Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1853-09-08

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Hs,Ins naa< srl.nsu.usni. Silh utp4 q y So
l1groI - MI. BALBOA .1ceasion FosS ~
1:r,,o5i li1l / ro.ld ssrrz1 1y..;S "a lssls -.
originally ~ i1'ellica IN ~ ~ cr.1-1z sged
IlIe1u ~ trr@. Fho - aclprhleni.f - s11.e
tn1rs1t tip,< - 'riI excursions hs.nF ~ ,sc'-
ssSy s.lp, t4r' hin shs BALBOA I'd 'i.f'e4 10
h n.ie 4 heansIIs, assent ed heiory % sv.-y
E.feo1 ae,emlI41 II 1hanntn11I- 80 - fieo gu1
y. history q - voyage n NJ on porqs
would eF'tees ~ A.or.e,r clR'rfie .,:.s g
win every living soul fh.i c.ne y eoabst uiiA
since seio1rni1g q he SPRING. and e q ny
dealings vita Capt G. ". SsppingfDn. prtfrie5or q
ehannond4le. Fund him g1niieman a thS tine
Virginia stamp Be providst ldr he occasion ..
every one nee ssd S-ssy within within *. ,ss
q be sphere % he fAei a which host q siliien
win bear honorable testimony, and WiIL an 1alis-
fed with myssK always recur % Ehannoadsie with
pleasant emoiionk JOHN MISE
saxsSoxpAIr srnlxas SEPT "a, lisa
Quarter past O'Clock aChaxfe, jump ID ile
basket YES sir.s what f6rlp 80 70 10 ia the
BGiloon-s aJump out get IN azains This vas
he conveFsafion that passed between my ktkAf and
myself L hen requested him 70 give me ny knife
and money 70 pay my passage with ihe Balloon back
70 Sn1un0n0ale, ana NJ 20 MINUTES past Two Qftocks
on TIC LIST day II September 1853 was cast loose
from terra-6rmA 70 make my first arial voyage alone
The last words heard my fAther say, ueEes that
should ascend until passed through the clouds and
then come down again At q O'Clock was sbout
midway between ChariestoNn and Shaalondale q
voice, saying here goes The Balloon ithen cried,
HuxnL Huzza HuuA and waved my Tag and IN .
moment or two heard faint noise corning from e
Inpposed the large assembly q persons a Shannon-
dale. A few moments afier thiA threw out box
il untI Il fen Il clover field ffolnd now hat
was rising rapidly above the clouds thea tried the
valve 10 SEE whether Il would work This done By
drawing the valve cord and letting 4 70 again, 70
ZEE whether It would snap and make ns.ise which
| Il did not do. While was doing th;a thought
lizard the cars coming up the railroad and while
was looking for them let the valve cord 90 then
found that the noise ceased opened the svt again
and heard the same noise, therefore eoacluded The
noise was occasiOned By the gas escaping through
the valve when opened. ! now looked for shannon
dale, and one Of the most magnificent views net my
eyes that have beheld There was the Sheban-
doah winding its serpentine course down 70 fe Pc
tomac at HarpersFerry with numerous small Islands
at its mouth, also the Bridges at arpers-Ferry md
Point Of Rocks and the Potomac winding It's crooked
course up and down until Il seemed 10 enitr the
clouds each way rs mere thread d silver. again
thought Of Shannondale, which / found BY looking
for the horseshoe bend In the river which had
uouctu beIore. soon IounQ anu noQ view OF
Shannondale and It's vicinity; also, the Bluc-rdge
and the country beyond, until the earth seemed 70
merge into the clouds. now locked for Charles
town, and found that was nearly over II was at
this time very high above the clouds and nuosing
very slowly; stood over ChRrlestown for half al
hour and saw pool q water and what appeared TO
me 70 be circus ring close together, the balloon
| then slowly moved Oh towards Harpers-Ferfy and
kept in that direction until got within about 3
miles Of Il. then came down some distance IT ihs
point and struck another current Of air, which took
| me towards Shepherdst0wn. Not knowing what
| place Il was cmne down to within aboaf Z Of D
mile Of ths earth and asked how fsr Il was ID Win
chnster several times to some persons plouging In
q field, and they commenced huzzaing. ] TOLD them
70 listen, and asked them again how far Il sas to
Winchester, but they said you are on the yaroag
| track, asked them what town that was anSaning
| Shepherdstown, and i understood them 70 say
Dover. All this time was close to the groUhd, and
could hear the ducks chickens, geese and ps:lfows
cackIing, the dogs barking and men hplzaing.
| | now commenced ascending again and saw an
other large town 10 The len Of Shepherds,own. and
thopeht ! would come down there, bat As !
1 was going above the clouds happened 10 leok at
| large cloud beneath me, but broken In lssveral
| places, and on this discovered arainbov IN the
/ shape OF quarter circle, but casing my eye lt4
| tie more TO the right saw that the raiabSv was
/ continued, and looking still more 10. the right
found ii formed perfect circle about large .
| circus ring. was now ascending very rapidly,
and The rainbow was gradually Diminishing until
II vanished altogether. ! was At this time at my
highest ele, alton which supposed e b essE syc
| when gave load huzza and waved my flag
soon heard them answering me quite lively. Il was
| next within about half mile Of Shepherdsiown.
which looked 20 be quite . large place, and had
| mind 70 come down there, bot | thoaekl would
look for the larger placed had once beiote bpl
the clouds having got very thick in that diseston
could not see il again. The mountains nov aps
peared 70 be coming very close together, thought
had better be looking out for good place TO land
| was now still extremely high and the cioads apf
peared 70 be laying on the earth below. Here /
looked arouad my car for long rope.that .new
| must be there, which found after hunt OF few
moments, and having fastened il 10 the edge Of my
| car threw il overheard | then commenced des-
cending slowly, seeking The best place CT !snding
Seeing hne grass-held about Of mile ahead Of
me, Thought would come down Ia il. and CON-
menced coming down rapidly, and seeing man
on horseback called 10 him 10 catch nv rope, bat
| he looked all around but never upwards, be thea
| rode OF down The road pretty fast. "A flaw
/ Of wind striking ihe balloon when 4 was within
800 feet Of the earth. blew It into The woods about
100 yards, but letting out little more gas a. got
over clear spot IN The woods brought me down In
| IT, andthe network over the balloon caught in
tree, about 20 feet above The ground; and 90 fe
| moments three ladies came % my assistance and
took hold OF the rope and got J. Of the Tree, without
/ injury TO the balloon or myself Byihis iime ioule
4
teered 70 give me every assistance 10 their power,
and 20 with their help. soon had the balloon and
network packed ID the baske ,thus concluding nv
.srst arial voyage alone At 10 minutes past 4
ocice@ having been 10 the air about one hour and
ffty minus There was quantity Of tissue pa
Der IA lhe bask. 4 also my Dag stat. which were
soon divided anon those present az tokens n re-
membrance. About l. Us time remembered tpat ]
had ! bottle OF Wine wSich had been placed ID
my basket, BY my friend. Al shsnnondaie tct the
purpose Of treating my frieh e Were might land
So We all adjourned 10 the nealest spring, and al
joined 10 finishing The bottle. As ne q inc per-
sons present was about taking drinK,ar &c vas re-
mined that be was Son OF Temperance, M re.
ply was that the Order Of Sons Of Temperanee did
not prohibit the drinking Of spirits hslcaae ftcn
above. landed 90 the farm Of Mr.. Ehud Tdrner.
situated abouti mile fromthe Potomac River and
the same from the 0pequon Greek. And from Mr..
Turner | learned that l was miles from Will
Transport 10 miles from Hagersiown, miles from
Shepherdstown. and 81 miles from Skannonaaie
Springs Mr.. Turner treated me viii ever kind.
ness giving me ny supper. lodging and breakiaki,
and u The morning sent me 10 Skcpherdsi0uh; III
al Of which feel deeply indebted. - be weold
not receive one cent for all his trouble. From
6hepherdslown 10 Charlesiown I vas hrouekl hr
NJ. Brooks. AID o. Chahsslogn MI Sippinrion
had horse and bsygy n readiness. 10 conveysme