John Wise (balloonist)

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John Wise

John Wise (born February 24, 1808 in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , † probably on September 28, 1879 in Lake Michigan ) was an American balloonist of German descent. Several improvements to the free balloon can be traced back to him. In 44 years he has ballooned 463 times.

Life

Early years

John Wise was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1808. His parents, William and Mary Trey Weiss, had their German surname Anglicized while retaining the sound. Wise was the fourth of eight children. At the age of 16 he started his apprenticeship as a cabinet maker . At the age of 21 he worked briefly as a piano maker . The 14-year-old Wise's interest in ballooning had been aroused by reading an article in a newspaper. At the age of 27 he decided to build his own balloon.

Wise performed his first balloon ascent on May 2, 1835 in Philadelphia . Since he, unlike most balloonists of his time, did not pursue any commercial interests, but only operated ballooning for his pleasure and out of scientific curiosity, he had to finance the balloon himself. Therefore, for reasons of cost, he was forced to do without the usual, but expensive, silk . Instead , he used muslin , which he had coated with a mixture of bird glue and linseed oil to create a seal . On July 4, 1835, American Independence Day , he made his second trip in Lebanon County , which was followed by many more over the next few years. Wise carried out numerous physical experiments and his main interest in ballooning remained scientific in nature, but he now also appeared at fairs and held shows.

Projects and Innovations

Wise suggested crossing the Atlantic in a balloon and in 1843 asked Congress to grant a sum of $ 15,000 to carry out the project. The application was rejected. In the Mexican-American War , he suggested bombing the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa near Veracruz from the air. To do this, a balloon with a load capacity of 20,000 pounds was to be built and maneuvered over the fortress on a 5 km long rope to drop 18,000 pound bombs. Nothing is known about a reply from the War Office. The idea was not put into practice.

John Wise starts his mail trip in Lafayette

During the American Civil War , on July 25, 1861, Wise carried out a reconnaissance flight over Arlington County , Virginia , with his balloon , on which he discovered the presence of Confederate troops. He is said to have fired the first shot in military history at the enemy from a flying object with his rifle.

John Wise was among the first balloonists to use the tow, invented by Charles Green , to stabilize altitude. In 1844 he invented the tear strip for faster emptying of the balloon envelope on landing and thus to avoid a drag run even without using an anchor.

John Wise is credited with the first carriage of airmail in 1859. On August 17, he is reported to have shipped 123 letters and 23 direct mail from Lafayette to Crawfordsville in the state of Indiana .

Last drive

On September 28, 1879, the 71-year-old started his last journey in St. Louis with a passenger. In bad weather the balloon was blown over Lake Michigan. John Wise was never seen again, and his remains have not been found.

Fonts

  • John Wise: A System of Aeronautics , Philadelphia 1850.
  • John Wise: Through the Air. A Narrative of Forty Years Experience as an Aeronaut . To-Day Printing and Publishing Company, 1873.

literature

Viktor Silberer : Basics of practical airship travel. V. The Reissbahn. In: Wiener Luftschiffer-Zeitung 1, Issue 5, 1902, pp. 98-102.

References and comments

  1. ^ J. Poeschel, Die Ballonfahrt in: J. Poeschel (Ed.), Ins Reich der Lüfte , Voigtländer, Leipzig 1927, pp. 68–88.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Wise, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American balloonist of German descent
DATE OF BIRTH February 24, 1808
PLACE OF BIRTH Lancaster , Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH September 28, 1879
Place of death Lake Michigan