The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-09-15

BALLOON ASCENSION AT BosToN.--Dr Morrill,,
the Aeronaut, gives the following description of his
aerial voyage on the afternoon of the I'd inst:
cut the rope that connected my Aerial Car and
vessel with terra iirma at a little after O'Clock
and arose (atter passing above the lower currenD
slowly toward the Southeast. | very soon found
myself directly over Boston harbor. After hav-
ing adjusted my life preserver, and attended to
every thing possible connected with my safety,
sat down to enjoy the vast and most intensely inter
estIng prospect open to my view. | need not re-
mark that it was wholly unlike that obtainable from
any point on the surface of the earth. 1t took in a
range OF many miles III every direction Boston,
with its surrounding cities and numerous villages
many miles III the country; the harbor, with its
Islands stretching i'll the distance into the broad
Atlantic Ocean, covered with innumerable white
sails, all presented to the eye prospect awfully
grand and sublime.
still coursed my way upward and onward, and
was awakened from my reverie of admiration by
the dninuiive size assumed by objects on the sur
face of the earth Buildings and forests kept re-
ceding from my view till they were scarcely visi-
BILE; the former resembling chdrens toys Of that
shape, and the latter had the appearance of the
smallest vegetation. was now, as near as could
Judge, some IL miles from my starting point, and
still over the water. | was conscious of misty
dampness about me, and saw drops of rain, of the
appearance Of crystals, shining in the suns rays.
few moments AFTER clouds began TO form below
me, and the earth for some minutes was lost to
my view.
After the shower below me-, the white Clouds
observed, had assumed an oval shape beneath me
at the SIDES and the green earth was seen only in
the centre of a spherical Orm-the harbor appear
ing like a river very much widened toward its
mouth. Upon throwing out tissue paper it fell like
lead toward the earth, by which knew that was
still ascending. and with increased velocity. Upon
casting my eye upward, found that the gas in the
balloon had expanded as completely 10 fill the
whole vessel, which at the surface of the earth
not full by some 90 600 gallons. The temperature
of the air, which had been gradually falling was
now so low as to be extremely uncomfortable in
deed the cold was so intense that | was completely
chilled. and tremb.ed throughou my whole SYSTEM
From the raretaction of the air, there was, also,
some difficulty of respiration.
As the gas was now pouring out of the mouth Of
the Balloon, which acts safety -valve, and my
position was longer a comfortable one, ! deter
mined TO descend and search for a current of air
that would take me 10 the land, as was not now far
frOn 1t, q had taken CircultOus route around the
harbor and Massachusetts, Bay, having crossed only
one point Of the main land off IIingham) After
having descended about mile, | struck a current
of air that very nearly reversed my course, but this
| soon lost and not able again 10 find it, WAS,
however, carried over the land, and as | felt quite
at ease ! again ascendcd. I now amused myself
by ascending and descending several times, being
sometimes within hailing distance of the people be-
meath me. But as it was getting near sunset, and
as war approaching Cape Cod Bay, after passing
over patch of burning bushes and a small pond, |
efiecting safe landing for myself and balloon in
the edge of the town of Pembroke near Dnxbury
q miles from Boston direct, but much farther than
that by the course took. My passage occupied
little more than one hour | contemplate making
another ascension soon, should there be sufficient
encouragement offered.