OF THE AIR-BOTTLE BALLOON.
Section 311.TILL the Particulars of Meunier’s Invention are made public,[104] an additional Air-tight Balloon, or Air Bottle, at least 15 Feet in Diameter, of a globular Form, appended below the Car, and furnished with a Condenser, to be worked by pulling upwards, or, as the Bellows of an Organ, by the alternate Motion of the Feet of the Aironaut, standing upright in the Car, may be used instead of the interior Balloon; to keep the great Balloon at a given Height: and consequently prevent the Aironaut from rising too high: to atchieve which Purpose, during the first Ascent; a Rope or Balancer may be used, a Mile and half long, fastened to the Car, and rising with the Balloon, (to check its Power of Ascent,) till an Equilibrium is produced: at which Instant, on Sight of the white Flag from the Car, the Balance-Rope is to be cut, by the Operator below. ([Section 302].)
If the Aironaut perceives by the Rise of the Barometer, that the Balloon descends; he may throw out a little Ballast, (perhaps a Pound or two), and then wind up his Balancer, or suffer it to remain at any Length, at his Option.
312. By keeping the Balloon at a given Height only; no Gass is expended in preventing the necessary Tendency of Balloons to a perpetual Elevation: also, during the self Descent of the Balloon; by opening the Air-Bottle, the Aironaut will supersede the Necessity of throwing out Ballast, for a Re-ascent.
313. The Air-Bottle-Balloon shoud be covered by a strong light Net, of a Dimension rather less than the Bottle, which will hinder it from bursting: the Resistence of the condensed Air within, being then chiefly on the Net, and but little on the Bottle.
The Net may be made of Silk and Cotton Thread; lest the Meshes, by the Pressure of the Knots, shoud eat into the Bottle.
