Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-08-06
ALEXANDRIA:
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUG, 6, 1894
MR.. DURANT's ASCENSION.


II gives US pleasure to state that Mr. Durant
whose ascension in balloon at Boston was no.
ticed in yesterdays Gazette, and for whose safe.
ty fears were entertained, has escaped without
serious accident, although at the imminent risk
of his life. We subjoin the account Of his peril
his own language
At hours 80 minutes, by my time, rose clear
ofthe Amphitheatre, with barely sufficient buoy
ancy to keep the balloon in horizontal position
until passing over the Common threw over
two bags of sand ballast, when the ascending
power increased and the balloon rose finely
forming an angle with the horizon judged OF
80 or 40 degrees This gradual ascent Continu-
ed till minutes past 8. when the Bar. fell to %
22 The view now and few minutes previous
was the most varied and interesting that ever
beheli. On one side the vast ocean, with hun
dreds of vessels for many miles round. The
ocean presented an almost unbroken surface,
covered apparently with Il light mist or fog, and
the sun striking the sails of vessels gave them
much the appearance of feathers floating on
the smooth surface of pond. | could perceive
in the wake ofthose nearly beneath me differ
ence in the appearance of the water caused by
their motion; it was very perceptibe in the wake
of steamboat which passed short distance
from Nahant; it had much the appearance OF
heavy lines in engraving, diverging at or near
right angles from the ground work. This gave
me an idea of their course and probable wind,
which judged was more favorable for me to
reach Cape Ann. | descended very slow to
ascertain at what height the wind would haul,
vet perceived no sensible difference until within
l.S of mile from the ocean; here by ranging
with schooner which few minutes before
was ahead ofme, standing out under heavy
press oi sail, though now she had fallen in the
rear | could perceive from her that my course
within Is of a mile from the ocean would strike
the eastern point of Cape Ann-but it was i'm
possible to keep the balloon within that distance
of the surface without great expenditure of
ballast or without striking The water, or soaring
above into the lower edge of the upper and
more westerly current, which would have car
red me to the eastward Of Cape Ann; therefore
| resolved on letting 90 both anchors to trail in
the water. They struck az 9 h. 80 m. with 500
or 400 feet of cable ii few miles beyond Nahant,
though the prnStat was moving With such Velo-
city as to prevent the anchors sinking more
than 10 or ID feet from the surface, and indeed
the velocity frequently caused them to skip over
the surface This gave the balloon an undula
ting motion, sometimes 200 or 800 feet high.
and sometimes barely touching the water; by
this means was enabled to secure all the adj
vantages of the wind and was making a
OF wind struck the balloon with such force
as TO throw it in a horizontal line with the car,
which struck the ocean and filled with water.
My car being of open wicker work, judged
BY throwing out some ballast the water would
run out and should be enabled to rise clear, but
it was drawn with such force that the water could
not run out This occurred at h. 81 m. and
left me partially immersed in water. Judging
il difficult and dangerous to continue as far as
~ cif finn nd n
to the leeward of me and within IA of a mile
from the course was making, judged by re-
tar,iing its progress as much as possible, she
would be able to ntersect the line was making
and arrest the balloon; but instead of bearing
down with the sloop, the small boat was man
ned. and before they could intersect my course
was mile beyond them. sheet, which |
carry to fold the bal loon, and my flag | had
spread as much as possible across the car to
retard my progress for this boat This sank
me 70 the waist in water, and materially in
creased the danger and difficulty Of reaching
the Cane AT this time a schooner at the east
ward was bearing down, and my car being so
far ia the water that she came up with me at Z
O'Clock. Exchanged few words with the cap
tain, requesting he would pass me close under my
lee and throw line saw man attempting
TO throw dpsy lne and told them it would
not hold me, when they caught up very stout
line which made fast to the car.
This line proved to be the halyards, and the
schooner on the wind, with the force of the wind
on my balloon, and the line drawing from mast
head. carried me up 800 feet, when descend
ed with such velocity as to be for the first time
completely immersed in water. second time il
was carried up in like manner-and when about
400 feet high. a flaw of wind upturned the bal
loon so as to exhaust the gas in an instant. In
falling, | was under water half minute, though
had on gum-elastc life preserver, which Mr..
Dorr, of the Roxbury factory, had the kindness
to lend me. Yet was so entangled with the