100 Objects #4: Lowe's Gas Bag

In 1861, a deeply disconnected America faced massive travel times, prompting eccentric inventor Thaddeus Lowe to propose a revolutionary solution: an overnight mail service using hydrogen gas bags. Lowe aimed to fly from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C. in a single night by riding high-altitude winds, despite the extreme dangers associated with early balloon technology.

Thaddeus Lowe prepares for a historic balloon flight from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C. in his aircraft, the Enterprise. Despite not reaching his intended destination, the journey marked a significant moment in early American aviation and atmospheric discovery.

Thaddeus Lowe's balloon flight lands him in South Carolina just one week after the outbreak of the American Civil War. Mistaken for a Yankee spy and a supernatural being, Lowe narrowly escapes a hostile local lynch mob before returning north.

After his failed long-distance flight, Thaddeus Lowe pivots by demonstrating his balloon's reconnaissance and telegraph capabilities directly to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. Despite resistance from the elderly General Winfield Scott, Lincoln personally intervenes to establish the United States Balloon Corps with Lowe as its chief.

This segment explores the military application of Thaddeus Lowe's hydrogen balloons during the American Civil War. Serving as the chief of the first aerial component of the U.S. military, Lowe used balloons for reconnaissance and artillery spotting, which famously came close to eliminating top Confederate leadership.

Following the Civil War, Thaddeus Lowe transitioned from military ballooning to highly successful commercial ventures, inventing home gas heaters and founding the Citizens Ice Company. After moving to California, he established the Citizens Bank of Los Angeles and built a massive mountain resort on Mount Lowe, complete with a funicular railway, casino, and zoo.

This segment explores the later life of Thaddeus Lowe, his potential influence on L. Frank Baum's 'The Wizard of Oz', and his enduring legacy in aviation. It traces this legacy through his granddaughter, Pancho Barnes, a pioneering stunt pilot who established the legendary Happy Bottom Riding Club, a favorite hangout for test pilots like Chuck Yeager.

Jack Hitt and Roman Mars discuss Mike Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who orbited the moon alone, comparing his experience of isolation to that of 19th-century balloonist Thaddeus Lowe. They reflect on the uniquely American drive to push boundaries and explore the unknown.