To play on the safe side at the start, we adopted a satisfactory windlass that had been developed in France. It was difficult to manufacture this entirely French machine with American materials and methods; yet James Cunningham, Sons & Co., of Rochester, N. Y., succeeded in obtaining a delivery of four complete windlasses per week.
In addition to this windlass we designed two of our own. One of these was the product of the United States Army Balloon School and was manufactured by the McKeen Motor Car Co., of Omaha, Nebr.; the other windlass was designed and manufactured by the N. C. L. Engineering Co., of Providence, R. I. Both were put into quantity production, assuring us a sufficient number of the best windlasses ever manufactured.
The first cable used to hold the balloon captive was approximately a quarter-inch in diameter, weighed 1 pound for each 8 feet of length had a breaking strength of 6,900 pounds, and was made of seven twisted strands of plow-steel wire, containing in all 133 separate wires. This cable, while it accomplished the original purpose, was early seen to have fine possibilities of development. The observers in the basket must be kept in constant communication with the Artillery and their own windlass and this communication could best and most efficiently be obtained by means of the telephone. The balloon telephone, as first used, was an entirely individual unit with its own separate cable from the basket to the ground. In this way communication was indeed established, but only at the cost of a decrease in possible altitude, increased cable resistance, and the necessity of an extra windlass for winding and unwinding the telephone cable.
BALLOONISTS READY TO ASCEND.
The picture shows balloonist with telephone equipment, also a parachute on side of basket.
BALLOON PACKED FOR OVERSEAS SHIPMENT.
BALLOON IN GOODRICH FACTORY INFLATED TO BE SUBJECTED TO AIR TEST.