Part 16 (1/2)

It is at such ti tru effect, and more particularly a blast on a horn In this case after an interval of so back from the house-tops below, answered and re-answered on all sides as it echoes from roof to roof--a wild, weird uproar that awakes suddenly, and then dies out slowly far away

Experiments with echoes froht, say, of 2,000 feet, a charge of gun-cotton be fired electrically 100 feet below the car, the report, though really as loud as a cannon, sounds no reater rarity of the air, but chiefly because the sound, having no background to reflect it, simply spends itself in the air

Then, always and under all conditions of atmosphere soever, there ensues absolute silence until the time for the echo back fro outburst of thunder rises fro on often for more than half a minute Two noteworthy facts, at least, the writer has established froe number of trials: first, that the theory of aerial echoes thrown back from empty space, which physicists have held to exist constantly, and to be part of the cause of thunder, will have to be abandoned; and, secondly, that from some cause yet to be fully explained the echo back from the earth is always behind its tiestive facts with regard to sound, andacoustic properties of the air It is a fa and falling, often being wafted over extraordinary distances, and again failing altogether, or soth further away A free balloon,in the profound silence of the upper air, becomes an admirable sound observatory It may be clearly detected that in certain conditions of atmosphere, at least, there are what h which sounds are momentarily conveyed with abnorive an intelligible present in the realm of air

It would be reasonable to suppose that were an eye so constituted as to be able to see, say, cumulus ases, and beds of invisible ht suppose that e deem the clearest sky would then appear flecked with forms as many and various as the clouds that adorn our summer heavens

But there is matter in suspension in the atmosphere which is very far froe towns is very co back the sunlight, and forswith suitable apparatus, the writer has found on a still afternoon in May, at 2,000 feet above Kingston in Surrey, that the air was charged far more heavily with dust than that of the London streets the next day; and, again, at half a ust last dust, ross and even fibrous nature, was farthe forenoon of the day following

An atteland in a series of international balloon ascents arranged expressly for the purpose of taking sie number of stations over Europe, by which e will be forthco with respect to the constitution of the athest levels accessible by balloons retted that in the case of England the attempt here spoken of has rested entirely on private enterprise First and foreanisation must be ress of aeronautics is second to none in this country Twice through his efforts England has been represented in the important work for which Continental nations have no difficulty in obtaining public grants The first occasion was on Noveed to occupy a seat in the balloon furnished by Mr Alexander, and equipped with the most e from the Crystal Palace to Halstead, in Essex, 48 miles in 40 minutes Simultaneously with this, Mr Alexander dismissed an unmanned balloon from Bath, which ascended 8,000 feet, and landed at Cricklade Other balloons which took part in the combined experiment were two fro, two fro

The section of our country community--is represented by the Aeronautical Society, foryll for president, and for thirty years under thewhom as hon secs have been Major Baden-Powell and Mr Eric S Bruce Mr

Brearey was one of theas President of the Ah and well-deserved coh his influence that aerial navigation had been cleared of much rubbish and placed upon a scientific and fir itself to the pursuit of balloon trips and enerally is the newly-foretic members is the Hon C S Rolls

It had been announced that M Santos-Du the suive exhibitions of its capability It was even ruht circle round St Paul's and accoland

The proland was concerned, for one of his vessels which had seen service was deposited at the Crystal Palace In some mysterious manner, however, never sufficientlyfound daed, and M Santos-Due he left the field open to one of our own countryht with an air shi+p of his own invention and construction, has proved hi Brazilian

Mr Stanley Spencer, in a very brief space of tined and built coatedby 20 feet diameter, worked by a screw and petrol motor This motor is placed in the prow, 25 feet away from, and in front of, the safety valve, by which precaution any danger of igniting the escaping gas is avoided Should, however, a collapse of the e the balloon into the form of a parachute Further, there is providedair at will into the balloon, by which the necessity forfilled the balloon with pure hydrogen,at the end of June

The performance of the vessel is thus described in the Weste balloon filled slowly, so that the light was rapidly failing when at last the doors of the big shed slid open and the shi+p was brought carefully out, her e coracefully down the football field, wheeled round in a circle--a small circle, too--and for perhaps a quarter of an hour sailed a tortuous course over the heads of a small but enthusiastic crowd of spectators The shi+p was handicapped to some extent by the fact that in their anxiety to make the trial the aeronauts had not waited to inflate it fully, but still it did its ell, answered its hel, and, in short, appeared to give entire satisfaction to everybody concerned--so much so, indeed, that Mr Stanley Spencer informed the crowd after the ascent that he was quite ready to take up any challenge that M Santos Duht thron” Within a feeeks of this his first success Mr Spencer was able to prove to the world that he had only claimed for his machine what its powers fully justified On a still Septe alone, he steered his aerial shi+p in an easy and graceful flight over London, from the Crystal Palace to Harrow

CHAPTER XXIX CONCLUSION