The Balloon Hoax by Edgar Allan Poe
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the balloon- hoax

by Edgar Allan Poe

[Astounding News by express, via Norfolk ! - the Atlantic crossed in three Days ! signal triumph of Mr Monck mason's Flying machine ! - arrival at Sullivan's island, near Charlestown, S .C ., of Mr mason, Mr Robert Holland, Mr Henson, Mr Harrison Ainsworth, and four others, in_the steering balloon, " Victoria," after a passage of Seventy-five Hours from land to land ! full Particulars of_the voyage !

the subjoined jeu d' esprit with_the preceding heading in magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, was originally published, as matter of fact, in_the " New_York sun," a daily newspaper, and therein fully subserved the purpose of creating indigestible aliment for_the quidnuncs during the few hours intervening between a couple of_the Charleston mails . the rush for_the " sole paper which had the news," was something beyond even the prodigious; and, in_fact, if ( as some assert) the " Victoria" did_ not absolutely accomplish the voyage recorded, it_will_be difficult to assign a reason why she should_not have accomplished it .]

the great problem is at_length solved ! the air, as_well as_the earth and_the ocean, has_been subdued by science, and will become a common and convenient highway for mankind . the Atlantic has_been actually crossed in a balloon ! and this too without difficulty - without any great apparent danger - with thorough control of_the machine - and in_the inconceivably brief period of seventy-five hours from shore to shore ! by_the energy of an agent at Charleston, S .C ., we_are enabled to_be the first to_furnish the public with a detailed account of_this most extraordinary voyage, which_was performed between Saturday, the 6th instant, at 11, a. M ., and 2, P .M ., on Tuesday, the 9th instant, by sir Everard Bringhurst; Mr Osborne, a nephew of lord Bentinck's; Mr Monck mason and Mr Robert Holland, the well- known ronauts; Mr Harrison Ainsworth, author of " jack Sheppard," &c .; and Mr Henson, the projector of_the late unsuccessful flying machine - with two seamen from Woolwich - in all, eight persons . the particulars furnished below may_be relied on as authentic and accurate in every respect, as, with a slight exception, they_are copied verbatim from_the joint diaries of Mr Monck mason and Mr Harrison Ainsworth, to whose politeness our agent is also indebted for much verbal information respecting the balloon itself, its construction, and other matters of interest . the only alteration in_the MS . received, has_been made for_the_purpose of throwing the hurried account of_our agent, Mr Forsyth, into aconnected and intelligible form .

" the balloon .

" two very decided failures, of late - those of Mr Henson and sir George Cayley - had much weakened the public interest in_the subject of aerial navigation .Mr Henson's scheme ( which at first was considered very feasible even by men of science,) was founded upon_the principle of an inclined plane, started from an eminence by an extrinsic force, applied and continued by_the revolution of impinging vanes, in form and number resembling the vanes of a windmill . but, in all the experiments made with models at_the Adelaide gallery, it_was found that_the operation of_these fans not_only did_not propel the machine, but actually impeded its flight . the only propelling force it ever exhibited, was_the mere impetus acquired from_the descent of_the inclined plane; and this impetus carried the machine farther when_the vanes were at rest, than when_they were in motion - a fact which sufficiently demonstrates their inutility; and in_the absence of_the propelling, which_was also the sustaining_ power, the whole fabric would necessarily descend . this consideration led sir George Cayley to_think only of adapting a propeller to some machine having of itself an independent power of support - in a word, to a balloon; the idea, however, being novel, or original, with sir George, only so_far as regards the mode of_its application to practice . he exhibited a model of_his invention at_the polytechnic institution . the propelling principle, or power, was here, also, applied to interrupted surfaces, or vanes, put in revolution . these vanes were four in number, but were found entirely ineffectual in moving the balloon, or in aiding its ascending power . the whole project was thus a complete failure .

" it_was at_this juncture that Mr Monck mason ( whose voyage from Dover to Weilburg in_the balloon, "Nassau," occasioned so_much excitement in 1837,) conceived the idea of employing the principle of_the Archimedean screw for_the_purpose of propulsion through_the air - rightly attributing the failure of Mr Henson's scheme, and of sir George Cayley's, to_the interruption of surface in_the independent vanes . he_made the first public experiment at Willis's Rooms, but afterward removed his model to_the Adelaide gallery .

" like sir George Cayley's balloon, his own was an ellipsoid . its length was thirteen feet six inches - height, six feet eight inches . it contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of gas, which, if pure hydrogen, would support twenty- one pounds upon its first inflation, before_the gas has time to deteriorate or escape . the weight of_the whole machine and apparatus was seventeen pounds - leaving about four pounds to spare . beneath the centre of_the balloon, was a frame of light wood, about nine feet long, and rigged on to_the balloon itself with a network in_the customary manner . from_this framework was suspended a wicker basket or car .

" the screw consists of an axis of hollow brass tube, eighteen inches in length, through which, upon asemi- spiral inclined at fifteen degrees, pass a series of steel wire radii, two feet long, and thus projecting a foot on either side . these radii are connected at_the outer extremities by two bands of flattened wire - the whole in_this manner forming the framework of_the screw, which_is completed by acovering of oiled silk cut into gores, and tightened so as to_present a tolerably uniform surface . at each end of_its axis this screw is supported by pillars of hollow brass tube descending from_the hoop . in_the lower ends of_these tubes are holes in_which_the pivots of_the axis revolve . from_the end of_the axis which_is next the car, proceeds a shaft of steel, connecting the screw with_the pinion of a piece of spring machinery fixed in_the car . by_the operation of_this spring, the screw is made to revolve with great rapidity, communicating a progressive motion to_the whole . by_means of_the rudder, the machine was readily turned in any direction . the spring was of great power, compared with its dimensions, being capable of raising forty-five pounds upon a barrel of four inches diameter, after_the first turn, and gradually increasing as it_was wound up . it weighed, altogether, eight pounds six ounces . the rudder was a light frame of cane covered with silk, shaped somewhat like abattledoor, and was about three feet long, and at_the widest, one foot . its weight was about two ounces . it could_be turned _flat_, and directed upwards or downwards, as_well as_to_the right or left; and thus enabled the ronaut to transfer the resistance of_the air which in an inclined position it must generate in its passage, to any side upon_which he might desire to act; thus determining the balloon in_the opposite direction .

" this model ( which, through want of_time, we_have necessarily described in an imperfect manner,) was put in action at_the Adelaide gallery, where it accomplished a velocity of five miles_per_hour; although, strange to_say, it excited very little interest in comparison with_the previous complex machine of Mr Henson - so resolute is_the world to despise anything which carries with it an air of simplicity . to accomplish the great desideratum of rial navigation, it_was very generally supposed that some exceedingly complicated application must_be made of some unusually profound principle in dynamics .

" so_well satisfied, however, was Mr mason of_the ultimate success of_his invention, that he determined to construct immediately, if possible, a balloon of sufficient capacity to test the question by a voyage of some extent - the original design being to cross the British channel, as before, in_the Nassau balloon . to carry out his views, he solicited and obtained the patronage of sir Everard Bringhurst and Mr Osborne, two gentlemen well known for scientific acquirement, and especially for_the interest they_have exhibited in_the progress of rostation . the project, at_the desire of Mr Osborne, was kept a profound secret from_the public - the only persons entrusted with_the design being those actually engaged in_the construction of_the machine, which_was built ( under the superintendence of Mr mason, Mr Holland, sir Everard Bringhurst, and Mr Osborne,) at_the seat of_the latter gentleman near Penstruthal, in Wales .Mr Henson, accompanied by his friend Mr Ainsworth, was admitted to a private view of_the balloon, on Saturday last - when_the two gentlemen made final arrangements to_be included in_the adventure . we_are_not informed for what reason the two seamen were also included in_the party - but, in_the course of a day_or_two, we_shall put our readers in possession of_the minutest particulars respecting this extraordinary voyage .

" the balloon is composed of silk, varnished with_the liquid gum caoutchouc . it_is of vast dimensions, containing more than 40,000 cubic feet of gas; but as coal gas was employed in place of_the more expensive and inconvenient hydrogen, the supporting power of_the machine, when fully inflated, and immediately after inflation, is_not more than about 2500 pounds . the coal gas is not_only much less costly, but is easily procured and managed .

" for its introduction into common use for purposes of aerostation, we_are indebted to Mr Charles green . up to_his discovery, the process of inflation was not_only exceedingly expensive, but uncertain . two, and even three days, have frequently been wasted in futile attempts to procure a sufficiency of hydrogen to_fill a balloon, from_which it had great tendency to escape, owing to its extreme subtlety, and its affinity for_the surrounding atmosphere . in a balloon sufficiently perfect to retain its contents of coal- gas unaltered, in quantity or amount, for six months, an equal quantity of hydrogen could_not_be maintained in equal purity for six weeks .

" the supporting power being estimated at 2500 pounds, and_the united weights of_the party amounting only to about 1200, there_was left a surplus of 1300, of_which again 1200 was exhausted by ballast, arranged in bags of different sizes, with their respective weights marked upon them - by cordage, barometers, telescopes, barrels containing provision for a fortnight, water-casks, cloaks, carpet-bags, and various other indispensable matters, including a coffee- warmer, contrived for warming coffee by_means of slack- lime, so as_to dispense altogether with fire, if_it should_be judged prudent to_do_so . all these articles, with_the exception of_the ballast, and a few trifles, were suspended from_the hoop overhead . the car is much smaller and lighter, in proportion, than_the one appended to_the model . it_is formed of a light wicker, and_is wonderfully strong, for so frail looking a machine . its rim is about four feet deep . the rudder is also very_much larger, in proportion, than that of_the model; and_the screw is considerably smaller . the balloon is furnished besides with a grapnel, and a guide- rope; which latter is of_the most indispensable importance .a few words, in explanation, will here be necessary for such of_our readers as are_not conversant with_the details of aerostation .

" as_soon_as_the balloon quits the earth, it_is subjected to_the influence of many circumstances tending to create a difference in its weight; augmenting or diminishing its ascending power . for example, there_may_be a deposition of dew upon_the silk, to_the extent, even, of several hundred pounds; ballast has then to_be thrown out, or the machine may descend . this ballast being discarded, and a clear sunshine evaporating the dew, and at_the same time expanding the gas in_the silk, the whole will again rapidly ascend . to_check this ascent, the only recourse is, ( or rather _was_, until Mr green's invention of_the guide- rope,) the permission of_the escape of gas from_the valve; but, in_the loss of gas, is a proportionate general loss of ascending power; so_that, in acomparatively brief period, the best- constructed balloon must necessarily exhaust all its resources, and come to_the earth . this_was the great obstacle to voyages of length .

" the guide- rope remedies the difficulty in_the simplest manner conceivable . it_is merely a very long rope which_is suffered to trail from_the car, and_the effect of which_is to_prevent the balloon from changing its level in any material degree . if, for example, there should_be a deposition of moisture upon_the silk, and_the machine begins to descend in consequence, there_will_be no necessity for discharging ballast to remedy the increase of weight, for_it is remedied, or counteracted, in an exactly just proportion, by_the deposit on_the ground of just so_much of_the end of_the rope as is necessary . if, on_the other hand, any circumstances should cause undue levity, and consequent ascent, this levity is immediately counteracted by_the additional weight of rope upraised from_the earth . thus, the balloon can neither ascend or descend, except within very narrow limits, and its resources, either in gas or ballast, remain comparatively unimpaired . when passing over an expanse of water, it becomes necessary to employ small kegs of copper or wood, filled with liquid ballast of a lighter nature than water . these float, and serve all the purposes of amere rope on land . another most important office of_the guide- rope, is to point out the _direction of_the balloon . the rope drags_, either on land or sea, while the balloon is free; the latter, consequently, is always in advance, when any progress whatever is made: a comparison, therefore, by_means of_the compass, of_the relative positions of_the two objects, will always indicate the course . in_the same way, the angle formed by_the rope with_the vertical axis of_the machine, indicates the velocity . when there_is no angle - in other words, when_the rope hangs perpendicularly, the whole apparatus is stationary; but the larger the angle, that_is_to_say, the farther the balloon precedes the end of_the rope, the greater the velocity; and_the converse .

" as_the original design was to cross the British channel, and alight as near Paris as possible, the voyagers had taken the precaution to_prepare themselves with passports directed to all parts of_the continent, specifying the nature of_the expedition, as in_the case of_the Nassau voyage, and entitling the adventurers to exemption from_the usual formalities of office: unexpected events, however, rendered these passports superfluous .

" the inflation was commenced very quietly at daybreak, on Saturday morning, the 6th instant, in_the court- yard of weal-Vor house, Mr Osborne's seat, about a mile from Penstruthal, in north Wales; and at 7 minutes past 11, every thing being ready for departure, the balloon was set free, rising gently but steadily, in a direction nearly south; no use being made, for_the first half hour, of either the screw or the rudder . we proceed now with_the journal, as transcribed by_Mr Forsyth from_the joint MSS . of Mr Monck mason, and Mr Ainsworth . the body of_the journal, as given, is in_the hand-writing of Mr mason, and aP .S . is appended, each_day, by_Mr Ainsworth, who has in preparation, and will shortly give the public a more minute, and no_doubt, a thrillingly interesting account

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