Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-05-22
Navigating the Atmosphere.

|
iec,, is now on our table, by John W Use, o
veteran aronaut, of Lancaster. Pennsylva-
MA. Hitherto we have had scraps OF inlor-
nation from Encyclopedias and Maya
zines, relating to the art, but here We have
a book on the subject, written by one who
has made many ;eral voyages, and who
relate his own adventures. |, embraces a
full history Of the subject, commencing
with the ancen, artificial flying pigeon OF
Archylus, the Greek, and ending with the
most recent experiments.
The subjec, of navigating the ar has oc-
cUped the attention of many eminent mcn
in Amos, every age Of the worlds history,
but it was not not until recent period that
any success was promised to an art which
warmed the Imagination Of Bacon, and en-
gagged The attention OF the eCte: Bishop Ol
Chester. In 1882, there lived q, Gnclent
Avgnon, in France. two brotaar5. young
men, named Stephen and Joseph Monigol
fer, Who, being Of an ingenious turn OF
mind. conceived the project o! sending up
small balloons inflated with rariiied air,
aud by many experiments they discovered
that as key enlarged their balloons their
ascending power became greater, and from
this they went on increasing their size, ,Iil
they constructed one Of capacity of 23,
900 cubic feet, and with it they sent up
some animals in basket. The voyage
was successful and this induced 10 construct
one of gigantic dimensions, viz, "a feet
high and AZ IN diameter. With this BAL
loon brave and COO! Frcnchman, named
VI. PIlarre de Roz er, volunteered TO make
voyage two or :hree hundred ice, high. the
balloon being secured by long cords 10 the
earth. He made several ascents, and on
the 2lst May, 1873, he. along with the
Marquis 'Arlandes, made the fret free as
cen, into the Hrial regions, rising TO the
height OF 5000 feet, and made success
full excursion over Paris, and finally landed
a few miles from where they started. IhS
formed an epoch in the history Of aral
navigation, and the fame OF the Montgolfi-
ers soon spread over Europe and reached
America. Although hydrogen gas was
discovered long before the Montgolfers
made their balloon, and its utility TO the
purposes Of Hrial navigation had been pre-
viousy suggested, yet it was never really
applied for ,ha, purpose, excep, for expert
mens in The lecture room; but no sooner
was the success Of the Mon,soltier balloon
spread abroad, than the virtues of hydro
gen became apparent, and it was firmly be.
lieved by many at that time that bal
looms would soon be as common as crows.
Napoleon frightened many an English ma
tron, when he threatened 10 cross the chan
mel with his Boulogne army in balloons.
But his "paper walls" never ventured TO
battle Old Eng'and's "wooden walls )" nor
does it appear ,ha, we are any nearer "a
system" OF arial navigation al the present
day, than they were then. 1t is the opin-
ion of Mr. Wise, however. that baliooning
is about half century ahead Of the age.
and if the spirit of mechanical! progress
keeps pace with the onward march Of intel
lect, he says, "our children will travel TO
any part of the globe without the inconve-
nience Of smoke. sparks and sea-sickness.
and at the rate CT one hundred miles per
hour"
| |, would indeed be glorious thing If we
could career throug b the region above at
| such rate, but our dreams are much more
moderate than those Of friend Wise. We
would be content with ten miles an hour,
only le, US have The wings, an independent
pair. Then, when like jeremiah, Of old,
we were troubled in mind and sighed for
the wings OF dove to fly array and be.
gone. ",o lodge in some vast wilderness"
all that we would have 10 do. would be to
mount and be of. ''over mountain and sea-"
Such things would be very p'easant-eve.
rybody would be rejoiced if such things
could be done. and many strong arguments
may be used respecting the probability of
such things being yet accomplished, but
not, in our opinion. safely, conveniently
nor economically, by any "serial vessel"
that we have ever yet seen, the opinion Of
eronauts to the contrary notwithstanding.
The "resoloidal spndle." Of Bobjohn.
which was in the course Of construction al
Hoboken, and which was propelled with
two small steam engines, some time this
summer, has been sadly damaged by the
late tornado. II this be the means of pre-
venting the balloon from enjoying her nri-
al nlgh, by steam, we will regret it exceed.
ingly.
Mr.. Wise has made great numbe: Of
successful ierial voyages, and his book is
| oco oc o,oot oo,v;co IN sr;onro ae q hisiOr