Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon . eived orders from General Jourdanto join the army at Charleroi. In order to avoid loss of time inpacking the balloon and building a new gas generator at Charleroi,he determined to send the balloon up in the air and have it towedover the distance of twenty miles, which separated him from hisdestination. Twenty guide-ropes were fastened to the balloon,halfway down the net; all the instruments were put in the cartogether with the signalling flags. Coutelle
Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon . eived orders from General Jourdanto join the army at Charleroi. In order to avoid loss of time inpacking the balloon and building a new gas generator at Charleroi,he determined to send the balloon up in the air and have it towedover the distance of twenty miles, which separated him from hisdestination. Twenty guide-ropes were fastened to the balloon,halfway down the net; all the instruments were put in the cartogether with the signalling flags. Coutelle then mounted thecar, and the march began on a dark night through the outposts k 2 182 AIRSHIPS PAST AND PRESENT. of the Austrian army. It was necessary to avoid interferencewith the rest of the French troops ; the rope-holders were there-fore obliged to march on opposite sides of the road, and thisadded greatly to the fatigue of the journey. Orders were giventhrough the speaking tube from the car; and the balloon waskept at such a height that it just passed over the heads of thehorses. After almost superhuman efforts on a scorching day. FlO-. SI. Belle-Alliance Platz, Berlin, taken from balloon by a member of Balloon Corps. the balloonists arrived in fifteen hours at Charleroi, where theywere received with open arms. On the same evening an ascentwas made, and on the next day Coutelle had General Morelot asa companion in the car, where they remained for eight hoursunder the continuous fire of the Austrians. Morelot was able tosee that it would be impossible for the town to hold out muchLonger, and therefore was on the point of ordering it to be takenby storm when the garrison capitulated. The balloonists were now ordered to proceed to headquarters DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY BALLOONING. 133 at a place called Gosselie. This formed the middle of the Frenchposition, and an important battle was impending. On June 26thGeneral Morelot went up in the balloon with Captain Coute
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