AERIAL NAVIGATION. 347 



matters, but most of the investigations have been carried on out of America. He 

 would suggest that the Government should be asked to inaugurate a thorough 

 series of experiments. There would undoubtedly be great trouble in obtaining 

 the services of the right men for the work, as it is on them that the success of the 

 undertaking would depend. Prof. Trowbridge concluded with a highly eulogistic 

 reference to the scientific investigations carried on by Dr. Haughton, of Dublin 

 College, present at the meeting. 



AERIAL NAVIGATION PRACTICABLE. 



Mr. Joseph L'Etoile, of the Department of the Interior, Ottawa, read 

 a paper on "A Review of the Subject of Atmospheric Current, Electricity and 

 Gases, with a view to Practical Aerial Navigation by means of Balloons." The 

 paper was illustrated with a proposed balloon of fish-like form with a screw at 

 one end and a rudder at the other end. He said that the system of practical 

 ballooning means that a balloon should ascend without loss of ballast and should 

 descend without waste of gas. The balloon of the future should be given the 

 shape of a fish provided with a propeller, a rudder, with gas and air pumps and 

 three gasometers, one for gas, one for air and one for making the change of tem- 

 perature in the balloon caused by the solar warmth, or moisture in the air, so that 

 by these means the balloonist or aeronaut can control his air vessel as easily as 

 the engineer his steamboat or locomotive. It is well known that when a bal- 

 loon shoots up, the gas dilates, the gasometers or gauges tell the changes, and 

 the balloonist adjusts to circumstances. A balloon built on this new plan can 

 ascend or descend slowly, thus giving time to meteorological instruments to mark 

 accurate changes. Charts could be made, and balloonists would know the 

 routes of travel in the air, day and night, at any season of the year. To give an 

 idea of, the possibility of establishing those charts, the following may be apropos. 

 For instance, a balloon sailing from America to Europe should keep within the 

 lower region, when sailing from Europe to America, it should sail in the high re- 

 gion. Why so? The reason is that cold air is heavier than warm air, conse- 

 quently the cold Arctic currents prevail in high altitudes especially in the north- 

 ern Europe and America. 



Prof. J. Burkitt gave some explanation as to a new invention which was 

 made in the shape of a steam engine indicator. 



AERIAL NAVIGATION. 



In section D, Mr. W. H. Lynch read a paper on "The Future of the Balloon 

 as a Practical Means of Aerial travel." He said that the two systems of aerial 

 navigation, by utiHzing the flying principle, are quite opposed to each other. In 

 the flying machine the wings or propellers are required to act upon the air to at 



