BALOON WARFARE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2153, 22 January 1891, Page 4

BALOON WARFARE.

•'■ Wars in the future bid fair to be waged under novel conditions.. -During some experiments' in I/aly,: a * b»itterj using smokeless powder carried on fierce operations for 32 : minutes before its location was detected ; and no ( w we hear of a' Dutch dodge' of dropping 'grenades &c, from balloons, '[ This isjikely, tp bo, a disturbing element in warfare, for these balloons being made fast in camp,' and allowed to, ascend when required with; a load,of explosives, 1 would" thus, uuderi the influence of a favouring brefze ; hqverj at midnight over the ! enemy's camp, and j worry the sleepers' with dynamite, '.'., The; cargo being exhausted, the balloon signals, below, is hauled dow'D/ro)parled;and'6e ; bti up once more. The ' condition pj a; hostile camp after a night's treatment; has' not yet, been practically demonstrated, j Ihe Dutch .'Government', however,' ,is! experimenting practically, with ., balloons I in its eternal, war with, the Apheeneae ,in . Sumatra. The . military ; )balioo,nhig ! contingent made preliminary ascents at j Batavia,. with such success that forthwith j it was despatched .to the seat of, war-r Kota Rajah—ine fortified, capital; pf the uncoDquered' regions o( Sumatra,, The balloon will be attached to earth, by a hemp cable some 1500 feet, and as the climate of Sumatra is ,free |rom , mists or winds, an intere'Btipg, experiment is promised. The object ofj the balloon 'is question is merely, however, : to effect observations with a view JO. counteracting, strategical ioperations on the. part: of. the natives.