Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-12-07
(From the Rockingham Rcgistcr.)
Crever's account Of his Erial Voyage from
lIarrisOnbnrg.


MEssRs. Ep,roRs.-As you desired i'll your
last paper that should give description of
my voyage, i'll my own way, appended to this
you have description md also a few remarks
relative TO Aeronau,ics. which, if YOU can find
room in the columns Of your valuable and IN
teresting sheet for them, you will confer Il
favor by publishing, as the public mind is
somewhat interested OH the subject, and num-
bers have requested me to give them an ac-
count of all the peculiar sensations, sc. at
tending the Ascension.
TIE YAGE.
! At o'clock, the "Cometp rave indications
that there was sufficient gas in it, with the way
the retorts were stiltwoyling,te be able To "go
it' in few minutes. accordingly attached my
car, and made all other necessary preparations
/ TO take my dopartXre from terra firma Is
minutes before 3 O'Clock / cut, as YOU say,
",he last cord that bound me to earll,," and
with the cheers and huzzas of the people of
gallant old Rockingham ringing in my ears
the "Comet" was freed from her mooring and
launched into the atmospheric ocean," But
few can conceive the feelings of qualification
and pleasure which animated my bosom when
arose galy over the heads of the people, and
heard their simultaneous shouts of applause
| What added to my gra,ed emotions at that
moment was the conviction, that but few
minutes before, there were hundreds among
the crowd below who thought that TO make
an ascension was thing impossible. When
had attained the height Of about three quar-
:crs OF mile, cast a Parachute overheard
containing living animal, and then sat down
to partake Of dinner generously provided for
me by one of The citizens of the town Dur
ing this time the current was carrying me
slowly to the West of North. After dining,
go. up and took view of the country be-
neath-and most magnificent view i, was
Down the Valley | could sec for about 80
miles; but up the Valley ! could not disin-
guish the landscape for more than II miles, OH
account q! the extensive haZiness OF the atmos-
pherc i'll that direction. The appearance of
The landscape, cut up into irregular patches by
the fences forming fields, cannot better eu-
cldate than by referring the reader To stone
house: the wall of which is made of irregular
shaped, or rather shapeless stones, the lines
oil the cement representing the fences, and the
faces of the stones representing the fields.
! This of course lacks all the brilliancv and
grandeur of nature, but the mind of the rca-
der can form a more adequate idea Of its APP
I'pearance than words can express To the
South, had a view OF the n orth River, and
i andoah, and these with their tributaries Wand
! ing their way through the rich and apparently
} level landscape in the Valley beneath me-
stretching up and down the Valley as far as
the eye could reach | have in my aerial trips
been permitted TO look upon regions of coun-
try that were Justly considered, rich, grand and
luxuriant; butneverbclore did my eyes behold
such tract of country as met my vision
whilst poised over Rocking ham, the Eden of
the great and beautiful Valley of Virginia
My own heart thrilled in unison with the mag
nifcent scene below me. could no, but
view with the liyeliest emotions of pleasure,
( this Valley of surprising beauty and richness,
which appeared like one vast but rregulurly
laid out garden, stretching far away iii all di-
rectionS After Teasing my eyes with the
I first view, sat down for short time. after
which again rose to my feet and took anolh-
F., er s!iook out" found that | had ascended
/ high enough TO enter tie great Eastern Cur
rent, and was moving off to the East. In a
/ few minutes was over the Peaked Mountain.
whlcn could see was formed OF two parallel
ridges coming together and forming a half
circle at their southern extremity. | here sat
down and was taking some notes in nv Aerial
! Log, intending to descend, so that ! might
( land in the neighborhood of the Shenandoah
( | was considerably Interested III taking my
notes and did not keep careful look ont as
to the rate was travelling. and when | had
finished and got up to take another views /
found myself just crossing the Shenandoah. |
and Sd miles high. !. Immediately noticed
the time, Gust l-2 past > o'clock,) and COM
menced to descend, for the purpose of landing
before ] should reach the Blue Ridge but
the breeze was carrying me so fast, that
found | could not reach the earth in time to
avoid the mountain. ] then thought of again
Ascending and passing over into "Old Virgin
la" but upon noticing the distance, found
that would have to 90 about / > miles farther
to get into all open country, which would
have taken inc about half an hour more, and
was at that time so extremely cold, and being
e oppressed with sensation of drowsiness up
: on second consideration ] thought best lc
] continue my descent and take my chance a.
] mong the trees; and in one hour after cutting
5 loose from IIarrsonburg, found myself dis
Ridge near the line between Rock ngham ant
Greene counties, about 3-4ihs of mile to tht
;. right of Mr.. Deans copper mine, completely
r surrounded by dense forest.
n About Is minutes after landed; three mci
e came TO my assistance Aller getting the bal
e loon down and bundled ready 10 take on
: march down the mountain, we were met b,
i'll Col. Miller, with company OF mountalneers
s prepared with pine knots, for the purpose O
:, hunting inc up that night, Git was then nigh
:. lall,) and he said, ''we did not expect to fin,
s you alive, but We we're determined not 10 lcav
+ the mountain without your body"
s After getting Inv apparatus housed for tli