A Captive Balloon

The principal daDger in captive work is the always present possibility of the wire rope partingi not becanse of the obvious result that the balloon, being set f ree, would at once ruake off at speed, but for reasons of a very simple technical nature, albeit none the more pleasant by reason of their simplicity. It must be understood that when a captive balloon has been sent up the required height, the neck of the balloon has to be tied up so as to prevent Ihe wind from exerting a pressure on the envelope and forcing out the gas, which would result in the balloon very shortly losing its lifting power and descending. In free runs the neck must always be wide open, for otherwise any sudden expansión of gas inight burst the balloon. Henee if a captive breaks away it is bound to raake an unduly rapid ascent, since it is suddeuly releasedfrom the restraint aswell as the weigkt of the wire rope. Of course in such an emergency the gas would at once commeuce to expand furiously, and nuless the neck of the balloon were instantly opened and kept open the envelope would inevitably burst. In the shocking accident at the Crystal palace in 1892, when poor Dale and his comrades lost their lives, the balloon was started with too much lift and commenced to rise with undue rapidity. Dale, the aeronaut, realizing the danger, opened the neck and in his anxiety to see that it was clear looked into it, and it is supposed that his head shecked the outrush of heated gas, with the result that the envelope instantly