The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-06-11
FuM he I11I1nl N Iello1dI's
THRILLING NAHR FIVE on WIeE'S

-..ne1 si'ot - -. ,.AaA.t,u 80 ~ y uNA Yt co4l
The 80 ot Junewas uahefod IN 81 I'll squalls
and thunder cloud s VII hich CONTINUED until set-
ting sun, The nature If heweather was such
that few expected 10 see a balloon ascension Il
one should be attempted After / had com
menced the imitation Of the @rial vessel the VI
loleiice Of the wind was such as Id make the
balloon SO unmanageable thai should have
ldespaired OF succeeds in theattetnpt myself, had
mot nIy confidence been strongly established BY
1.-THE frequenttrials of the noble air.ship Bly-
ses." ~
| At IS minutes past 4, P. N. the wind having
somewhat abated, i made the final preparation
for the voyage, and Id ten iiiinntesafter cut the
last cord that bound the air-ship to terra frna-
The ascent was slow at first, moving at a mod
crate elevation over the city in south easterly.
ldirection, but by the time reached the Ohio
the ascent beeomerapid, and soon attained
an elevation Of about two thousand feet. This
kept me below the range Of the heavy cumu'us
clouds with which the heavens were SO denseiy
lcharged far and wide, and the balloon sailed
lsluggishy underneath them, Iaboring as 1t were
under a heavy pressure.
Having got some distance Into Kentucky.
and passing along the range Of ahill, three RI
file shots were flied and one Of the balls struck
my car, but the concusson was SO slight that
had it struck my personit could not have pro
duced any injury nor even pain The ball
reaching and striking the car must have been
the merest accident, for am not willing to
award such consumate precision Of aim at that
ldistanceof height even to a Kentucky riAeman.
1 Taking aview towards the south west 4 no.
Iticed thunder-gust moving towards my line
of direction and had now attained an altitude
that fairly breasted the storm. From this pre-
sumed that it was impossible that the storm.
could reach me, believing that the SAINT current
4 that was'moying the storm along must ais6
move me along ahead Of it, and the distance
between the balloon and the storm was al least
two miles, In this, however, / soon fUerd my
mistake, for somehow or other the thunder-gust
was gaining rapidly on me, warning me thatyi
must endure its peril or mount above it by dis
charging ballast. became deeply Interested
in viewing this meteorological pllenoiienon, es-
pecially when saw the torrents disgorging
from the upper cloud which seemed to cap the
storm. The thunder and lightning sall dis
Iplaying itself in the clouds below. ! say clouds
because they were detached and rugged, and
casdnally the flashes would jump from one
to the other. / watched it until its approach
became SO near that the outskirts Of its rain fell
on the balloon and the car began I'd rock from
the effects Of its whirling motion. ] now threw
over sufficient ballast toraise above it entirely;
the course Of the storm, and aswe we're sBpara-
ting the parting salutes of heavetfs artillery
were truly grand and imposing.
AS had not determined to make a long vdy-
age when / started, and knowing that my voy-
| age had for some time past ceased to be of i'm
mediate interest to the audience had left at
| Portsmouth, made some observations prepar-
atory to- a descent, for had now gut into re
gon 0f atmosphere where occasional glimpses
Of the earth and the Ohio river We're obtained,
but there appeared no place suited for land
ing within my range OF vision, as all was for
est and river. ] continued onward and east.
ward, gradually coming down to get better
view Of the netherworld under the cloudswith
view Of making final descent. The clouds
being much broken below, giving me tolera-
bly, extensive view of the earth and river, and
referring 10 my chart, | Judged that was about
twelve or fourteen miles north of Burlington
and going towards the east at the same lime
there were thunder gust coming from the
north west. While was considering the probal
bility Of getting into drenchng rain if /
should hurry my descent before the storm would
reach me, and also the uncertainty Of meeting
a proper landing place, land the next difficulty
of certainly getting into the whirlpool Of the
storm if did not land at all hazards, ,admon-
ished me to opce more seek refuge in the calmer
min;ops Accordingly hallas, was Quickly ais.
cbarged. f;c;ent so send the mount
inc upwards with majestic mein, and in turn.
4 ing my attention southwark found q storm
coming directly under my path again.
Here now was presented an array of meteor
n oloeical display that certainly seldom falls to
\ The lot of mortal man to behold. Inyoluntarily
there sprung from nv bosom an alteration Of
4 the God Of nature through the admiration o.
Ehis works. and was reoiced that had not
made the descent when first contemplated -
Every thing at,this point conspired to make
this the glandest voyage that was perhaps ever
made in modern times Here were two tre-
Imendous thunderstorm approaching each other
rapidly beneath ne--in the distance and all
around piled in the most majectic and grotesque
forms, masses Of dense vapos--liere and there
lcould be seen immense pillars and spires spring.
ling up with enchanting beauty, ever and anon
there came the most terrific discharges Of cleo
ltricity, the loud and frequent thunder contin-
uing with increasing fury--a park Of heavens
heaviest artillery was rapidly approaching in
awIulconfict-the ~ lyses" was soaring above
lit, distended to its utmost tension, rocking in
the undulations OF the atmosphere like ship
i'm a heavy sea, for such was the power Of the
. lpealiDg thunder that the atmosphere seemedio
to be convulsed to its very centre. An this
time my own feelings were strung TO the highest
, lpitch Of admiration, but a Thousand regrets
yearned in my thoughts because | had no com
paniOn with me to share the grandeur Of the
, scene. Hinh as nv feelings We're now wrought