The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-10-03

Description Of the Balloon Ascension at
Columbus, Ohio.

81
from the Cleveland Herald, Sept. I'll
Mr. Wise has furnished US the following descrip-
ton of his ascension from Columbus, on the 18th
Instant
Ascended from Kinuey's Museum Ut Ave minutes
before five p M, with Balloon Ulysses, the con-
tanning Mrs. Wise, Master Charles Wise, and my.
self. Atmosphere calm and clear, with very
gentle breeze from the southwest. Velocity Of
breeze about ten miles hour. At twenty mi
nutes past five we were three thousand five hundred
feet high-prospect grand and clear for thirty miles
each way-Mrs. Wise and Charles rejoicing in q
strain of excitement not far short of that produced
by inhalipg nitrous oxide gas The various public
buildings the State Fair ground dsgorging It's i'm
mense mass of animated nature, the crowded city,
the great Museum Pavilion, teeming like bee
hive, with the magnificent scenery all round, was
indeed enough to exhilarate less excitable minds
than my own. 1t was with difficulty could restrain
my companions from jostling the car TO and fro, in
their nervous enjoymsnts ! requested them TO to
matter too nspid for their present state Of mind
and had to attend to it myself.
At twenty. five minutes past five, Notified my
companions oflandipg them and resuming the voy-
age alone, for the purpose Of making experiments
At thirty-fye minutes past i've, i landed on Mr.
Mobiles form, four miles from Columbus. Charles
alighted, but Mrs. Wise insisted on reascen hing
with me- but after getting up three or four hundred
feet, found could not attain height desirable,
with the weight in charge, we landed again, and
after leaving Mrs. Wise, | resascended alone, and
attained an elevation Of ten thousand feet
At eight hundred feet cntereda stratum Of mist;
it was highly electrical agitated by convolutionary
air-whirls In this mist and above it, everything
in and about the balloon became intensely elastic
a spruceness, if may be allowed the term, per-
vaded the whole mass, that rendered it quickening
and musical. The touching Of the valve and cord
produced sounds from the valvespring like guitar.
The cords by which the car sas suspended gave
our sounds like o stringed instrument at every
whirl of the electrical medium. When in the mist,
it had the appearance Of dust; but viewed from
above, 1t had diDgy and gloomy appeal ance it
was o distinct stratum several hundred feet thick
When above 1t, | could see the country elevated
above tier of clouds to the southeast, fifty sixty
miles distant. The condition of the atmosphere
was truly singular, q condition no doubt In some
way connected with the long prevailing drouth We
have just encountered. l was aloft until sunset
The sunset scene was grand one. The tops OF the
clouds in the distance were magnif ,ently illumi-
mated and variegated with the colors OF the
rainbow. While Viewing this scene from height of
more than a mile, my attention was suddenly drawn
to q conversation passing between two individuals
at first thought it deusion, but upon close OBJ
| servation it proved to be fact, for could dis
| you see himr' tried the experiment with my own
voice and found 1t to echo distinctly, which also
brought shouts from persons below; probably from
those whose conversation heard. This happened
over little stream, at clear point entirely sur
rounded by woods, and just at sunset
Although the air at this point was only forty de.
grees, my pulse was quckened not less than ninety
minute, and my veins were considerably distended
Ieit tnat was Beseins NUN .oheA HoAAA osO JOE
| had labored under for several weeks, and now
canddly say that feel q permanent improvement
of health really astonishing to myself and altoge-
ther ascribable to the electrical inauguration re-
ceived in highly charged atmosphere. This was
and Charles were landed While passing through
the cold electrical stratum, theory would assign to
the gas loss Of buoyancy, from condensation. but
in this case its buoyancy was increased, as am
certain its ascent became accelerated from the time
it entered it, without dschargng any ballast At
fifteen minutes past six i landed near Blendon
corner, about ten miles from Columbus, from
whence returned to the city in conveyance fur
nished by Mr.. Bylls. ]. WISE.