DIRIGIBLE BALLOON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 5

DIRIGIBLE BALLOON.

THE PARSEYAL. COLLAPSES DURING A TRIAL. NO ONE HURT. (BY TELEGRAPH—PBESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) Berlin, September 17. Major von Parseval's balloon met with an accident while travelling too swiftly during a trial. The framework of tho machine collapsed in a squall, a portion ripping the gas-bag. Major von Parseval and three companions descended safely, alighting (ya tho roof of a house. THE PARSEVAL DIRIGIBLE BALLOON. WAR OFFICE TESTS. A cablegram dated September 14 introduced the world to the competition between two types of German dirigible balloons—Major Gross's "half-rigid" typo and the "rigid construction" Zeppelin machines. To-day's cablegram deals with an aspirant of a third type, the "nonrigid." The collapse of Major von Parseval's "non-rigid" balloon will no doubt provide a text for adherents of the "rigid construction" school, whose ideal is the Zeppelin aluminiumbuilt monster. The Parseval balloon was built by Major von Parseval for the Motor Airship Study Society, and will, it is sam, be taken over by the German War Offico as soon as it has fulfilled certain tests, including the following:— . (a) A continuous flight of 12 hours. (2) Tho attainment of a height of 3900 ft. (3) A flight against a wind blowing at . 32Jft. per second. (4) An ascent from open fields. For the last-named test the airship must be emptied of gas, taken _to pieces, ana transported to some open piece of land, where it must bo put together again, inflated, and made to ascend". The test against tho wind was considered to be the most difficult. It will bo seen by reference to the cablegram of September 1* that Major Gross's "naif- - rigid" balloon more than complied with test No. 1, as it made a non-stop flight of 13 hours 2 minutes. TKe Gross balloon was also in trouble is one of its earlier trials through colliding with trees.