Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 249, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1917 — First Bombing Balloons Futile. [ARTICLE]

First Bombing Balloons Futile.

The first bomb dropping balloons were humble enough and equally futile. Balloons had been used in war as early as the siege of Maubeuge by the Austrians for observation purposes. The first talk of bomb dropping was ln!812, when the Russians were said to have had a huge balloon for that purpose; but nothing was done with it In 1847, however, the Austrians, when .attacking Venice, sent up paper fire balloons, which were to drop bombs into the town. But they forgot to allow for contrary air currents. The balloons got into such a current and, drifting back over the Austrian Hue, bombed them, iMftaad nt Yeates, a