Word: ballooning
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Dates: during 1900-1909
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...closing, Professor Rotch said that it was not safe to prophesy as to the future, but this might be said, that neither the dirigible balloon nor the aeroplane will ever supplant our present means of transportation...
Professor A. Lawrence Rotch h.'91 delivered an illustrated lecture on "Aerial Navigation" in the Living Room of the Union last night. A large audience enjoyed his talk and the interesting views of balloons and aeroplanes which were shown. Professor Rotch prophesied the success of the aeroplane over the dirigible balloon as a means of aerial navigation in the future...
...difficult on account of the instability of the atmosphere. The wind, temperature and humidity have been measured, but the wind currents are of special interest to aerial navigators. The wind currents differ greatly with the time of day and the height. Observations are made by sending up a rubber balloon which carries a basket containing instruments. As the balloon rises the hydrogen expands it until the balloon bursts, when the instruments fall to the ground. A height of eleven miles has been reached in this manner, a temperature of 111 degrees below zero, and a wind velocity of 101 miles...
...speaker then gave a short history of aeronautics. The first ascension was made in 1783 from Versailles, France, in a hot-air balloon. Animals only were sent up, but when it was found to be safe men attempted an ascension. In the same year hydrogen was used as a lifting power. The next year a balloon was first used for scientific purposes, and about the same time one crossed the English channel from England to France. From then on, numberless ascents have been made, and great heights reached...
...dirigible balloon--one answering the helm--was an idea from the very first, yet all attempts to steer a balloon were practically unsuccessful until 1884. Since then many types have been invented, all having the general shape of a fish, the most notable of which is that invented by Zeppelin. They have been brought to a great degree of perfection but have the one great fault that they are practically useless in a high wind...