Historical references
Historical References
Project Guttenberg has compiled a history of manned balloon flight, called **The Dominion of the Air**. References include the first English fire balloon, which was ten feet in diameter and flew for over 2 1/2 hours. Also, the great Nassau Balloon aeronaut, Henry Coxwell (b.1819), flew his first fire balloon when he was nine years old. Years later, probably in the 1860s, he commonly saw fire balloons fly over Kent, launched out of London Town, probably by college students.
In 1812, the poet Percy Shelley Oxford student, launched
fire balloons over London to protest English rule over Ireland. He attached his version of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and his original work The Devil's Walk He also wrote a sonnet about campaign: To a Balloon, Laden with Knowledge. People still sometimes fly Protest Balloons
In the Nagpur India Revolt of 1857, a fire balloon launch was supposed to signal the start of a plot to overthrow the Government of the British East India Company. But the plot went awry, and the accused ringleaders were put to death.
During the Civil War, young Daniel Carter Beard (b.1850) flew fire balloons. The Air War Over Virginia was a huge inspiration for boys. They knew all about Balloon Camp, the Intrepid .. (-2-) and the other balloons. Beard later founded the Sons of Daniel Boone and the American Boy Scouts. In 1892 he published the "American Boys Handy Book," with designs for "Fourth of July Balloons with New and Novel Attachments." Other published designs were also available.
Other inspirations for boys included Abraham Lincoln .. (-2-) ..George Armstrong Custer .. (-2-) .. (-3-) the Ironclad Monitor (-2-) .. (-3-).. Steamboats .. Locomotives .. (-2-) .. (-3-) .. (-4-). and Steam Whistles in the night. Forty years later boys attentions also turned to Airships and Airplanes.
In 1870-71, Paris was systematically surrounded, beseiged and cut-off by the German Army. Important mail was sent by carrier pigeons and manned balloons. Everyday mail was often sent by Unmanned "Air Mail" Balloons. Here, fire balloons and coal gas balloons were launched out into the countryside. Finders were promised a reward for delivering the mail pouches to a nearby mayor or post office.
In 1885, fire balloons flew in San Francisco, for the performance Burial of Care -- Jinks at the Bohemian Club
In 1888, Oscar Wilde published a short story, The Remarkable Rocket, about the wedding of a king's son, from the point of view of the Rocket,
the Fire Balloon, the Catherine Wheel and the other fireworks. The Rocket is arrogant, so the Fire Balloon tells him: "It is a most joyful occasion, and when I soar up into the air I intend to tell the stars all about it. You will see them twinkle when I talk to them about the pretty bride."
In November 1896 people in the Northwest and Midwest saw mysterious lights in the sky. Originally they were assumed to be fire balloons. Soon claims were made that they were great airships. The Great Election of 1896 had just ended. The Gold Balloon of William McKinley had just defeated the Silver Balloon of William Jennings Bryan.
By the time of the Depression,
traditional paper fire balloons were probably getting to be fairly rare. But people knew what they were. When the Hindenberg went down in 1937 a witness said it landed like a "fire balloon on the Fourth of July."
In February 1942, what looked like a huge fire balloon, plus other objects, flew over Los Angeles. Air Raid Marshals blacked-out the city. 1440 anti-aircraft shells, plus tracers, were fired at the objects. None were shot down. The alert came to be called The Battle of Los Angeles. .. (-2-) Some witnesses said they saw chainlike strings of flashing red and white flares, in groups of three, with the whole apparatus looking somewhat like an illuminated kite. ( Keyword: kite )
Most likely balloons were launched off a submarine, to test the US Coastal Air Defense. Several years later Japan launched huge paper "Fugo Balloons" - (2) - (3), to bomb the US from Japan. Japan had extensive experience building and flying military balloons. .. (-2) Some of the technology was apparently later used to design the famous Mogul Balloon.
In every theatre of World War II, strange unidentified lights appeared in the sky, followed planes and did acrobatics. They were called Foo Fighters, after cartoon character Smokey Stover who declared "Where there's foo there's fire." Apparently the word "foo" is a play on the French word "fo
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