_Escape of Balloon._ In addition to the risk of being shot down, there is the ever-present danger of the balloon being wrecked by a sudden squall or of its breaking away from its windlass through the parting of the cable and floating over the enemy lines. Balloons have been lost through both causes in a number of instances. Each of the two observers wears a heavy harness to which is attached a parachute suspended by a light cord from the rigging of the balloon, so that in case of emergency they may save themselves by jumping without having to make any preparations for their sudden drop. In case of the breakage of the cable, which usually results from a strong wind coming up suddenly and putting a terrific strain on the steel line by jerking it, the observers are guided in their actions by the direction in which the balloon moves. When it is carrying them back over their own territory, they navigate in the same manner as a free balloon, coming to the ground as soon as a favorable landing place can be reached. Instruction in free ballooning is accordingly an important part of the curriculum that the kite balloon observers must go through. Should the wind be in the opposite direction, however, as only too often proves to be the case, all instruments, papers, and maps are immediately thrown over the side and the observers promptly follow suit in their parachutes, abandoning the balloon to its fate. As the balloon travels with the speed of the wind, once it is released, and the parachute of the descending observer is carried in the same direction, prompt action is vital to prevent coming to the ground in the enemy’s territory. In a 30-mile wind, for example, only eight minutes would elapse from the moment that the balloon broke away until it traversed the 4 miles intervening between its station and the enemy’s lines. On some occasions, kite balloons which were not fit for further service have been loaded with explosives and released from a height that would cause them to land well within the enemy’s territory with disastrous results to the men detailed to capture them. *Marine Service.* The kite balloon was first used by the British naval forces in their operations against the Dardanelles and proved so valuable that they have since been employed in fleet expeditions in the North Sea as well as for anti-submarine work. In the latter form of service, they have the same superiority over the aeroplane for observation that they possess in land operations. The ship naturally cannot run the risk of remaining stationary, but as the speed of the balloon is the same as that of the ship towing it, the observers do not pass over a given area with anything like the velocity of an aeroplane, while their elevated position affords the same advantages for detecting the presence of the submerged submarine or the approach of enemy vessels. EXAMINATION PAPER DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS