether he was over a fresh Water-Lake, (for he might hear the Sea) might be useful in misty and low cloudy Weather by Day, or during the Night; without expending Gass in theexploratoryDescent.298. 6. To facilitate the landing, theSignal-Ropemay be used to the greatest Advantage, particularly in windy Weather; bylowering outa Part, or the Whole, whether a Mile, or Mile and half, so that the Grapple may take Effect on the Ground, at the Distance of its Lengthby Estimation,shortof the Place where the Balloon is intended to land.As soon as the Grappleholds; it is in the Option of the Aironaut, to tye Parcels of his Ballastlooselyround the Cable, to run downwards along with it.(Forwhich Purpose, Iron-Rings withSpring-Swivels, whichopenbyPressureof the Fingers, andshutof themselves, might answer better than theleathern Thongs, as the former might be put, inan Instant, round the Cable, and woud run downquicker.)These Parcels of Ballast are to be sent down, in Succession, till the Balloon has acquired such Degrees offalse levity, as will be sufficient to counteract that Tendency which the Wind will have todepressthe Car of the Balloon forcibly on the Surface, so long as it is connected with the Grappleon the Ground.298. 7. When this Point is effected, the Balloon will remain suspended in the Air; and being acted upon by the Wind, will be pressed into a Direction approaching to an horizontalLine, in Proportion to the encreasing Power of the Wind.And here the Necessity of having the Cable fastened to a Center above the Car, in order to retain its Perpendicularity, is most evident.The Aironaut, in this Situation, may venture to wind up the Cablegradually, and descend, to the Grapple.298. 8. Secondly: When the different Currents of Air, have been tried by Descent and Ascent of the Pioneer-Balloon,[99]and found to beallunfavourable; the Aironaut is torisestill higher, into a Calm, pursue his Course horizontally in theblue serene, by propulsive Machinery: estimating the Velocity, by theevident Resistanceof the half Mile white Flag described in Section 12, 13. and 12, 15. hanging at a proper Distancebelow, and of that which hangs loosely at the Side of the Car, to shew a Change in the Direction of the Wind, (then made by a Resistance of the Air): or he mayjudge o£ the Velocity and Direction, by theFlightof aFeather, repeatedly let loose at certain Intervals of Time.
CHAPTERLV.
On the Necessity of frequent Experiments, in different Modes of Direction.
Section 296.THE Necessity of making frequent Experiments, in order to prove how far the Balloon is capable of Direction, by different Combinations of the mechanical Powers, is so apparent; that no Balloon shoud rise a second Time, without the Application of Machinery to that End.
Each Candidate for Fame, as Proprietor of a Balloon forpublic Exhibition, ought to vie in his Pretensions to a Superiority of Manouvres.
Their respective Performances woud appear in the public Papers; and Decisions be made to the Advantage of the Art.
For it is probable, that by suchComparisonchiefly;—thecomparisonofexperimental BlundersandMistakes, and not by an Union of Theory and Practice, cemented by liberal Patronage, the Balloon can arrive to any Degree of Perfection, in a Country, which is the Scene ofperpetual Contention: where the Sum of Life seems devoted but toparty; and where thepreciousTime of thegreatis sunk in Luxury, and theirexaltedTalents lost in theLabyrinthof Politics.
Precautions to secure a Landing.
297.To strive against the Streamis proverbially impossible: and it woud be literally so, to attempt by any Kind of Machinery to force the large Surface of a Balloon, with any Degree of Velocity, againsta Stream ofair. (Section 201.)
Ships, which have the Aid of an Element 800 Timesdenserthan theair, are obliged to waitin Port, till the Wind is favourable. But neither is this considered as an Argument againstmaritime Navigation: nor does thePerfectionof the Balloon require its Ascent in a Storm: tho’ the Preference due to the Balloon, on such Occasion, woud be decisive in its Favour: as the latter woud presently surmount the Wind, andlie to, in thecalm Air aboveit.
Sect. 298. Art. 1. By Wings, or some propulsive Machinery, acting forcibly in a Direction required, and with Ease to theOperator;twouseful Manouvresmay be attempted, and will frequently befound successful.
First Manouvre: to secure the Landing in windy Weather.
298. Art. 2. First, Toretardthe Course of the Balloon during its Descent; in such a Manner, as to prevent the Wind fromdamagingtheMachine, orsnapping the Cable: and thus to land with Safety, and at thesmallest Distancebeyondthe Place assigned.
Preparatory Apparatus: andSignal-Rope.
298. 3. Asilken, or otherlightRope is to be provided: and to run throu’ asnatch Blockfastened to arudder, or to thecar, as in Crosbie’s Balloon.[98]
Which Ropealonewoud lessen immediate and unforeseen Danger, by using the Balloon as a Sail, if it actually alighted on the Water.
298. Art. 4. The same Rope beinga Mile, ora Mile and Halfin Length; theWhole, or a Part of it, might be suffered to run off the Wheel, and, falling on the Surfacebelow, inmistyWeather, woud serve as a Signal to determine whether the Aironaut was over Land, or Water.
Also by winding up his Wheel, he might, if the Weather was moderate, bring himselfdownto the Grapple, which might be so contrived as torun downthe Rope, and remain at the Bottom, by Means of a Knot, or other Check.
He might alsoloosehis Grapple, andriseagain: or when down; pull the Valve-Cord, and land.
298. 5. With asecondshort Cable, snatch Block and Grapple, he woud be able tomoorthe Balloon, from which, he might, by procuring the Country People to load the Car with fresh Ballast equal in Weight to himself;—get out, and even leave the Balloon in their Care.
The Precaution of knowing whether he was over a fresh Water-Lake, (for he might hear the Sea) might be useful in misty and low cloudy Weather by Day, or during the Night; without expending Gass in theexploratoryDescent.
298. 6. To facilitate the landing, theSignal-Ropemay be used to the greatest Advantage, particularly in windy Weather; bylowering outa Part, or the Whole, whether a Mile, or Mile and half, so that the Grapple may take Effect on the Ground, at the Distance of its Lengthby Estimation,shortof the Place where the Balloon is intended to land.
As soon as the Grappleholds; it is in the Option of the Aironaut, to tye Parcels of his Ballastlooselyround the Cable, to run downwards along with it.
(Forwhich Purpose, Iron-Rings withSpring-Swivels, whichopenbyPressureof the Fingers, andshutof themselves, might answer better than theleathern Thongs, as the former might be put, inan Instant, round the Cable, and woud run downquicker.)
These Parcels of Ballast are to be sent down, in Succession, till the Balloon has acquired such Degrees offalse levity, as will be sufficient to counteract that Tendency which the Wind will have todepressthe Car of the Balloon forcibly on the Surface, so long as it is connected with the Grappleon the Ground.
298. 7. When this Point is effected, the Balloon will remain suspended in the Air; and being acted upon by the Wind, will be pressed into a Direction approaching to an horizontalLine, in Proportion to the encreasing Power of the Wind.
And here the Necessity of having the Cable fastened to a Center above the Car, in order to retain its Perpendicularity, is most evident.
The Aironaut, in this Situation, may venture to wind up the Cablegradually, and descend, to the Grapple.
298. 8. Secondly: When the different Currents of Air, have been tried by Descent and Ascent of the Pioneer-Balloon,[99]and found to beallunfavourable; the Aironaut is torisestill higher, into a Calm, pursue his Course horizontally in theblue serene, by propulsive Machinery: estimating the Velocity, by theevident Resistanceof the half Mile white Flag described in Section 12, 13. and 12, 15. hanging at a proper Distancebelow, and of that which hangs loosely at the Side of the Car, to shew a Change in the Direction of the Wind, (then made by a Resistance of the Air): or he mayjudge o£ the Velocity and Direction, by theFlightof aFeather, repeatedly let loose at certain Intervals of Time.