Monday, February 27, 2012

Floating in the Azure Sky

Ms. S. Emma Edmonds provides us with a vivid story as she recalls seeing a balloon ascend in her 1865 book Nurse and Spy in the Union Army.


“In looking back over the events of the two years which I spent in the army, I see so much worthy of record that I scarcely know where to stop.


A most thrilling incident occurs to mind at this moment in connection with Professor Lowe and his balloon , which I must relate before closing. It took place while McClellan’s army was in front of Yorktown.


General Fitz John Porter having been in the habit of making frequent ascension in company with Professor Lowe, learned to go aloft alone.


One morning he stepped into the car and ordered the cable to be let out with all speed. We saw with surprise that the flurried assistants were sending up the great straining canvas with a single rope attached. The enormous bag was only partially inflated, and the loose folds opened and shut with a sharp report like that of a pistol. Noisily, fitfully, the great yellow mass rose toward the sky, the basket rocking like a feather in the breeze. Presently a sound came like a feather in the breeze. Presently a sound came from overhead like the explosion of a shell – the cable had snapped asunder, and the balloon was adrift.


All eyes were turned toward the receding car, where General Porter sat in his aerial castle, being borne heavenward as fast as if on eagle wings without the power to check or guide his upward flight.


The whole army agitated by this unwonted occurrence, and the rebel army evidently partook in the general excitement.


Lowe’s voice could be heard above the confusion and tumult shouting to the soaring hero – “Open-the-valve! Climb-to-the-netting-and-reach-the valve-rope!”


“The valve-the valve!” repeated a multitude of voices, but all in vain, for it was impossible to make him hear.


Soon the signal corps began to operate, and at last the general was made to understand by signals when it was impossible to reach him by the human voice.


He appeared directly over the edge of the car, and then clambered up the netting and reached for the cord, but he was so far above us then he looked no bigger than a great black spider.


It was a weird spectacle – that frail, fading object floating in the azure sky, with the miniature boat swinging silently beneath, looking no bigger than a humming-bird’s nest; and a hundred thousand brave hearts beneath beating with the wildest excitement and warmest sympathy, yet powerless to render the least assistance to their exalted brother-in-arms.


“Had the general been floating down the rapids of the Niagara he could not have been farther from human assistance.”


We at length saw him descend from the netting and reappear over the edge of the basket, and he seemed to be motioning to the breathless crowd below the story of his failure.


Soon after the balloon began slowly to descend, and when we next saw him it was with spyglass in hand, reconnoitering the rebel works. Shouts of joy and laughter went up from the long lines of spectators as this cool procedure was observed.


For a moment it seemed doubtful in which direction the balloon would float; it faltered like an irresolute being, and at length moved reluctantly toward Fortress Monroe. Bursting cheers half uttered, quivered on every lip. All eyes glistened and many were dim with tears. But the wayward canvas now turned due west, and was blown rapidly toward the confederate works.

Its course was fitfully direct, and the wind seemed to veer often, as if contrary currents, conscious of the opportunity, were struggling for the possession of the daring navigator.

The south wind held the mastery for awhile, and the balloon passed the Federal front amid groans of despair from the soldiers. It kept right on, over sharpshooters, rifle-pits, etc, until it stood directly over the rebel fortifications at Yorktown. The cool courage, either of heroism or despair, seemed to seize the general, for turning his tremendous glass upon the ramparts and masked batteries below, he viewed the remote camps, the beleaguered town, the guns of Gloucester Point, and distant Norfolk. Had he been reconnoitering from a secure perch on the top of the moon he could not have been more vigilant; and the Confederates probably thought this some Yankee device to peer into their sanctum in spite of ball or shell. None of their large guns could be brought to bear upon the balloon, but there were some discharges of musketry, which seemed to have no effect whatever, and finally even these demonstrations ceased.


Both armies were gazing aloft in breathless suspense, while the deliberate general continued to spy out the land.


Suddenly another change of position, and the air craft plunged and tacked about, and steered rapidly for the Federal lines again. Making a desperate effort to catch the valve-rope, the general at length succeeded, and giving it a jerk, the balloon came suddenly to the ground; fortunately, however, it stuck a tent as it descended, which perhaps saved the general from any serious injuries from the fall.


By the time the crowd had reached the spot, Porter had disentangled himself from the folds of oiled canvas, and was ready to greet his anxious friends; and amid hearty congratulations and vociferous cheers, he was escorted to his quarters."

Friday, February 24, 2012

Got Gas?


The science of flight—Aerostatics, as it was known in the 19th century—became a reality as early as 1783, when the French brothers Montgolfier sent up a balloon using hot air heated by a fire on the ground. The Montgolfiers, only two months later, used a hydrogen-filled balloon to take three passengers: a sheep, duck, and rooster, into the air for King Louis XVI and his court.

By the time of the American Civil War, hot air was still not a practical method of lighter-than-air travel, as no device or fuel source had been employed that allowed a balloon to stay aloft for any length of time. Non-air gasses were therefore the main means of ascension.

Before the war, civilian balloonists, or aeronauts, used primarily “coal gas” from city lines. This was the same gas used to light street lamps in cities, and it was composed of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane.

As war broke out, aeronauts volunteering their services for the US Army quickly found that it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to fill their balloons in the cities and then tow them over rough terrain to join armies in the field. Before and en route to the First Battle of Bull Run at least four balloons, those of James Allen and John Wise, had already been lost to wind, trees, and telegraph poles. Another method was needed to inflate balloons in the field and to accommodate the stresses of battle!

The renown balloonist, John Wise, drew up plans for a portable apparatus based on the designs of late 18th century French aeronauts—it used a process called “water decomposition” to produce the combustible, but extremely light gas, Hydrogen. This process involved heating “iron turnings” and charcoal until white hot and then running steam into the material. The process, at the time, was sadly inefficient, however, and it was determined by the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia that using this proposed apparatus would require as much as 7,500 pounds of iron and other supplies, costing a total of $7,000 per inflation. The cost and inefficiency of this method made it impractical for military purposes.

Another young aeronaut, Thaddeus Lowe invented and had constructed another sort of portable generator: a wagon housed tanks of sulfuric acid, into which iron filings were deposited. The reaction gave off hydrogen, which moved into a leather hose and through two purifiers, and finally into the envelope of the balloon. This method and design was adopted by the army and proved practical even in the midst of battle. The generators could inflate a balloon in just over two hours (fast for the time) at a cost of only $60-$70—obviously superior to the water decomposition method. Lowe’s outside-the-box thinking brought him to the fore as chief aeronaut of the Union Army. His invention of the portable gas generators allowed him to effectively serve the Army of the Potomac through three major campaigns of the Civil War: the Peninsula, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes

Join us for our last Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes at the Nature Center!!!


This program will last 60-75 minutes as we hike approximately 1 mile.
Programs are free for museum members. Non-member fee: $5.50/adults; $5/seniors; $4.50/youth (ages 4-16).






Winter Bird Tea Party! - Sunday, February 26, 2 p.m.

Discover which species of birds visit the museum bird feeders in winter. Learn about the best foods to provide for your feathered friends and unlock the mysteries of bird identification. Enjoy a cup of tea or cocoa while museum naturalists help you identify species from the warmth of the nature center lobby.

Complimentary Tea and Hot Chocolate served from 2-3 p.m.



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Buck and Dan - A Growing Oxen Team

Buck and Dan, our youngest oxen team, continue their lessons with Lead of Trades, Mr. Sanbury, and his mentor, Mr. Kinsey. Buck and Dan are from the short-horn milking breed and will have to learn about a dozen commands reliably as a team before they can help out around the farm. They’ll need to learn how to turn right and left (Gee and haw) stop (Whoa) go (step Up) go backwards (Back, This is the trickiest part!) and pull loads on sleds and wagons. They will also have to learn to be calm around all different types of people since they will be meeting our visitors regularly.


Since they will be working as a team for the rest of their lives, Mr. Sanbury has to be careful to put the right ox on the correct side of the yoke every time. These two look a lot alike, so we’ve put a red scarf on Dan to tell him apart. They are 6 ½ months old and very curious! It will be another season before they are big enough to pull a plow, but they are expected to surpass our current adult team, Mike and Tom in size when fully grown! That’s over a ton a piece!

Shorthorn milking cows are among one of the earliest breeds known in England. In about 1839, they started coming to the US because the females produce a large volume of milk, have easy calving, and produce long into their lives. In addition, they can thrive in rough pastures, have a good temperament, and are also good for beef. Mr. Sanbury reports that they are very intelligent as well, having learned the commands quicker than any other team he has worked with. They can even go backwards just as easily as forwards!

Here, Buck and Dan are 7 weeks old last summer.

Heads Up!

The Greene Textile collection includes superb examples of 19th century hats—and each one needs an archival or storage display mount to preserve the shape of the object and to reduce handling—staff and researchers simply pick up the mount, rather than the object. Students from Villa Maria’s fashion program helped make storage mounts, shown below.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes

With just two more February weekends left, join us at the Nature Center for our Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes!!!


Each of these programs will last 60-75 minutes as we hike approximately 1 mile.
Programs are free for museum members. Non-member fee: $5.50/adults; $5/seniors; $4.50/youth (ages 4-16).
Winter Tree ID - Sunday, February 19, 2 p.m.

Bundle up for a journey into a magical world--- the winter woods at Genesee Country Village & Museum! Learn how to identify trees in winter on this one-mile walk by examining bark and branch formations. An experienced museum naturalist will also teach you how the "madcap horse" can help you learn your trees.

Winter Bird Tea Party! - Sunday, February 26, 2 p.m.

Discover which species of birds visit the museum bird feeders in winter. Learn about the best foods to provide for your feathered friends and unlock the mysteries of bird identification. Enjoy a cup of tea or cocoa while museum naturalists help you identify species from the warmth of the nature center lobby.
Complimentary Tea and Hot Chocolate served from 2-3 p.m.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

As our Valentine's Day treat for our readers we have a sampling from an 1880's collection of conversation candies from Riga, NY. Each of these candies was saved by a woman who wrote the year and gifter on the backs of several candies. In the second half of the 19th century, there are candies called "conversation hearts" and "conversation lozenges" which these likely are.


Each hard candy has a message imprinted in red. Some are the heart shapes similar to those we know today.
 Other shapes include circles, flowers and cresents.
The messages include images in some cases such as these with a train engine, a ring and a cresent moon.


This set of candies shows a raised texture to the surface surrounding the message similar to embossing on paper.
The largest among the hard candies is this horse shoe. The heart below it has no red message stamped on it. Instead, the message is hand written.




Monday, February 13, 2012

Project Learning Tree Workshop

This April 14th educators are invited to a Project Learning Tree workshop. Pre-Register with Melissa Marszalek at 585-294-8257.

Project Learning Tree is an international curriculum developed by the American Forest Foundation. PLT’s mission is to use “the forest as a window on the world to increase students’ understanding of our complex environment… and instill in them a commitment to take responsible action on behalf of the environment.” PLT, one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States, “helps young people learn how to think – not what to think – about complex environmental issues.”





War Balloons - 1861-1863

The balloon’s demonstration triumph led the Secretary of War Simon Cameron to direct Lowe to build four additional balloons. Two more followed shortly. The fleet now consisted of the Intrepid, Constitution, United States, Washington, Eagle, Excelsior, and the original Union. The balloons ranged in size from 32,000 cubic feet (906 cubic meters) down to 15,000 cubic feet (425 cubic meters). Each had enough cable to climb 5,000 feet (1524 meters).


Lowe continued providing tactical reports to the Union troops. He provided information during the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, and in late April 1863, at Fredericksburg, he transmitted hourly reports on Confederate movements. During the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, Lowe continually transmitted information on enemy troop positions. Observations made during this battle proved to be crucial to the Union victory.

However, the balloon corps did not last until the end of the war. General George McClellan was relieved of his command in 1863, and Captain Cyrus Comstock, who was assigned to oversee the balloon corps, cut its funding and thus its effectiveness. Lowe was also accused of financial impropriety, and his pay was reduced. Lowe resigned from the balloon corps on May 8, 1863. By August 1863, the corps had disbanded.


Gas was plentiful in Washington but after inflation the transportation of the balloons from the city to the battlefields was too dangerous and time consuming. Thaddeus Lowe set out to invent a portable gas generating device that could be used anywhere. What he came up with was a lined wooden tank mounted on a wagon filled with some water and iron filings. This combination yielded hydrogen gas when doused with sulfuric acid. The horse drawn wagons were large and rectangular in shape and weighed about 1,000 pounds each. A total of twelve of these wagons were built to service the balloons.

Nature Center Hosts Exquisite Bird Carvings

Over the next several weeks, the walls of the Nature Center will be adorned with an exquisite collection of water fowl bird carvings. This stunning array comes on loan from the collection of Tom Johnson, a long-time volunteer and friend.

This collection includes multiple world champion carvings from highly skilled craftsmen. Also among the collection is a Woodcock carved by Mike Wavercak given as a thank you for Tom’s help with a special carving for the King of Saudi Arabia.



Volunteer Spotlight: Tom started his volunteer career 25 years ago on October 1, 1986 after responding to an Ad the museum had run in the Democrat and Chronicle focused on volunteer recruitment. He worked 40 hours a week as a volunteer in his early years helping with the Wildlife Research Center. Tom is now 80 years old and still remains very active at GCV&M. He still likes to assist with the museum’s nest box program and many of the special events. One of his favorite events to assist with is the Antique Show and Sale.



Tom is a Kodak retiree and Kodak is where his photography hobby started. 40 years ago Tom started photographing birds for many carving artists. Tom was involved in the beginning of the Genesee Valley Woodcarvers club in Rochester NY and traveled to photograph birds for the Ward Museum World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition in Salbury MD for many years. Quickly the word spread in the carving community that there was a great photographer who could take pictures of their carvings and Tom was called on a regular basis to photograph the finished carvings for the artists. Over the years the carvers thanked Tom by sending him a bird carving as a gift. His collection now contains over 300 birds. Many of the birds in his collection were carved by World Championship carvers.




Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Meet Rich Christian!


Rich is the Gallery’s project conservation technician—someone constantly thinking outside the box to create archival mannequins for the Greene textile collection. At the moment, Rich is developing jointed mannequin arms and legs that will easily slip inside tight historic clothing.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Coming Intrepid Receives Media Coverage

Since our announcement on Thursday of our exciting reconstructed Civil War ballloon, the Intrepid, coming this summer, several local journalists have helped share our story.

We invite you to read...

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle discusses the addition of the balloon to the Museum.

Nate Dougherty covers the inspiration and innovation behind reconstruction the Intrepid in his Rochester Business Journal article "Museum Works with Smithsonian on New Replica."

... listen...

WHAM 1180's Chuck Walker talks with GCV&M President, Peter Arnold about the Intrepid on Thursday's morning show.

...and watch...

YNN's Wendy Mills shares the Intrepid story with area viewers the excitement of the replica Civil War balloon.



Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes

Join us this February at the Nature Center for our Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes!!!


Each of these programs will last 60-75 minutes as we hike approximately 1 mile.
Programs are free for museum members. Non-member fee: $5.50/adults; $5/seniors; $4.50/youth (ages 4-16).

Animal Tracks & Tracking - Sunday, February 12, 2012

Discover which animals make their winter homes in and around the beautiful woodlot at Genesee Country Village & Museum during this one-mile walk to look for animal signs. A museum naturalist will teach you a few basic principles you can use to identify most of our local wildlife by the clues they leave behind: tracks, scat, scrapes, rubs and chews.

Winter Tree ID - Sunday, February 19, 2 p.m.

Bundle up for a journey into a magical world--- the winter woods at Genesee Country Village & Museum! Learn how to identify trees in winter on this one-mile walk by examining bark and branch formations. An experienced museum naturalist will also teach you how the "madcap horse" can help you learn your trees.

Winter Bird Tea Party! - Sunday, February 26, 2 p.m.

Discover which species of birds visit the museum bird feeders in winter. Learn about the best foods to provide for your feathered friends and unlock the mysteries of bird identification. Enjoy a cup of tea or cocoa while museum naturalists help you identify species from the warmth of the nature center lobby.
Complimentary Tea and Hot Chocolate served from 2-3 p.m.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Demonstrating the Intrepid - 1861

Shortly after war broke out, the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase suggested that the United States establish a balloon corps under the command of Thaddeus Lowe. This corps would provide aerial reconnaissance for the Union armies. Secretary Chase arranged a meeting between Lowe and President Abraham Lincoln on June 11, 1861.








On June 17, 1861, after meeting with the President, Lowe demonstrated his balloon. He drifted upwards to a height of 500 feet in a balloon called Enterprise from the vicinity of the Washington Mall. The balloon was filled with methane from the city’s natural gas supply. In a stroke of genius Lowe took a telegraph up with him in the balloon and sent Lincoln a telegram from the balloon. The President immediately invited Lowe back to the White House and spent the evening with him, after which he gave him a note of introduction to General Scott. When Lowe presented the note to Scott next morning, Scott's staff stonewalled him but Lincoln personally intervened and introduced Lowe to the General.





Lowe received funds to build a balloon on August 2, 1861. The first U.S. balloon designed for military use, the Union, was ready for action on August 28. Because he was forced to inflate the balloon with gas from municipal lines in Washington, D.C (he had not received his funds yet for a portable gas generator), the balloon could not be moved far, which limited operations to the Washington, DC, area.

On September 24, 1861, Lowe ascended to more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) near Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and began telegraphing intelligence on the Confederate troops located at Falls Church, Virginia, more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) away. Union guns were aimed and fired accurately at the Confederate troops without actually being able to see them—a first in the history of warfare.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

World’s Only Civil War Manned Balloon Takes to the Air in Summer 2012

The Genesee Country Village & Museum is building a One-of-a-Kind Replica of the Intrepid, the manned Civil War Balloon.


Flights are expected to begin this July in at the Genesee Country Village & Museum.

In late 1861, Virginia residents were shocked to see a manned balloon rise on the horizon, directing Union Army artillery against Confederate positions. One hundred and fifty years later, the Intrepid – the first type of aerial vehicle used for combat in the United States – will take flight once again beginning this summer.

Genesee Country Village & Museum plans to begin offering flights to visitors starting July 4. Rising 400 feet (32 stories) above the 700-acre museum grounds in suburban Rochester, N.Y., the Intrepid will carry up to four passengers at a time in addition to the pilot. These 15-minute flights can be booked for a nominal fee in addition to their museum entry fee. More details will be released over the course of the coming months.

Bringing History to Life

“Our launch of the Intrepid brings to life one of the most unique elements of American history in a manner never before attempted,” said Peter Arnold, chief executive officer and president of GVC&M. “As Civil War remembrances occur across the nation during its 150th anniversary, we believed there was no better time to undertake this initiative. The balloon and the planned Civil War encampment surrounding the launch site further enhance our authentic 19th century village – the third largest collection of historic buildings in America.”

Not only was the Intrepid the predecessor to modern-day military aviation, but it also foreshadowed the future of military reconnaissance communications. The pilot would send intelligence information – troop movements, artillery compensation instructions, and more – to soldiers on the ground via telegraph. Conceived by Professor Thaddeus Lowe, the resulting Union Army Balloon Corps was personally approved by President Abraham Lincoln in June 1861.

Originally fueled by hydrogen gas, the Intrepid replica takes to the air via a helium. Like the original seven gas balloons used during the Civil War, the Intrepid is tethered to land for optimal convenience and safety.

Bringing the Intrepid to Life

The Intrepid is being built by AeroBalloon Inc. of Hingham, Mass., with historical guidance from GCV&M and a team of prominent advisors including Tom Crouch, senior curator, Division of Aeronautics. National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution; Jim Green, Director, Planetary Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Rob Shenk, Director, Internet Strategy & Development, Civil War Trust.

The initiative’s total estimated cost of nearly $300,000 has been partially offset by a number of generous donations. As construction progresses, GCV&M will continue to seek additional financial support for the project.



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Great Escape

Recently, one of our young oxen was found taking an adventure of his own around the historic village. Buck was breaking out of his pasture and having a tour around behind Jones Farm. He would then go down to the Shaker Trustee Building and finish up with a trip to the Grieve’s Brewery. Mr. Sanbury gave him a very stern talking to after fixing many of then fences and adding chains to the gates on his pasture. Ironically, Dan does not seem interested in the grass on the other side of the fence.


In the 19th century, oxen were wondering loose quite frequently. Ads were often placed in newspapers telling owners to come retrieve their oxen from a neighbor’s property. There were sometimes fines associated with this if the ox had destroyed anything of value to the neighbor. An ox is an ox no matter the century it seems!
 

Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes - February 2012

Join us at the Nature Center this February for our Cabin Fever Reliever Hikes!!!

Each of these programs will last 60-75 minutes as we hike approximately 1 mile.

Programs are free for museum members. Non-member fee: $5.50/adults; $5/seniors; $4.50/youth (ages 4-16).

Winter Birds - Sunday, February 5, 2 p.m.

Find out which species of birds make western New York their home during the colder months. Take a naturalist-led adventure through the winter woods to search for local species including; chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. A museum naturalist will also help you learn these common bird’s songs with help from a handy gadget called an Identiflyer. Will the elusive Pileated Woodpecker show it’s beak on our hike? No one knows for sure, but we hope so!

Animal Tracks & Tracking - Sunday, February 12, 2012

Discover which animals make their winter homes in and around the beautiful woodlot at Genesee Country Village & Museum during this one-mile walk to look for animal signs. A museum naturalist will teach you a few basic principles you can use to identify most of our local wildlife by the clues they leave behind: tracks, scat, scrapes, rubs and chews.

Winter Tree ID - Sunday, February 19, 2 p.m.

Bundle up for a journey into a magical world--- the winter woods at Genesee Country Village & Museum! Learn how to identify trees in winter on this one-mile walk by examining bark and branch formations. An experienced museum naturalist will also teach you how the "madcap horse" can help you learn your trees.

Winter Bird Tea Party! - Sunday, February 26, 2 p.m.

Discover which species of birds visit the museum bird feeders in winter. Learn about the best foods to provide for your feathered friends and unlock the mysteries of bird identification. Enjoy a cup of tea or cocoa while museum naturalists help you identify species from the warmth of the nature center lobby.
Complimentary Tea and Hot Chocolate served from 2-3 p.m.