A few days after the first experiment, an unforeseen adventure happened as one of the war balloons was being towed, attached to a cart.
The cable snapped and the balloon disappeared in the clouds!
In October, one of the balloons was tried free at a review on Woolwich Common, but the wind was unfavourable.
The next year, the “Crusader” figured at the Brighton volunteer review, successfully.
In September 1880, a whole company of Engineers (the 24th) went for instruction in ballooning to Aldershot, and many experiments were made.
English military ballooning, as I have pointed out received a sudden check when the “Saladin” was lost in the year 1881.
If we turn to the French, we read quite a different story. They established, in 1872, another aëronautical school. An annual grant of £10,000 was made, since then, the establishment has increased.
Their balloons are spherical, ten metres in diameter, made of the best silk, and covered with a varnish which renders them so gas-tight, that they can remain inflated for a month. So they assert.
Twenty out of forty balloons had already been made.
For captive ascents a kite screen is used. I suggested something of this kind twenty-six years since, but I have now a more simple and safer plan, with others for signalling etc., should they ever be enquired after or wanted.