ice machine
Yes, Thaddeus Lowe did invent the Hot Air Balloon!
Thaddeus Lowe was the inventor of the hot air balloon. Abraham Lincoln and Thaddeus Lowe used this technology to survey battlefields and spy when they could.
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe was born on 1832-08-20.
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe died on 1913-01-16.
the ice machine
thaddeus lowe
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binoclers
Union balloonist Thaddeus Lowe was able to observe the defenses of Richmond, Virginia. His balloons sometimes reached a height of 1,000 feet.
he invented the compression ice machine in 1866
You can learn from a great deal about Thaddeus Lowe, and probably find an answer to your question, in Stephen Poleskie's recently published book THE BALLOONIST: The Story of T.S.C. Lowe; Inventor, Scientist, Magician, and Father of the U.S. Air Force. This book is available at most libraries and bookstores, and online at Amazon.com
Although balloons were used in the Napoleonic Era, Thaddeus Lowe added an unique aspect to ballooning for the Union in the US Civil War. Lowe used a telegraphic transmitter to direct gunfire. Also, for the first time he used cameras to record the positions of Confederate troops and fortifications.