The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-09-20
The Illusion seen by Prof. Elliott.

As we promised our readers Yesterday,
we will now attempt to give An idea of the
optical illusion seen by Mr.. George Eli
OFT last Wednesday in his ascension from
this city. In order to do so however, to
be understood, we presume we shall he
freely excused in commencing with short
preface. -
After lie ascended about three thousand
feet, he discharged some five pounds Of
his ballast, when lie shot onward and up
ward wi, h amazing rapidity till he began
to approximate the clouds. He then dis
charged about five pounds more of sand
the remainder Of the bag, when he again
darted upward among the clouds which
were so dense rs to wholly exclude all
terrestrial objects from his view, and of
course he was lost to all observers below.
These discharges Of ballast were distinct
ly seen by his visilats. sand, on the. fist
occasion some one exclaimed that the Ba!-
loon had Lursted.
While among the clouds, he says that
it seemed to him as if he was in the midst
Of large ground glass globe some two
or three hundred feet in diameter, against
.he side Of which opposite to the sun, the
shadow Of the lady ISABELLA rested,
some five or six times larger than the cor.
poral one. About half way between him
and the shadow which seemed as it rest
ing on the glass wall, another balloon was
seen Of size between the shadow and the
real ono, resting as il in vacuum, which
displayed every color faithfully of the or
ignai. He then saw another Elliott, clad
and with features like himself, and SEEM
ingly life-like. He then extended his own
fingers, when he was mimicked by this
image; and whether he extended one or
more or whatever he did, this figure du-
plicated exactly like his. When he would
cause his Balloon to oscillate, this balloon
would move exactly like his. When ne
threw out more ballast to elevate himself,
this figure sank down instead Of rising
with him and when he arose above the
clouds into the rays Of the unclouded
sun, he left the mimick eronaut below
him.
In the rays Of the sun above the clouds,
he found it so ~arn rs to cause him TO
perspire freely state Of heat never before
experienced at this height, nearly twenty.
four thousand feet, where the air is very
rari6ed and generally very chilly. He
then opened the valve for tie purpose Of
descending, and as soon as he sank one
or two thousand feet, which he ascertain
ed by barometrical indications, ho felt as
IL he had entered an ice-bouse, and cold
chill seized his whole person.
Here he again met bis mimic serial
voyager, whom he kept in company for
some time from philosophical no,ives.-
Whenever he moved sideways, this mum
gentleman would move in the same direc
ton. But when he moved up, or down,
the duplicate world move in directly
opposite way; and when he concluded
to descend, the image moved upward until
the tri-colored flask was out Of sight, when
he could still zee the car and tho eronaut
still standing in 1t as if in a basket at
tached to nothing. He still kept looking
until his head |as Robespierred. and A.
nally, piece by piece, his body, and at last
the feet and basket aseendsd out Of bis
sight.
|. Professor Elliott says that be has been
up hundred and one times, but never
saw anything in the form ofan illusion
like this before; and he ssks the opinions
OF the sciea,ific and learned ss to the pro-
babe cause Of this remarkable phsnome-
non, for the information Of the public
Psi0sssrg Iatsll9nosr.