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Boston's Monster Balloon

A new aeronautical marvel, the 'Colossus,' under construction

A brief 1872 news note describing a giant balloon being built in Boston, a curious glimpse of the era's fascination with ballooning spectacle.

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The Morning Star And Catholic Messenger · June 16, 1872 · Page 3

1 min read

Boston, not content with a monster jubilee, is about to produce another monster, in the form of a gigantic balloon, which an aeronaut of that city is constructing. The circumference of the body of the balloon is to be one hundred and ninety-one feet, and it will be capable of holding one hundred thousand feet of gas. It is to be called the Colossus, and will carry nearly seven thousand pounds when filled with hydrogen. It is to have two cars — the upper one for [...] and a lower one for [...]

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