The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-01-16
WHOLE NO. 1921


EhIAL NAvIOATioN.-. In tho Unsird
States Senate on Monday, Mr. Douglass
presented a memorial from John Wise
the erouat, Mr. b. saidi ~.
The memorislisi states that he has de-
voted sixteen years af, his life siudiOue'y
To- The science of eronatics. that during
;hal prrind he has made about Une hun.
dred erial voyages successfully aud with
safety. He states also that he has witt
ten work upon this scirnce. in which
he has given bisiory Of il aud an &c.
count Of the development of lis princir
ples. which have been received with great
favor by the scientific world. He also
states that he has demonstrated To his
nwn satisfaction and is prepared to dem!
Dustrete tO tho satisfaction Of the world
his power to make this science useful and
practicable for the transmission Uf mails
and the transportation nf passengers, and
Especially IN tue att of war as well 10 in
pc ,ce. he also states that he isprepar1
d To construct a baIIoon 100 feet in dr.
tmefer. which shall have the powerof el:
-Vsli:g l6 tuns. that he is prepared TO
-levaie that balWn over the Cspit0l OF
Presidents house, ,nr Navy Yard. or any
,lh-r poi which may be designated. e.
h"ve The reach nf gun shot. and ,Ihen 10
iischsi Re imitation missiles VI destruct-
We qualify. which w"ulJ show his cspa-
city 1" destroy any heei. fyTi. pr army
winch may be beneath il. He also pro.
puses that her he shall have done that,
aud shall have ssIisf-d bnih tiouses Of
Congress aud every body who will attend
his experiment. that il is entirely prscii=
rahle aud within his control. to take that
b 'llonn tnihe city nf ST. Louis aud make
= yoyaRe from thence Ia the city Of New
York. At New York he pr6pbses TO
take in six other passengers WIN have
volunteered. and proceed to England,
where he will report To the British Gov,
ernment. He expresses entire confidence
in his ability 10 do this with perfect safe.
ty; aud. that lie can make quicker voy.
age around the world IN The balloon then
III any other way; that his experiments
nave shown that at certain elevation
there is a current Of air passing from
West TO East, in which he can sail with
perfect safety, aud with more expedition
and velocity than by any other, mode of
conveyance. He desires the opportuni-
~ of testing this and 0f satisfying the,
world Of the truth of his theory. He
says that he can make thrse experiments
frum 81. Lpuis to New York, and from
New York 1" Europe, for. The sum Of
twenty thousand dollars. He thinks that
this will enable him to fully demonstrate
the praclicabiliiy OF this science. and its
applicability ,u the purposes fur which
he proposes 10 devote it, He alludes TO
The fac, that we are making very large
appropriations fnr ot! -cts of much less
utility; aud inasmuch as he has ,desoied
his life to this business. has made 90 ma.
ny successful voyages. has wr lien book
demonstrating the practicabiliiy Of this
science. and only needs this small pit
: tance to carry his scientific discoveries
8 into practical effect---he says We ought
4 To give him that amnunt to allow him TO
y make the trial, aud enable him to he the
first man hat ever sailed around the world
in bslln"n.
The memorial was eferred to the com.
5 miltee on Naval Affairs.