The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-06-29
AEROSTATION.

/ ascent.
lie states. that from the STORM.
ness of the weather, he entertained
serious apprehensions lest in rising
from the ground the balloon should
be driven against one or the other
OF the surrounding houses, 4. in or
der to guard against such calam-
ity, caused it To be inflated conside-
rably beyond the extent originally in
tended. by this preraution they
gained on descending power, which
carried them rapidly, and almost
perpendiCular'y, to considerable
elevation. when. entering a cloud,
they lost sight of the earth. They
continued for some minutes To pass
through a succession nfclouds. which
were piled one above another, those
lowest being, as usual, the most
dense aud opaque and at last emer-
Ged mi" pure cNpansc, in which
moi a cloud or vapour was TO be
seen, and where the sun was shining
with the utmost brilliancy.
The, soon experienced excessive
heat, The rays of the sun being con-
centratrd. and reflected back upon
them from the clouds below. and the
thrrmometer. which few minutes
before WAS below 80. rose rapidly
to 20. The expansion of the gas
produced by the increase of temper
azure was So great, that although
the valve was opened II, its greatest
extent 10 admit its escape, they still
continued 10 ascend and in Il min-
utcs from the time. Of quitting the
rarth, they found themselves at a
! he. ght of nearly two miles above its
,or'ace- The barometer. Wi II
bad stood at % degrees aud 7.l0t $
on their rising irum the ground, " as
now found ~ nave sunk Ia 81 and
S-l0ths. On looking down frou,
this elevation at de cloud throug ,
which they had passed.. Mr.. Grern
says they appeared To hin insl Ii p
IA vast extent Of countIyco,ered with
snow.--Thcy also "ow perceived in
tbe clouds opposite To The balloon q
its appeadages.encircl"d by mo ha-
Ioes. presenting with the utmost Vi
Witness all the varied colours OF the
rainbow. The nearest halo vas a
bout 100 yards from the reflected
balloon, and the other about twice as
Tar. The former was the most bril-
liant. The clouds in which this Gu
rIous illusion were observed were IL
Dont 5000 feet distant. MIR. Green
states The appearance to be- lar from
unusual, but that he remembers hav-
IN Z seen it When the sun was more
than so. or les. than 40 degrees a.
Dove the hoIlZln. 1t is not often,
however, he says, that the colours
are So vivid as ON this occasion.
/ hr illusion did hot tease during the
Whole time they remained at this
nelSht, Dut followed the progress OF
thc balloon. and afforded the Ir1-
nautS. by It's motions, an easy mote
# aScertaluiGs the direction they
were !. "CcrGing in II has been sta
ted that U.Jsds let loose at this height
betlay stmpiams of fear. aud soon
become cA tausled, owing to the ex-
trcue rarity oi the air. On the
contrary. these pigeons LET lily u"
his "ccasiou (anG' Mr., Green says
ne has, obscrt I'd the same thing on
many former oGes) kept flying about
III all directions near the balloon. n
had not commenced their descent So
long as they remained in SIGHT OF
the Gr0nauls. In the course al the
evening they returned hanIc without
appearing IL be in tire least exhaus-
TED. A,ler continuing AT this elc-
,atIon nearly an hour, Mr.. Green
commenced his descent, aud IN about
quarter Of an hour VAS sufficiently
near the earth ID be able To ascer-
tam that he Was floating over part
OF h.nt but on descending about
| 100 lecr lover. The balloon entered
into "A fresh current of air, which
carried him across the river into Is
etx. and IN a few minutes after he
/ rne, ,ed sale AID easy landing on
The estate ol Joseph Martin, Esq.
at kalnham, near Barking. HE
valve by waich the escape OF the gas
is regulated 10 upon new cohslfuc-
lion. and Is SD decided an improve
ment, that Mr.. Green says he can
exhaust the balloon IN one-tehth al
4 IL N o.