Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-11-10

/ cts have been successful IN both New Yorl
and Massachusetts. In the latter State
the ticket headed by Gardiner, is doubles:
elected by large majority.
] 4Efs5 s------------. ------------
! $3.50 Ballooning.
We copy the follow ny from the acc cunt
Of Mr.. K. Thompson, OF his ascension in O
balloon with Mons. GODDARD. II is quite in
teresting = aa.
"The ballast being arranged, our ter
restial friends on Ross Hill, by order, let 90
/ of the ropes, and gracefully we ascended
| in a northeasterly direction, when piano.
rama was spread out before our vision,
which, to be described perfectly, would re-
quirc the pen OF an angel, (if angels use
pcns.) Beneath were field. Of standing
corn, aud fields which gave evidence that
the harvester had gathered his golden grain,
towns, villages, and hamlets, forests, roads,
and rivulets, all appeared in dimnu,ve
! form, and az we attained higher altitude,
men seemed pigmies, houses toys, forests
/ shrubbery, roads and iiyulcts threads, and
the noble Ohio. with its gorgeous water
| castles, seemed almost as small as Ben
Bolts brook before It had gone dry.
Our view before the rising of the moon
was glorious hut when nights mantle gath
cred over The earth. and her queen appeared,
1 Illuminating the face OF nature, the scene
was so grand and beautiful to nv mind as
10 compare favorably with my preconcevod
! i,ea of Heaven. looking mp from the ear
/ into the neck Of the balloon, with the moon =
! rays falling directly on the huge globe. u
/ seemed bal. Of fire, while the reflection
/ from the outer surface OF the nrial ship was
equally as brilliant as the reiiectionof gas
| light from mirror. sgssesTe4
| Never did happier party stat forth in
! pursuit OF pleasure than ours. John Sharp,
Esq, went into fits of ccstacy. Iclasped
I GoJard's hand, and the mutual shaking
/ came near costing both their strong right
arm Bellmln, whose experience in bal
| looming l. greater than any other amateur
| in this country, clared positively that il
was the grnndest trip he had made; and orr
| gallant Monsieur and his good lady asserted
j that the last, the two hundred and sixty
seventh ascension, was never surpassed IN
point Of su,limity and grandeur.
! Several times during our voyage we con-
/ verscd with persons on the earth, in which
/ conversations proved TO my mind conclu-
| siveiy, this fact, tina, it is a very easy mat.
ter to hear with distinctneas, ordinary con-
versat3n from the earth, when one mile
! and quarter from its surface.
will state two or three facts more
viz, while over Mr. Ruifner's farm. near
Ca,hrgr, inquired in loud voice, Who
/ lives here," Some man replied "Nr. Ruh-
ner." as it Marine Ru.fner" ] then ask
ed. No. Frank was the response. a
/ female voice then invited us down 20 supper,
" ich invitation we heard as distinctly as
! friends can hear each other in common con-
/ versatiou. Mons. Goasrd discharged a
I small quantity OF gas, and we descended IN
/ a field near TO Mr.. Ruffner's residence, as
easy as bird can aight on tree top.
Another experiment, bearing on this point;
/ When half mile above the earth, Mr..
GODDARD let fall small stone, which we
heard very plainly strike the ground.
And still one more fact, and we are done
with this part of the subject. At about the
/ same altitude, Mons. G.. threw out a hard
/ ful of sand and earth. and when il struck.
/ il sounded precisely like rain pattering on
I a roof where no ceiling obstructs the sound.
After taking lunch with Mr.. Rntfner S
/ kind family, Mons. Goddard discharged mora
ballast, and again We arose TO enjoy the
4 beauties of a moonlight nrlal ride. Far,
/ fer, behind US. the shadow OF the mr. snip
| follows faithfully as mans shadow at noon
| dly. Above Us ball of fire; beneath Us,
| -isible ten thousand fields, their 'eaces look.
/ ing like seive.
Dense forests, Immediately beneath an!
over their topmost bodahs We glide gently;
| Tor our daring captuin has invited US to wit
ness the perfect control which he has over
! his balloon in fair weather. Then we as
A cend 10 the distance Of 5000 feet, aud after
travelling the Lord only knows where,
| changing around with a score OF different
currents of air.. we finally descended on
Mr., John Coxe's farm in Butler county, SIX
miles from G endale, after having been two
hours among the clouds, in celestial regions.
From Mr.. Coxe's farm we went To West
chester, there remained all night with our
GOOD host Daniel Avery, and the next
morning repaired to Glendale in a wagon
took the cars, and are safe among our
friends, ready and willing to make a second
voyage to Skyland."
The dex.erity with which some convicts
use even the most i'll cons tructed tools l.
truly marvellous. A short time ago. pris-
oner in our Jail, aawed through, in one night.
a set of double irons on his legs, made OF
bar iron three inches wide and three quar-
tiers OF an inch thick, with n common table
knife notched on the edge. Another cut
through the heavy bolt OF his cell door with
a short piece Of a steel watch spring, SIM
| all, notchrd5 About the same time, three